Tag: Maurice Hurst II

PFF names DT Maurice Hurst II as Browns’ most underrated player

Hurst was a solid contributor in 2023

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry completely remade the defensive tackle group last offseason after they were awful at the position in 2022. Cleveland took a chance on often injured but talented defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II, and it paid off last year.

PFF just released its most underrated players on each team, and Hurst was the pick for Cleveland. Though Hurst saw his season end early with an injury, he was a menace as a situational pass rusher who brought energy and production off the bench. PFF gave Hurst an 81.0 overall grade, 75.9 pass-rush grade, and 76.5 run-defense grade.

Hurst will have to earn his spot on the roster in 2024 after the team added two defensive tackles in the draft. It could come down to Hurst or 2023 third-rounder Siaki Ika, and if that is the case, it is clear that Hurst is by far the better player.

In the end, how many defensive tackles will the Browns keep in 2024?

DT Maurice Hurst II named Browns’ Stay in the Game Ambassador

Hurst will encourage kids to stay in school and improve attendance

Back for his second season with the Cleveland Browns, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II is teaming up to encourage kids to stay in school. Hurst is the new Stay in the Game Ambassador, hoping to improve attendance and set up more kids for success later in life.

The network was founded by four organizations, including The Cleveland Browns Foundation, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Proving Ground, and the Columbus Crew. It’s awesome to see Hurst get more involved in the community in only his second year with the team.

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Hurst showed on the field last year that when healthy, he can be a great rotational player at the position. The Brown’s defensive line should be just as disruptive in 2024 as they were last year, and the season will likely again hinge on how quarterback Deshaun Watson performs on this loaded roster with the team’s eyes set on a Super Bowl.

5 pending free agents the Browns should re-sign

With a long list of free agents three stick out to keep and three to let walk

Can the Browns keep their defensive tackle room intact and re-sign the veteran rotational players, Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst II?

Heading into the 2024 off-season the Browns have 26 players that are currently slated to become free agents. Some of the players set for free agency were major contributors for Cleveland this season while others were disappointments or role players that could re-sign on small deals for 2024.

The Browns rebuilt the defensive line last year including one-year deals for veterans and players who had talent but hadn’t consistently lived up to their potential. General manager Andrew Berry rebuilt the defense last year and making sure that the core is kept intact for 2024 should be one of his priorities.

The team also signed veteran players that they thought would contribute more this year but for some reason or another didn’t work out. While bringing in new talent is always a must in free agency making sure to keep talent can be just as important.

Here are five free agents that the Browns should prioritize re-signing this off-season.

PFF’s 10 highest-graded Browns’ defensive players vs. Broncos

Cleveland’s run defense struggled at times in Denver

At times on Sunday, the Denver Broncos were able to just run the ball at will on the defense of the Cleveland Browns. The defense continued to struggle in the first quarter and Denver’s coach Sean Payton schemed up a great gameplan to attack Cleveland’s run defense.

Jim Schwartz and company have got to figure out why the unit has had so many slow starts and find a way to eliminate them. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was fantastic in this game, his best as a pro, he was all over the field making plays all day. He was playing fast and confident downhill in run defense and even added a sack that happened so fast I almost missed it watching live.

It sounds like Myles Garrett may have avoided major injury after the shoulder injury he sustained on Sunday. The team badly needs Denzel Ward back after an awful showing from Greg Newsome II who played his worst game as a pro.

Here are the top 10 defensive performances in Denver according to PFF.

3 biggest surprises for the Browns halfway through the 2023 season

Who has impressed the most through 8 games?

We have hit the midway point of the NFL season and the Cleveland Browns are 5-3 despite some major injuries to key players. Nick Chubb hasn’t played since Week 2, Deshaun Watson has missed nearly four games, and Jack Conklin went down during the opener. Despite all of that, Kevin Stefanski has his team in the playoff race and within striking distance of first place in the division.

While plenty of players expected to play at a high level, there have been some surprises along the way that have really helped this team compete. Jim Schwartz has gotten the most out of his players and put them in situations to consistently succeed and make big plays.

Injuries are unfortunate but they also can open the doors for young players to step in and step up to the challenge. There are several players that have played some of their best football this year but here are the three that have surprised me the most.

Another metric shows how good the Browns’ defensive line has been

The defense continues to win up front early and often

It was clear this offseason that general manager Andrew Berry knew he had to improve the defensive line of the Cleveland Browns going into this season. Adding players like Za’Darius Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo at the disposal of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has paid off so far. According to Warren Sharp, the Browns are leading the NFL in the shortest time from snap to quarterback pressure at an impressive 2.29 seconds.

They have put a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks to make a decision quickly not giving them time to scan the field much before throwing the ball. It has been fun to watch as Myles Garrett is having maybe his best season so far with another favorable matchup this week against the Cardinals who are starting a rookie at quarterback.

The talent Cleveland has at cornerback behind this defensive line only puts them in a position to succeed. This is one of the better defenses in all of football as they look to build on it against the Cardinals.

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PFF’s 10 highest-graded Browns’ defensive players vs. Seahawks

The defense overall had a nice game on Sunday

The defense of the Cleveland Browns came up just a little short on Sunday as the team fell to the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 24-20. The day started slow on defense before Cleveland settled in and held Seattle in check for most of the second half until allowing the game-winning touchdown late. For the Browns, however, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst and defensive end Myles Garrett continue to shine.

This game is one Jim Schwartz and his defense will want back as they struggled to pressure Geno Smith and the Seahawks’ offense consistently. Cleveland generated 26 quarterback pressure but was only able to produce one sack by Myles Garrett throughout the game.

In the end, they had a good game and if the offense had held up their end of the bargain the team would likely be 5-2 facing the Cardinals instead of 4-3. The defense will have a great shot at getting rolling again as the one-win Cardinals are coming to town Sunday.

Here are the 10 best performers in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks according to PFF.

WATCH: DT Maurice Hurst II gets Browns second interception vs. Seahawks

Another takeaway for the Browns defense

One of the most underrated signings this offseason for the Cleveland Browns was when Andrew Berry took a chance on defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II. He’s an incredibly talented player who just hasn’t been able to stay healthy the last few years. Well, he has been healthy for Cleveland so far and so far he is showing the potential he always had.

With the game tied, he tipped a Geno Smith pass at the line of scrimmage and came down with the interception himself. The defense continues to make plays after a slow start to the game and is setting up the offense to get points and the lead.

Myles Garrett has been a little quiet so far today but his teammates have shown up and covered for him. Though they are dealing with some injuries they have shown resilience and bounced back from the slow start on the road in Seattle.

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PFF’s 10 highest-graded Browns’ defensive players vs. Ravens

It wasn’t the best day for the defense

It wasn’t the best day for the defense of the Cleveland Browns, who made plenty of plays but overall got worn down and struggled to make tackles. The team missed 11 tackles in total according to PFF after tackling had been a strong point in the first three games of the year. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst provided the only takeaway in this one.

The Ravens were by far the best offense Cleveland has seen and it showed as they were able to run the ball at will against the team. There are some areas to clean up during the bye knowing that Kyle Shannahan and the 49ers offense is awaiting in two weeks.

The team was still able to generate a solid pass rush as the defensive line remained a strength of the team. It was an up-and-down game for the secondary as the Ravens’ offensive scheme was perfect to attack the Browns. Here are the top 10 highest-graded defenders for the Browns against the Ravens according to PFF.

PFF’s 10 highest-graded Browns’ defensive players vs. Titans

The defense has been fantastic through three games

Jim Schwartz has had his players fired up and having fun to start the season and it is showing on the field. The Cleveland Browns have given Myles Garrett real help for the first time in his career consistently and it is paying off. All of the attention Garrett gets has allowed Schwartz to move people around and create mismatches. They showed up again against the Tennessee Titans.

There were times the Browns put Za’Darius Smith inside right next to Myles Garrett on the outside and that duo next to each other is just unfair. Alex Wright was impressive as his pursuit down the line against the run was great, notching his first career sack as well.

Even without Greg Newsome the secondary shut down the Titans and didn’t give Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill any easy throwing lanes. After a down year, Denzel Ward has been fantastic to start the season as a no-fly zone is being built in Cleveland.

Here are the top 10 graded defensive players according to PFF for the Browns against the Titans.