Ben Bloom is in the eye of the hurricane as D-line coach for Browns coordinator Jim Schwartz. (TheLandOnDemand)
What’s it like to be D-line coach under D-line guru Jim Schwartz? Ben Bloom is finding out
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor’s note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from third day of Browns minicamp …
The last day of class was shortened to an hour, and after a full team huddle with coach Kevin Stefanski players dispersed to summer recess. Afterwards, several Browns position coaches were made available for updates on their state of things.
Defensive line coach Ben Bloom
Bloom might be the assistant coach under the most pressure this year. Why? He moved from inside linebackers coach to taking over the defensive line under new coordinator Jim Schwartz. That puts him in the eye of the hurricane, as Schwartz’s whole scheme revolves around his defensive front.
“Coach Schwartz, it’s well-documented, he’s been a coordinator or head coach for a long time and has had a lot of success with the system,” Bloom said. “He’s been at multiple spots, but the system really hasn’t changed. Coach Schwartz and Coach [Jim] Washburn, those two guys have really set the mark of how this attack front should be, what it looks like, how you train it, build it. That’s the model I’m following. Now it’s up to us to continue it."
Washburn, a long-time confidante of Schwartz at Tennessee, Philadelphia and Detroit, has been hired by the Browns as a part-time consultant, a team source confirmed.
“Look, I’m going to work my butt off to do what the team needs to win," Bloom continued. "I’m fricking excited to be the D-line coach for Jim Schwartz. Pressure? I don’t really feel it. I’m [going] to apply it. It’s the NFL. We have to be great every day.”
Bloom is the loudest and most energetic coach on the practice field, as he tries to set the tempo in position drills with the D-linemen. Together, they will dictate the culture of the new-look Browns’ defense.
“We’re real fortunate to be in a defense like this with Coach Schwartz, the way he’s built it over the years,” Bloom said. “He sets the standard for what he wants from the defensive line. He wants guys that can be productive, that can play with high motor, that can get off the ball, that can run to the ball on a play in to play out basis. That makes his defenses go.
"So now, daily, how we meet, how we watch film, how we decide how we’ll work on the field, techniques, our effort, that’s all based on the standard he sets for us. It’s exciting. We know if you work hard and do it the right way you can have that kind of impact from our room on this team. That’s exciting.”
Linebackers coach Jason Tarver
Tarver has to patch together a unit that was devastated by injury last year and received the least amount of attention in the transaction season.
He’s counting on Anthony Walker, Jacob Phillips, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Sione Takitaki returning to good health after season-ending injuries. The only new addition is Matthew Adams, who projects mostly as a special teams corps player.
Phillips and JOK participated in OTAs and minicamp. Walker and Takitaki still have not been cleared, but Tarver said they are “on schedule.” Their availability at the start of training camp will be determined by team physicians and trainers.
“Our job is to run, shed, and tackle the guy with the ball,” Tarver said. “So whoever gets there first gets the tackle. And the running back or the quarterback chooses who tackles him.”
Tarver had a simple explanation of the Schwartz defensive scheme.
“What I think is really cool about this, everybody gets a chance to make a play in this defense,” he said. “There’s nobody that just has to grab on and hold people so somebody else can stay there. Everybody attacks. Attack and fix it. So the actual [leading] tackle numbers and those things, that’s whoever outraces each other to the ball.”
Assistant offensive line coach Scott Peters, subbing for media-shy offensive line guru Bill Callahan
Left tackle Jedrick Wills has played through injuries, and right tackle Jack Conklin has been sidelined by injuries the past two years. So without a true veteran swing tackle currently on the roster, third-year James Hudson and behemoth rookie Dawand Jones figure prominently as the backup tackles.
Hudson has made seven starts at right tackle in two years. He’s been working at left tackle this year. Jones is a road-grader right tackle only.
“As far as [Hudson's] growth, he understands this is a very important year for him and he's been here every day in the offseason, so we're pleased with that,” Peters said. “James is a great kid and we're really hoping he can step up again this year.”
As for Jones, he barely survived Callahan’s intense line drills in rookie camp, but has rallied, Peters said.
“I think just being here for him, he has improved in that field,” Peters said. “I mean in terms of his conditioning, I think it was a little bit of a rude awakening for him the first day when he got out here. Because I think, obviously, the tempo, the pace, the drills, our drills, we challenge our guys in those drills. So I think that was a little bit an eye-opener for him. But he's adapted to it, so he’s continued on, which is great. So we're hoping that he'll just continue to get better and, hopefully, during this break he'll come back in better shape.”
Safeties coach Ephraim Banda
New to the staff via Utah State, Banda said that when veteran safety Rodney McLeod was signed as a free agent, Banda went to GM Andrew Berry and thanked him. McLeod’s knowledge of Schwartz’s defense, by way of Philadelphia, has been a godsend to the young coach.
“Bringing him in was awesome for me,” Banda said. “I call him Coach McLeod. I don’t call him Rodney. Because that’s what he is in the room. His ability to bring knowledge not only for me but for all the players in the room has been big. I sleep better knowing he is here because he’s like another coach.”
When Banda was safeties coach for Manny Diaz at the University of Miami, he recruited Grant Delpit even though Delpit was clearly destined for his home-state Louisiana State. He got to know Delpit and believes the safety will reach a new level in his fourth NFL season – third after a season-ending Achilles injury as a rookie.
“I knew he was going to LSU, but I was practicing recruiting,” Banda said. “But the biggest reason I wanted to coach Grant Delpit was because of the person he is, how he was raised and his potential. I’m very blessed to be able to do it here.
"I do think there’s another level [for him] and we’ve talked a lot about that this camp. In my opinion, he has done a good job in trying to take the next step in his development and become what we all hope he will be. And he will.
“It starts with doing it every day. Grant Delpit was 100 percent all the way through -- from the beginning on the voluntary level,100 percent from wire to wire in terms of being here, being present for his teammates. It starts like that. Also, can you be 100 percent on the field and bring it every day? He has done that consistently, and he’s getting better.”
Cornerbacks coach Brandon Lynch
A high priority for Lynch is to cross-train Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome and A.J. Green to play the nickel cornerback role.
“We value versatility. Having guys have multiple roles is going to help us in the fall,” he said.
Despite his frustration with the role last year, Newsome is the projected No. 1 slot cornerback. Ward will slip inside, too. Martin Emerson is destined for outside corner only.
“Greg is one of those focal points of our team,” Lynch said. “He’s another smart, tough, accountable, resilient team player. He’s already bought into the team concept. He’s been excellent.”
Brownie bits
Bloom said the goal to keep Garrett fresher later in games involves reducing his average of 80 percent of defensive in games to “something in the ballpark” of 70 percent. “The point of that is to be fresh every week and fresh at the end of the season,” he said …
One of the revelations of OTAs and minicamp has been Jordan Kunaszyk starting at linebacker in 7-on-7s. He has been joined by JOK in those drills. “We don’t have a depth chart right now but I’m really proud of Jordan,” Tarver said. “He is amazing right now in his body control on his breaks. A lot of the offseason has been more passing. So his breaks in zones and man coverage have been elite. He’s trained himself to do that. He won one of our competitions in the linebacker room by his knowledge of the defense.” ...
Peters on the continuing education of left tackle Jedrick Wills: “I’m sure he wasn’t pleased with his performance at times last year, but I thought he came on stronger toward the end of the season and he improved in some areas. I think this year he’s taken a step forward and hopefully that will continue because we know he has talent to be an elite tackle. For him, it’s about focusing on certain details in his pass protection game, the run blocking game and the finish. I think he understands that, and he’s really taken steps to advance himself in that.”
