CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns’ shelter in the pool with free agents was not quite as aggressive as a year ago, but it was a purposeful approach to adding talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Over the past few weeks we have had the opportunity to hear about the latest additions from the team. Let’s look at some themes of what they said on Zoom calls with local media.
Here is real talent
Linebacker Anthony Walker saw the talent on the offensive side of the ball last year. He played against the Browns with the Colts.
“I knew they were a playoff team,” Walker said. “I spoke to coach (Kevin) Stefanski and told him, ‘When we played with you last year, I told the guys in our locker room that there is an excellent football team.’ ‘
The new defensive end, Takk McKinley, saw the change begin early when he played the Browns in 2018 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Falcons lost, 28-16, in a game with a 92-yard run by then-rookie Nick Chubb. That was part of the Browns’ 5-3 finish of the season.
“We kicked pretty badly,” McKinley said. ‘Let me know here:’ OK, it’s not the same Browns team that people say they are. This team, they have something different. ”
Obviously, things have changed dramatically since then. Stefanski is now in charge and the Browns have since strengthened their attacking line and players like Odell Beckham Jr. and another player on the wrong side of the 2018 game, Austin Hooper added.
Safety John Johnson III, the team’s award winner, comes to Cleveland from a team with a lot of talent of its own in the Rams. Johnson played on a defense that finished fourth in the defensive DVOA, such as defensive lineman Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who are considered two players as the best in their respective positions.
“I see (why) Denzel Ward and (defensive end) Myles Garrett as the same thing,” Johnson said.
Walker also appreciates having them.
“One thing I will always say,” he said, “is that you have a man who can get to the quarter and a man who can turn off half the field, which makes my job a lot easier.”
Still, it’s all the guys on the other side of the ball that really grab the attention.
“One of my good friends texted me and said, ‘You’re going to play on the attack for the Warriors (Golden State),'” Walker said.
The Baker effect
If you follow the Browns’ quarterback on Instagram, you’ve seen his welcome messages to players in his stories. It seems that there was also a more personal touch.
“When I drew, Baker was the first person to hit me,” McKinley said, “and he does not have to. He did not do it at all, but for him to send me an SMS means a lot. ‘
Johnson said he and Mayfield were connected by a mutual friend in Los Angeles.
Walker had high praise for Mayfield when he looked back last season on the preparation to play him, but he still likes what he saw of the Browns’ fourth-year signal caller.
“One of my (former) teammates texted me the other day and was like, ‘Oh, I see why you defended Baker Mayfield in our locker room because you wanted to play for Cleveland. ” Walker joked. “But I’ve told him before, Baker Mayfield impressed me at university – like he played in Oklahoma.”
The culture
Talking culture change in football in the off-season is about as cliché as it gets, but it really felt like last year after GM Andrew Berry and Stefanski came in and started building, and it still feels like a year later.
“I felt it was an opportunity of a lifetime to get into a situation where things were moving in the right direction,” Johnson said.
“If you see a team leaning in the right direction, you want to be a part of it,” Walker said. “If you see them play last year, they see the pieces they’re adding this year, you know they’re building something special.”
The new defensive attack, Malik Jackson, was more blunt: he was looking into free agency to look for a winner.
“A Super Bowl rival team, and that’s what I’m looking for,” he said. “Especially with the climate of this free agency and a lot of one-year deals, I didn’t want to go anywhere to try to rebuild.”
Jackson also got the chance to know Browns’ defense coordinator Joe Woods when they were together in Denver and Woods the defensive back. They won a Super Bowl together in 2015.
“He’s one of the reasons I decided to come to Cleveland because I have such a good relationship with him,” Jackson said.
Of course, changing culture is not just about winning on the field. While it certainly helps, it goes beyond what happens on Sundays.
“It’s really a business that people rarely care about you, people really appreciate you and people want to do things the right way,” Johnson said. “This city as a whole, let alone the organization, is dripping it.”
“I’m with guys who know how to work, and I’m in the neighborhood of a coach in (defensive line), coach (Chris) Kiffin, who’s going to push me and teach me things,” Jackson said, “and, like, I said, pushing me back to where I was. ”
And players watched it last year when the Browns were one of the last eight teams.
“You’re talking about a team that is a fourth-and-one away to beat the Kansas City Chiefs and go to the next round,” Walker said. A team you would say is a few pieces away or maybe a play or two away from the talks of playing in the Super Bowl last year. You join such a team with the culture they build, the team, the camaraderie, all that stuff. I am again a small part of joining a good organization and an organization that is turning in the right direction. I’m proud to be a part of it. ”
–
Brown play shirts, hats for sale: Here Cleveland Browns fans can order shirts and hats celebrate the team that qualifies for the NFL playoffs in 2020.
More brown coverage
Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari would like to rush to the QB with Garrett
How the Steelers’ off-season moves affect the Browns: Gotta Watch The Tape
QBs Jones, Lance Accepts Invitations to Attend NFL Draft in Cleveland
Make or break the year for Joe Woods? Browns and OBJ’s future? Hi, Terry
Seven-round shine draw: When should Andrew Berry aim for a receiver?
What off-season do the Browns get? Hey, Mary Kay! podcast
How will the NFL’s new 17-game season impact the Browns’ singles season records?
How will Kevin Stefanski’s offense develop in year 2? Hey, Mary Kay!
Wyatt Teller is an Advantage for Browns in Performance-Based Payment
NFL creates OnePass app for fans to book free draft tickets
Who are the most important browns in each position? Podcast
Sam Darnold, who once considered the Browns, traded to the Panthers through the Jets
For years, Indians wore the lost browns; lets Browns return the favor: Lesmerises
No love for Higgins? Can it really become a top-10 defense? Pluto
If Clowney signs, where will Cleveland set up a defensive line? Hey, Mary Kay!