Mack Wilson is using the disrespect card to motivate the Browns' young linebacker corps. (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
More takeaways from Day 2 of Browns training camp …
National analysts have ranked the Browns’ young linebacker corps 32nd among 32 NFL teams.
Even those who won’t go that far would say it’s the most suspect unit on the roster, if not the weakest.
All of which has second-year linebacker Mack Wilson playing the disrespect card.
“Yeah, definitely,” Wilson said Sunday. “Because when you say things like that to the media, where everybody can see it and really do not know what these guys bring to their position, bring to the field or what these guys bring to the team, you are basically saying that they are piece of crap.
“To me, that is how I am taking it because you say we are the 32nd linebacker corps in the National Football League, and that is just total disrespect.”
That’s what happens after the Browns allowed two of their experienced and most productive linebackers to leave. Joe Schobert signed a big contract in free agency with the Jaguars and Christian Kirksey signed with the Packers after being released.
It has thrust Wilson, who started 14 games as a rookie, as the likely leader of a linebacker room that includes 2019 third-round pick Sione Takitaki, 2020 third-round rookie Jacob Phillips, and free agent pickup B.J. Goodson.
The other linebackers in the mix are 2019 undrafted free agent Willie Harvey, 2019 waiver pickup Tae Davis and undrafted rookie Solomon Ajayi.
Nobody knows how the unit will shake out, and whether coordinator Joe Woods will even field three linebackers in his base alignment.
“I think Coach [Jason)]Tarver and [senior defensive assistant] Coach [Ben] Bloom do a great job with those guys,” said coach Kevin Stefanski. “I enjoy watching their individual period. They all can run. They are all athletic. I think there is great effort from that group. I think we have some older guys and a bunch of young guys in that mix. I am very curious to see how that plays out over the course of the next few weeks.”
After a promising rookie season, Wilson figures to be the only sure thing, probably at weakside linebacker, even though he is not taking anything for granted. He appears to be willing to fill the void of leadership after the departures of Schobert and Kirksey.
“I know the guys in the room have seen [the low rankings], and I make sure that I remind those guys of what these people think of us,” Wilson said. “I just always tell them, ‘We are going to prove the world wrong. We are just going to continue to work. Keep our heads down and just focus on the task at hand.’ That is just taking it one day at a time because everybody is going to find out and that is what we are going to do. We are just going to keep working and show everybody otherwise.”
Full support
The many obstacles imposed on preparations for the 2020 season because of the coronavirus may have temporarily obscured the team’s social justice movement. But rest assured it is still very active in the Browns’ minds.
GM Andrew Berry’s #BeTheSolution campaign is ongoing, and several players, including quarterback Baker Mayfield, intend to kneel during the National Anthem to protest social injustice.
Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam have pledged their full support to what Browns players elect to do.
“One of the great things about this country, one of the many great things, is the ability to have freedom of speech and being able to express yourself. So we are going support our players,” Jimmy Haslam said.
The Haslams believe too much is made of players kneeling and not enough attention is paid to their actions off the field to improve social justice.
“Dee and I can issue some great statement, but what you all really ought to look at is what ourselves, our coaches and our players are doing the rest of the week, if you will, to make this country a better place to live, work and raise a family,” he said.
Dee Haslam said Berry’s initiative led to a greater conversation about the issue.
“The biggest part of that was to listen to each other instead of just throwing somebody under the bus for not wanting to believe the way you want to.
Dee said. “That is what makes our country great, is we can be different, have different beliefs and be respectful about that. Somewhere along the line, we completely lost that respect, and the civil discourse. [The respect] is gone. Hopefully, we can get that back, and maybe we can be an example of that.”
Brownie bits
A key principle of Stefanski’s offense is getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hand quickly. In just two days of open practices, Mayfield is taking well to it. And when veteran Case Keenum takes his reps, you can see he has experience in this system …
Jarvis Landry continued to get reps in team drills. The receiver is being “eased in” more quickly than advertised …
With JC Tretter out indefinitely, the Browns signed center Casey Dunn, who broke in with Washington under line coach Bill Callahan in 2018. Rookie Nick Harris continues to work with the first team …
Left guard Joel Bitonio said nobody knows if Tretter will be ready for Game 1 on Sept. 13. The silver lining, he believes, is getting Harris ample reps to prepare to step in Tretter’s place. “I think it will be all hands on deck to get Nick ready,” Bitonio said. “If that happened, Nick would get the whole month and a week of practice, and I think he would be ready to go, but we would be able to help him.”