The reason the Browns haven’t jumped to adding another defensive tackle
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WVA
Leftovers from the first week of Browns training camp …
Why haven’t the Browns added another defensive tackle in the wake of the abrupt release last week of once-promising lineman Perrion Winfrey?
The simplest answer may be Za’Darius Smith.
Wait, wasn’t the three-time, 10-plus sack artist supposed to be the complementary end to Myles Garrett this year?
Listen to what GM Andrew Berry said about Smith:
“We can never have enough rushers,” Berry said. “I think with Z, the appeal with him is his versatility. He’s a high-level rusher who I think oftentimes people just think of him as an edge guy. I think really where he’s particularly skilled is his ability to rush inside over a guard or center and he can do this up on the edge really well.
“Having someone who can win quickly inside, just gives you so much versatility to create advantageous matchups to rush the passer. Between him, Obo [Ogbonnia Okoronkwo], with his feet off the edge, we have a couple of power guys with Dalvin [Thomlinson] and it’s a nice blend of skill sets to get after the quarterback.”
Za'Darius Smith could be Jim Schwartz's secret weapon as an inside rusher on the revamped defensive line. (Cleveland Browns)
At 6-2 and 250 pounds, Okoronkwo is the smallest D-lineman on the roster. But if the Browns move Smith (6-4 and 270) inside next to him, Okoronkwo has a better chance of beating right tackles off the line with his quickness.
In early pass-rush drills, coordinator Jim Schwartz has unleashed a lineup of Okoronkwo, Smith, Jordan Elliott and Myles Garrett. This could be their most potent foursome in obvious passing downs. Maurice Hurst is another potential penetrator inside on passing downs. On early downs, Smith moves to left end with Dalvin Tomlinson at left tackle, Elliott and Garrett. Rookie Siaki Ika would be the third tackle in this particular rotation.
“I think that’s the fun part for us and for Jim and for our defensive staff is putting all those pieces together,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I mean, it’s not a mystery in the success that Za’Darius has had in this league, and you’ve seen what Obo can do. So now it’s just a matter of taking all of our guys and taking a Dalvin Tomlinson along with our established guys that have been here, and figuring out a formula that makes sense for us.”
Berry and the coaches want to get a better look at these possible combinations in padded practices over the next two weeks before bringing in a veteran defensive tackle.
“I think certainly how we envision deploying Za’Darius, certainly how we also just like the way we play the front, is going to be a little bit different than maybe what we’ve seen in the past,” Berry said. “It just gives us a lot of flexibility. I think maybe the primary thing is we like the guys in the room currently. Again, we’ll assess that as we go over the next couple of weeks, but there are a number of veterans and younger players in that room that we’re looking forward to seeing.”
All about the quarterback
While Stefanski is appearing on some of the preseason “coaches on the hot seat” lists, owner Jimmy Haslam did all he could to cool the narrative of "win-or-bust."
Haslam was asked how confident is he that Stefanski is the right coach to take the Browns to the Super Bowl.
“Highly confident, I really [am],” Haslam said. “Being a head coach in the NFL is hard because generally you have a specialty and Kevin’s specialty is offense, quarterbacks, calling plays, et cetera. But you also have to be a leader of men and I think he’s really good at both.”
Haslam went on to say that the additions of Schwartz and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone “are going to help not just Kevin, but help our team a lot.”
Clearly, Haslam is expecting Stefanski to restore the Pro Bowl-caliber game in Deshaun Watson, the $230 million Haslam investment.
This thought also was expressed by Berry.
“I think from the general manager seat, it’s been pretty cool to just see their relationship continue to just come together,” Berry said. “It’s very natural and organic. I think with Kevin’s creativity and Deshaun’s talent and work ethic, the things that I think we’ll be able to do offensively that maybe we haven’t been able to do before, candidly, I’m pretty excited to see. I know both of them, really, from the spring have been in the lab, so to speak. "We’re all going to get a chance to see how it comes together here, starting with training camp and then as we kind of figure out our identity going into the season.”
So, if you’re handicapping Stefanski’s chances of avoiding a pink slip in 2023, it may come down more to Watson’s development under than the overall won-loss record.
Brownie bits
While the Browns plan to commemorate Jim Brown in multiple ways during the season, re-branding the stadium Jim Brown Stadium, if only temporarily, is not in the cards. Dave Jenkins, the club’s executive VP and chief operating officer, is actively pursuing a new buyer of naming rights to Browns Stadium. “I have no idea how quickly or not so quickly we’re going to go, but [I’m] excited about seeing who our new partner will be,” Haslam said …
The Browns return to the practice field on Thursday with their final ramp-up day heading into back-to-back padded practices on Friday and Saturday. Look for rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to get his first meaningful reps with the offense. Stefanski plans to play Kellen Mond and Thompson-Robinson in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton August 3 against the Jets and save Watson and Joshua Dobbs for the first home preseason game against Washington …
Like most everyone, Greg Newsome is happy with the expected emphasis of more man-to-man coverage by the cornerbacks. Schwartz uses infinitely less zone coverage than predecessor Joe Woods. “That’s what we love, man-to-man. We’ve built this cornerback room to play man,” Newsome said. “With Schwartz playing aggressive, we’re all super excited.”
