Tag: Porter Gustin

Snap count notes and observations from the Browns’ first 8 games

Breaking down the snap counts for the first 8 weeks for the Browns

Halfway through the 2020 NFL season, the Cleveland Browns are figuring out the player rotations under new head coach Kevin Stefanski and his coordinators. Injuries and changing situations have made for some interesting breakdowns to the snap counts for the first eight games.

Here are some of the takeaways from poring over the Browns’ snap counts for the first eight weeks.

Offense

Only two players, LG Joel Bitonio and C JC Tretter, have played all 500 snaps. The 500 total makes for a nice round number to determine playing time percentages, too.

Baker Mayfield has taken 485 of the snaps at quarterback, the same number rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills has logged. Right tackle Jack Conklin (439) is the only other offensive player over 75 percent.

There was a lot of talk about the No. 2 tight end vs. No. 3 wide receiver split. In the first half of the year, rookie TE Harrison Byrant played 283 reps while WR Rashard Higgins played just 174. Keep in mind over 150 of those Higgins snaps came after Odell Beckham (316) got hurt, too. KhaDarel Hodge has logged over 50 percent of the snaps in the four games he has played, however.

Wyatt Teller (284) and Chris Hubbard (280) have had an almost even split at right guard. Kareem Hunt (281) has played more than expected due to Nick Chubb (119) being injured since Week 4. Chubb has 60 total touches on those 199 snaps, meaning he sees the ball almost exactly half the time he’s played.

Defense

Terrance Mitchell just missed out on being the iron man. The cornerback has played in 560 of the 562 available snaps. He’s followed by safety Andrew Sendejo (553), fellow CB Denzel Ward (527) and LB B.J. Goodson (514) as Browns defenders playing over 90 percent of available snaps.

Myles Garrett is next at 446, a 78.9 percent playing time that is a heavy load for a lineman. Sheldon Richarson (413) was also close to 75 percent at DT.

Safety Karl Joseph played 282 of his 300 total snaps in the first four games before he missed two weeks.

Defensive end Porter Gustin is at just over 41 percent of reps (236) but his playing time has fluctuated wildly. One note: the three games Gustin has played at least 50 percent of the snaps have been the Browns’ three best defensive scoring efforts.

Two players, undrafted rookies A.J. Green and Jovante Moffatt, have played exactly one snap on defense.

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Browns dodged an expensive bullet with Jadeveon Clowney

Clowney turned down big money from the Browns this offseason

Jadeveon Clowney was the apple of many eyes in this past NFL offseason. One of those eyes belonged to the Cleveland Browns and GM Andrew Berry, who reportedly offered Clowney a hefty sum to play defensive end for Cleveland on two separate occasions in 2020.

Thankfully, Berry and the Browns didn’t ultimately bite the apple. Clowney instead signed (for much less money) with the Tennessee Titans. And the high-profile defensive end and former No. 1 overall pick has proven to be a sour experience and investment for the Titans.

Reports out of Nashville, including one from our brother site Titans Wire, indicate Clowney’s knee could knee season-ending surgery. Clowney has a meniscus injury that has slowed him in recent weeks.

The injury risk with Clowney is one reason why offering him a substantial contract and asking him to play a major role was fraught with peril. Clowney has played 16 games just once in his seven-year NFL career, missing multiple games most seasons with a litany of injuries — including microfracture surgery on his knee in 2014.

If Clowney’s season is indeed over, his Titans debut ends with a whimper. In seven games, his contribution is very similar to what Porter Gustin has done in limited reps for the Browns: 15 tackles, three TFLs, six QB hits, four PDs, zero sacks. Gustin’s line: 18 tackles, two TFLs, two QB hits in over 140 fewer defensive snaps. Clowney does grade out much higher in Pro Football Focus run defensive scores. Gustin makes $675,000 while Clowney has a $12 million base salary.

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3 Browns fined for penalties in the Week 2 win

Andrew Sendejo received the biggest fine

Cleveland’s Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals got a little less sweet for three Browns players on Saturday. All three received fines for penalized plays in the 35-30 victory last Thursday night.

The biggest fine went to safety Andrew Sendejo. He was hit with a $13,327 fine for lowering his head to initiate contact.

All of the other fines were below $5,000

  • Guard Wyatt Teller – $4,412 for an illegal blindside block
  • Defensive end Porter Gustin – $3,971 for a facemask infraction

One Bengals player, DE Khalid Kareem, was also fined for unnecessary roughness in the loss.

The players have until Monday to appeal their respective fines.

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Jedrick Wills: What they’re saying about the impressive Browns rookie LT

Wills has played quite well for never playing left tackle before

Jedrick Wills is off to a nice start under some extremely trying circumstances. Cleveland’s first-round pick had to learn to play a new position, moving from right to left tackle. He had to do it without the benefit of offseason work with teammates or the preseason. Wills has been a key part of an offensive line that has done a great job of protecting Baker Mayfield and clearing run lanes for Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

He’s quickly proving himself to his teammates. Defensive end Porter Gustin was asked about Wills, who he frequently squares off against in practices.

“He has done great, and I think he has come a long way from the beginning of camp until the end,” Gustin said in a Zoom conference with reporters on Monday. “He is out there going against a lot of good pass rushers, and sometimes it does not go his way, but that is how it always is, especially for a rookie coming out here. It is tough. I think he has gotten better from it, learned from it and been able to step it up and come out and do really well on gameday, so it is great.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic, one of Wills’ champions in the draft process, has been validated through the first two weeks,

From Jordan Reid of The Draft Network, who was skeptical of the position change from right tackle to left,

Our friends at the OBR Film Room also like what they’re seeing from Wills, especially in the run game,

The Pro Football Focus grading also smiles upon Wills and his stellar performance against the Bengals in Week 2,

Wills might not have been everyone’s first choice for the Browns pick at No. 10 overall, but he’s proving worthy.

Updated Browns 53-man roster prediction after opt-outs

Updated Browns 53-man roster prediction after opt-outs and additions

The projections for the Cleveland Browns 53-man roster were blown out of the water before the players even got on the field. Two players who were definitely making the final 53-man roster, OG Drew Forbes and DT Andrew Billings, opted out.

Three other Browns also opted out, though only guard Colby Gossett was a serious contender to make the final roster. The shifting on the offensive line changes the projection calculus.

Here’s where we’re at now with the 53-man projection…

QB – 3

Big change here. Garrett Gilbert now makes the final spot after being omitted earlier.

RB – 4

Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, D’Ernest Johnson, Dontrell Hilliard. No change.

FB – 1

Andy Janovich. No change.

TE – 4

Austin Hooper, David Njoku, Harrison Bryant, Stephen Carlson. No change.

WR – 5

Odell Beckham Jr. Jarvis Landry, KhaDarel Hodge, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones. Dropped one here to make room for the extra QB. Sorry, Damion Ratley.

OL – 9

We know the starting five will be (L-R) Jedrick Wills, Joel Bitonio, JC Tretter, Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin. Chris Hubbard, Nick Harris and Kendall Lamm are the current reserves. I don’t think the ninth lineman is currently in Cleveland, with apologies to Evan Brown and Willie Wright. They’ll both make the practice squad and the liberal new rules on call-ups.

DL – 9

Starters (L-R) are Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Richardson, Olivier Vernon. Adrian Clayborn is a lock at DE, as is rookie DT Jordan Elliott. I think Chad Thomas will get every chance to prove he belongs with a new regime. I’ll add in Porter Gustin and Daniel Ekuale, though it wouldn’t surprise me if the ninth guy here is a nose tackle not currently on the roster.

LB – 5

No changes here. B.J. Goodson, Mack Wilson, Sione Takitaki, Jacob Phillips, Willie Harvey. That fifth spot is vulnerable to an outsider.

CB – 6

Swap in newcomer M.J. Stewart at the expense of UDFA A.J. Green, who will stick on the practice squad. Stewart joins Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, Kevin Johnson, Terrance Mitchell and Tavierre Thomas, who is the Browns’ best special teams player.

S – 4

No change. Grant Delpit, Andrew Sendejo, Karl Joseph, Sheldrick Redwine. There could be a fifth here in J.T. Hassell, who can also double at OLB.

Specialist – 3

Not even a competition this year for PK Austin Seibert or P Jamie Gillan, with LS Charley Hughlett back for more as well.

Browns promote Brandin Bryant, Porter Gustin from the practice squad

Browns promote Brandin Bryant, Porter Gustin from the practice squad in the wake of injuries and suspensions

Desperate for healthy and available bodies along the defensive line for Week 12, the Cleveland Browns promoted two defenders from the practice squad on Friday. Tackle Brandin Bryant and EDGE Porter Gustin are now on the active 53-man roster.

They fill roster spots vacant due to the suspensions of Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi. With EDGE Olivier Vernon also ruled out with his ongoing knee injury, the Browns are missing three of the four regular starters on the defensive line.

Bryant has been with the practice squad all season. He has previous experience with a handful of NFL teams as well as in the CFL. Gustin was signed to the practice squad following the trade of Genard Avery to the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s an undrafted rookie from USC who has primarily played outside linebacker in his career.

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