Cornerback Greg Newsome will take on a new challenge in his second season. He projects as the Browns' primary nickel back and will cover slot receivers in place of traded Troy Hill. (USA Today)
Cornerback Greg Newsome figures more prominently in second season in Browns defense
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Leftovers from first week of Browns OTAs …
Greg Newsome should be an even more important player on the Browns’ defense in his second year than he was in his first.
The second-year cornerback is getting first dibs to replace the traded Troy Hill as the defense’s primary nickel back assigned to cover the slot receiver in three-receiver sets.
“I think that’s the hardest position in football,” opined linebacker Anthony Walker.
What could make it even harder for Newsome is toggling from outside corner in two-receiver sets to inside in three-receiver sets. That could happen from down to down, depending on the opponent.
The Browns would want their best cornerbacks on the field and Newsome is CB2 after Denzel Ward. But when an offense adds a third receiver, Newsome would move inside and Greedy Williams would replace him on the outside.
That was the alignment the Browns showed in their OTA practice open to media on Wednesday.
None of the other primary cornerbacks – Ward, Williams, A.J. Green and rookie Martin Emerson -- have experience playing inside, so the role figures to be Newsome’s. Safeties Grant Delpit and Ronnie Harrison also could drop inside in special “dime” packages.
“I’m comfortable with it,” Newsome said. “I think it’s a benefit to me. I’ll be able to be around the ball a lot more. I’m definitely liking inside. It’ll be fun. I think I’ll be able to make more plays, like sacks, things like that.”
Newsome said he added “a little more armor” to deal with the collisions inherent in the middle of the field. He said he’s currently carrying 195 pounds – three more than last year – but looked bigger in his upper body at OTAs.
The slot corner in Joe Woods’ defense is in for quite a challenge in 2022. The Browns play six games against the top four offenses using 11 personnel – three receivers – in 2021.
The Bengals led all NFL teams with 990 offensive snaps with three receivers, according to Sharp Football Statistics. The Steelers were second (924), the Bills third (893) and the Buccaneers fourth (887). The Commanders, another opponent on the Browns’ schedule, was seventh with 802 snaps.
Newsome did gather some experience inside as a rookie, but not to the extent of what he’ll see in 2022.
“Intelligence is a premium when you are there because you have to be able to fit the runs, you have to be able to pressure, play man and play zone,” said coach Kevin Stefanski. “He is a smart player. He is physically built to play inside or outside. He is somebody who we will continue to work in there and really among a bunch of different guys who will work in there.”
Newsome is hoping that being around the ball more as a slot corner will lead to some interceptions. He didn’t have one as a rookie and had only one at Northwestern.
He said he continues to talk with Hill, who was traded back to the Rams on draft weekend.
“He can give me some pointers,” Newsome said.
Other position notes
At Wednesday’s OTA practice – which was the Browns’ second of three this week – these positions were noted:
* Nick Harris was the starting center. Ethan Pocic was the top backup and probably will be a swingman at either guard spot.
* With Jack Conklin still recovering from a torn patellar tendon in Week 12, Chris Hubbard was back on the field at starting right tackle. Hubbard suffered a torn triceps muscle in Week 1 last year and had season-ending surgery in October. He’s obviously further along than Conklin, who is expected to be ready for the start of training camp. James Hudson also got some time at right tackle, mostly with the second team.
* The Browns ranked 30th in use of three-receiver sets last year with 482 snaps (45 percent of the time). Only Miami (303 snaps) and Atlanta (324) fielded three receivers fewer times. But it was obvious Stefanski intends to increase the use of 11 personnel in 2022. Rookie David Bell lined up inside pretty much every time he was on the field in team drills.
* The running back rotation: Nick Chubb, Kareen Hunt, D’Ernest Johnson, rookie Jerome Ford, and Demetric Felton.
* The most competitive position group in training camp figures to be defensive tackle. Vying for two starting spots will be Jordan Elliott, Taven Bryan, Tommy Togiai, Sheldon Day and rookie Perrion Winfrey.
Overall, Stefanski cautioned that starting positions will change over the course of OTAs and training camp.
“I would say quite a bit because we are trying different things in these OTAs,” he said. “This is the time to move guys around and try different positions for them and things that they maybe have not done in the past so this is really a trial in a lot of ways. I would say a lot can change.”
Brownie bits
Yes, Chubb gave Deshaun Watson a lot of love in his media appearance. But don’t think Chubb was throwing defrocked starter Baker Mayfield under the bus. “Me and Baker came in together, so we’ve always been close. That won’t change at all,” Chubb said. “He’ll still be one of my best friends that I’ve met. He’s a great person overall.” Chubb said he has talked with Mayfield, but nobody knows where Mayfield will end playing in 2022. “I know Baker, with his attitude and his intensity, that wherever he goes, he’ll be ready,” Chubb said …
With goal posts at the Browns practice site disassembled for repainting, Cade York kicked at FirstEnergy Stadium much of the week. He said the weather (in May) hasn’t come close yet to the gusty winds he experienced frequently in Baton Rouge, LA, at LSU. York is spending time developing chemistry with long snapper Charley Hughlett and holder (and punter) Corey Bojorquez. “We are going to get down there [FirstEnergy Stadium] quite a bit with our battery with our holders, our long snapper and Cade,” Stefanski said. The goal posts were reassembled on Thursday and York had some live kicking drills on the Browns' practice field …
If you’re looking for a longshot undrafted free agent to make the final roster, consider the name Silas Kelly. The linebacker from Coastal Carolina was ranked 111th among linebackers by The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler, but Walker singled out Kelly totally unsolicited on Wednesday. “Silas is in my [linebacker] room,” Walker said. “I love that guy already. He’s very knowledgeable but also wants to learn. He’s very fundamentaly sound. Coming into the NFL as a linebacker, that’s kind of half the battle, and he’s got that part down.”
