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July 10, 2015The 2015 Browns season is inching closer and closer as each day passes. By the end of this month, the Browns will be in training camp getting ready for the 2015-16 NFL season. As I started this week with the safeties, over the next several weeks leading up to the season I will be previewing each position group on the Browns. We now take a look at the deep and talented cornerback unit of the Cleveland Browns.
[2015 Browns Position Previews: Safeties, Cornerbacks]
Cornerbacks
Additions
Tramon Williams (Free Agency – Green Bay Packers)
Charles Gaines (Draft – Sixth Round from Louisville)
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (Draft – Seventh Round from Oregon)
De’Ante Saunders (UDFA – Tennessee State)
Brandon Stephens (Free Agency – Cleveland Gladiators)
Subtractions
Buster Skrine (Free Agency – New York Jets)
The Starters: Joe Haden and Tramon Williams
Joe Haden is considered by most NFL experts to be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He will be teamed with veteran corner Tramon Williams to form what should be one of the better starting cornerback duos in the league. I believe this duo is an upgrade over Haden pairing up with Buster Skrine over the past few years. According to Pro Football Focus, Joe Haden garnered a plus-3.4 grade in 2014-15, while Tramon Williams was given a plus-1.2 grade with the Green Bay Packers.
Haden was a Pro Bowler last season and was recently named the 23rd best player in the league in NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2015. Last season Haden had 73 tackles, one forced fumble, 20 passes defended, and three interceptions in 15 games. He has great speed and athleticism to stay with almost any receiver in the league. Every week he is lined up against the opposing team’s best offensive target (even tight end Jimmy Graham) and must stay attached to the player’s hip. What makes Haden even better is his all around game, helping not only in coverage, but also versus the run.
The combo of Joe Haden and Tramon Williams should make the secondary even better than last season
The combo of Joe Haden and Tramon Williams should make the secondary even better than last season
Tramon Williams was one of the Browns biggest free agent acquisitions this offseason, signing with the Browns after playing eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers. In his final season with the Packers last year, Williams had 71 tackles, 13 passes defended, and three interceptions. He brings experience and leadership to a young cornerback group. Over his eight years in the NFL, Williams has always been productive, getting at least one interception in all eight years of his career. He is a smart player who also brings great durability, having missed only one game in his entire career. I believe Williams is a short term upgrade over Buster Skrine.
The combination of Joe Haden and Tramon Williams should make the secondary even better than last season, when it was already good. According to Browns Communication Manager Dan Murphy, Haden and Williams have the two highest pass breakup totals in the NFL since 2010, with Haden leading with 87 and Williams right behind him with 82. Both are playmaking corners whose well rounded abilities fit well in Mike Pettine’s defense. The experience of the two corners give the Browns defensive coaches a lot of confidence to put them out in single coverage. It should be a tough duo to throw against next season.
Contributing Cornerbacks: K’Waun Williams, Justin Gilbert and Pierre Desir
What makes the Browns cornerback group even better is the young and talented depth it has. K’Waun Williams, Justin Gilbert, and Pierre Desir are all just second year players with a lot of upside. This backup group also possesses different skill sets that allow the coaches to mix and match based on the game situation. These three corners could all see a lot of playing time if they perform to their abilities.
K’Waun Williams was one of the biggest surprises from last season. The undrafted free agent burst onto the scene, outperforming his more high profile position mates Gilbert and Desir. Williams graded out extremely well in his limited action last year, garnering a plus-9.3 grade from Pro Football Focus. He had 38 tackles, one sack, and eight passes defended last season. Williams earned his way into the lineup, primarily as the slot cornerback. Williams has great technique and sticks with his man in and out of breaks very well.
Justin Gilbert has all the athleticism and talent in the world to be a productive corner
Justin Gilbert has all the athleticism and talent in the world to be a productive corner
Justin Gilbert had a rookie season to forget. The Browns first round pick was benched for much of the year because of attitude problems and not learning the defense. Last season in limited action (14 total games), he had 29 tackles, eight passes defended, one interception, and one touchdown. Pro Football Focus gave him a minus-2.8 grade for his rookie season. Gilbert has all the athleticism and talent in the world to be a productive corner in the NFL, and the size to match up with any receiver. But he must get his attitude in line and become a professional going forward if he wants to be the player his talent indicates he could be.
Pierre Desir was a rookie project for the Browns who late in the season started to show signs of his emerging talent. In limited action last season (five games), Desir had nine tackles and two passes defended, getting a grade of plus-0.9 from Pro Football Focus. Desir has great size at 6-foot-2 and has good moving ability with that size. His length is an asset that could help him earn some playing time. But he must still develop his skills before being a big time contributor.
These three corners give the Browns a lot of young talented depth behind Joe Haden and Tramon Williams. Each one of these guys could take off this season and become a real playmaker in the Browns secondary. Right now, K’Waun Williams is slated to start as the slot cornerback with Justin Gilbert and Pierre Desir competing for third cornerback roles on the outside positions.
Strictly Special Team Contributors: Charles Gaines
Charles Gaines was the Browns’ sixth round pick this year from Louisville. Gaines will most likely not see much action on defense because of the depth of the position. But, he could get playing time through special teams. He has the athleticism to play on the kick and punt coverage teams. This role of special teams will help keep a spot on the roster and time to develop over the season.
Other Cornerbacks on Roster: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Kendall James, Robert Nelson, De’Ante Saunders and Brandon Stephens
These five players will most likely see little to no playing time this season, with the probability of most of them not even making the team. Robert Nelson and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu are the two most likely players to make the squad going forward. Nelson dressed for seven games for the Browns last season, while Ekpre-Olomu will most likely sit out the entire year while recovering from a serious knee injury. Before the injury, Ekpre-Olomu was slated to be an early round prospect, as he has a lot of upside if he can regain his skills after his recovery. His position on the team will be looking at the long term rather than the short term.
Biggest Strength: Depth
The Browns have a lot of talented corners in their position group. The starters are both veteran players with careers full of production. These two will lead the group with their experience and leadership. But, behind them are three really talented young corners. Each one has the talent to be a contributing corner for the Browns. It will be a huge battle for playing time amongst these three corners. The team has the luxury of players with different skill sets in the group who will allow the coaches to mix and match them based on the situation and the opponent in the game.
Biggest Weakness: Experience
Beyond the starting duo of Joe Haden and Tramon Williams, the cornerback group is very raw with not a lot of experience. The three main backups for the starters are all second year players with not a whole lot of snaps under their belts. This could be a problem if one of the starters goes out and the team has to rely heavily on one of the young corners. It is a wait and see proposition for the Browns in terms of how the young guys develop next season.
Biggest Position Battle: Third cornerback spot on the outside
The battle for the third spot on the outside will be most likely between Justin Gilbert and Pierre Desir. Williams is slated to be the slot corner, so Gilbert and Desir will battle for the third outside spot behind Haden and Williams. This is not a starting role, but with the league becoming more pass happy, the need for a third outside corner has become more important. Gilbert is probably the favorite to win the spot, but if he does not become a professional, Desir can swoop in and win the spot. It will be an interesting battle to watch during training camp this season.
Grade: A
The cornerbacks may be the best position group on the Browns in terms on depth and talent, right there with the offensive line. The starting duo of Joe Haden and Tramon Williams gives the Browns experience and playmaking ability in the secondary. K’Waun Williams showed a lot of great things at the slot corner spot last season that really could make the corner group incredibly hard to throw against. Then there are the two young, raw corners in Justin Gilbert and Pierre Desir. Their play this season could enhance this position into being one of the best corner units in the entire NFL. The only real question mark will be how the youth in the group develops. This Browns secondary could be one of the toughest units to throw against. It should be fun to watch them play next season.
All stats (unless noted otherwise) are from ESPN.com
4 Comments
I believe this secondary has a chance to be the strength of the defense if they can stay healthy of course. If not it will interesting to see if the depth on paper can translate to the field.
He’s looking at you Mr. Gilbert.
Unlike his co-first round pick I still have faith in Justin Gilbert!!!