The Cleveland defense was historically good in 2023. Much of that success has been attributed to defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and rightfully so. Schwartz introduced a new, aggressive system emphasizing the pass rush and man coverage. To that end, he brought in a lot of new defensive linemen to build a rotation. The team also spent big money to bring in free safety Juan Thornhill from the Kansas City Chiefs to add to its trio of talented corners. But, somewhat confoundingly, the Browns linebackers room did not receive the same attention.
Instead, the Cleveland Browns chose to rely on its existing crew. That’s unusual for a team installing a new system, as the linebackers are often responsible for the on-the-field calls, similar to how a quarterback makes adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Even stranger, two of these players were returning from season-ending injuries and weren’t available for the bulk of the offseason work.
Evaluating the Cleveland Browns Linebackers
The overall results were staggering. The Cleveland Browns delivered a historically good defense. They finished at the top of the league overall and in passing yards allowed. Their rush defense jumped from No. 26 to No. 11. They were downright dominant on third downs. The Browns linebackers were somewhat minimized, however. The team played its talented trio of corners on the field more often than not. Safety Grant Delpit was often deployed in a safety/linebacker hybrid role.
Despite this, the new system was particularly beneficial for Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The Notre Dame product was the Brown’s second-round choice in 2021. He made an immediate impact as a rookie and followed that up with a similar sophomore season.
But it is under Jim Schwartz that Owusu-Koramoah has found himself. The aggressive system showcased his speed and athleticism. He turned into one of the better two-way linebackers in the league, being able to move forward to rush the passer as well as drop back in coverage to pick up a tight end in the short to intermediate space. He grabbed 3.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 21.5 stuffs, and 101 overall tackles en route to making his first career Pro Bowl.
The Browns Linebackers Need Another Anthony Walker Jr.
Anthony Walker Jr. has anchored the middle of the Browns defense for the last three seasons. He had a career year in 2021 after coming over from the Indianapolis Colts. He quickly became the defensive captain and has been responsible for calling the on-field signals. But he suffered a season-ending injury early in 2022, which left him barely able to return to camp nearly a year later. Walker’s stats were relatively pedestrian in 2023. However, most of the team’s worst defensive performances came after he injured his knee. Similar to 2022, the Browns defense did not perform the same without him.
The Future For the Browns Linebackers
The stats are clear: The Browns linebackers need Anthony Walker Jr. This is also the problem. If Cleveland has learned just one thing in 2023, it’s the need for multiple options and redundancies. Cleveland needs to put special emphasis on seeking another free agent with Walker’s intelligence and football acumen and probably needs to draft one as well. They gambled that Walker could last the year and came up short. That’s all if Walker even returns; he is a free agent.
Owusu-Koramoah has found his home as the two-way, three-down backer and is signed through the next season. Takitaki, who will be a free agent, has proven himself as a solid if unspectacular option. He was more of a situation player, playing mostly in relief or when the team had three linebackers on the field. Allowing him to depart might free up some money for some potential linebacker signal callers like Walker.
The team has little depth behind these three, and most of that is dedicated to special teams. With the team employing multiple edge rushers and often playing with three corners and three safeties, the Browns linebackers unit doesn’t need a ton of attention. But it can not be ignored for 2024 the way it was for 2023.
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