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The Cleveland Browns made a big move on Thursday afternoon. GM Andrew Berry executed a trade to fill a big hole, acquiring starting safety Ronnie Harrison from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2021 fifth-round draft pick.
Harrison, 23, was a third-round pick out of Alabama by the Jaguars in the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s got 28 games of experience, including starting all 14 games he played in during the 2019 campaign.
He’s not the type of player who is normally available. Harrison is young, cost-controlled for two more seasons, and capable of starting right away. For the cost of a mere fifth-round pick, it’s an absolute no-brainer for Berry and the Browns to deal for Harrison.
The Browns even had an extra fifth-rounder to deal away. They acquired the Rams’ fifth-rounder in 2021 for 2018 second-round draft flop Austin Corbett. Berry seized upon the Jaguars’ apparent tank job and plucked a player who instantly helps fill the hole left behind with Grant Delpit’s injury.
Harrison is a big safety (6-3/214) and can function as a hybrid LB/S in coordinator Joe Woods defense. He’s a solid tackler with enough speed and awareness to handle coverage responsibility on tight ends. Harrison figures to play a lot, presuming he can learn the new defense on the fly. He can step into the projected Delpit role of heavy nickel/box safety.
Are there warts to his game? Yes. Harrison will take some ponderous pursuit angles and will also overrun some plays. He doesn’t do well deep down the field in coverage and his change-of-direction isn’t great. But Harrison brings solid experience and depth to a secondary lacking both, particularly with newcomer Karl Joseph a chronic injury concern.
Harrison should be able to — at worst — split the No. 3 safety role with Sheldrick Redwine, who has had a strong summer and could be poised for more action himself. Signed for two full seasons, Harrison also provides some stability with Joseph and Andrew Sendejo both free agents after 2020.
It’s a great move by Berry and the Browns, a low-risk, high-upside gamble that capitalizes on another team’s growing dysfunction. It’s nice to be on the other end of one of those trades, from a Cleveland perspective.
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