Newly acquired safety Ronnie Harrison has yet to make an impact, but his time may come real soon. (Dawg Pound Daily)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
The Browns’ trade for Jaguars safety Ronnie Harrison on Sept. 3 seemed like a perfect marriage.
Harrison, 23, and entering his third NFL season, needed a team that wanted to win and the Browns needed a safety to replace injured rookie Grant Delpit.
But through two games, Harrison hasn’t made an impact.
In Game 1 in Baltimore, Harrison played two snaps at strong safety and four snaps on special teams and didn’t register a tackle. In Game 2 against Cincinnati, Harrison played six snaps on defense and 15 on special teams, and was credited with a tackle on defense and one on special teams. Harrison was late arriving on Joe Burrow’s 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end C.J. Uzomah in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, free safety Andrew Sendejo and strong safety Karl Joseph have not exactly been lighting it up out there.
Can the Browns get Harrison up to speed to help out a defense that has given up 68 points in two games?
When the trade was made, coach Kevin Stefanski said Harrison was “a schematic fit” because he had played in the Seattle Cover-3 system with the Jaguars that Woods is trying to emulate with the Browns.
I asked Stefanski if there is indecision about how to employ Harrison in the defense.
“I would not say there is indecision,” the coach answered. “With all of our players, we have to figure out what they can do, what they can do well and how they can help us. Ronnie just showing up on campus a few weeks ago, we are definitely learning more about him as he learns more about us and our system. We are looking to put him in places where he can help us, and I think his role will continue to grow.”
At 6-3 and 215 pounds, Harrison has prototypical size for the strong safety position. He was projected as the second-rated safety in the 2018 draft behind only Derwin James.
At Alabama, Harrison was listed as the free safety but he played both deep and in the box to allow Minkah Fitzpatrick to play as a nickel defensive back. Harrison’s forte at Alabama was violent hits, though he had seven interceptions in three years. In 22 games for the Jaguars, Harrison had three interceptions.
It’s a long year, but not too soon to accelerate Harrison’s play time on the defense.
Another freak
Browns rookie Jedrick Wills broke into the left tackle position in training camp facing Myles Garrett in some one-on-one and assorted team drills. Garrett is routinely described as a physical freak by opponents.
On Sunday, Wills will be matched up on many occasions with Washington No. 1 draft pick Chase Young of Ohio State. In his first two games, Young, 6-5 and 265 pounds, has 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Washington leads the NFL with 11 sacks.
“He is just a freak of nature,” Wills said. “You do not see a lot of guys like him around the league. He just has a lot of size and ability and a lot of speed and power, which is a good combination of everything you need.”
After a spotty training camp, during which Browns defensive end Porter Gustin won his share of battles with Wills, Wills has received rave reviews for his first two NFL games. He said the biggest transition to him has not been from right tackle to left tackle, but to the higher speed of the NFL game.
“It is a little bit different than college, but you kind of pick that up fast when you are practicing day in and day out,” he said. “To me, it was an easy transition for now. I am still trying to get better, but it was not as difficult as I thought it was going to be.”
Down the line at right tackle, Jack Conklin likes what he sees out of Wills.
“I think just getting out there and now being in the game having the shots fired at him, you can really see him fighting back and figuring out and really gaining confidence every week,” Conklin said.
Copycats
With Tennessee last year, Conklin saw the Titans plow through a 9-7 season and then win two games in the AFC playoffs by hammering running back Derrick Henry and throwing the ball sparingly off play-action.
The Titans had a 53-to-47 pass-to-run ratio in the regular season, and then went full bore cave man football in their three AFC playoff games with a ratio of 40-to-60 pass-run.
Conklin sees the same formula working with the Browns.
Through two games, the Browns have attempted to throw 50.8 percent and run the ball 49.2 percent.
“Definitely see a lot of translation there just with the wide zone [blocking scheme] and then hitting,” Conklin said. “Once you get the success in the run, that turns into the pass and the play-action stuff.
“I think it definitely correlates a little bit more with what you saw from Minnesota last year, obviously, with Coach [Stefanski] coming from there. It is definitely a lot of similarities just with the formula of how we did things at Tennessee and now here in Cleveland, as well.”
Brownie bits
Conklin (ankle) declared himself 100 percent ready to go for the Washington game, though he was listed as limited on the practice participation report. Also limited were linebacker Mack Wilson (knee), cornerback Greedy Williams (shoulder), cornerback Kevin Johnson (liver). Not practicing were defensive end Olivier Vernon (abdomen), defensive end Adrian Clayborn (hip) and linebacker Jacob Phillips (knee) …
In his 31 NFL starts, the Browns are 6-2 when Baker Mayfield has 30 or fewer pass attempts and 7-16 when he throws more than 30 times …
In their short time with the Browns, cornerbacks Denzel Ward, Terrance Mitchell and Williams have never repped inside or covered the slot receiver in games. Yet Stefanski said, “They definitely could end up inside.”