Dawgs By Nature
Browns roster has a lot of questions on offense and only a couple on defense
The Cleveland Browns have a lot of questions on the offensive side of the ball, starting at the quarterback position, but that is far from the last concern. Can Dawand Jones lockdown the left tackle spot? Will Cedric Tillman, thankfully not injured, step into the second receiver spot? What will the running game look like? Is there a second tight end ready to play a big role right away?
On the defensive side, who starts opposite of Myles Garrett and the team’s starting free safety were the two questions heading into Browns training camp until Jordan Hicks retired unexpectedly.
Starting across from Garrett comes with a lot of pressure but a lot of opportunities. Isaiah McGuire and Alex Wright were thought to be the leaders in the clubhouse for the position, but Day 4 of training camp in Berea brought Cam Thomas into contention:
Thomas, a third-round pick in 2022, was claimed off waivers last season and played five games in Cleveland after four with the Kansas City Chiefs. Thomas had 11 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and one QB hit in just 63 snaps for Jim Schwartz’s defense.
Going into the NFL draft, Thomas showed elite agility skills:
Last year was Thomas’ highest graded season according to PFF (70.0). McGuire, for reference, was graded much higher at 83.3 after a poor (46.9) rookie season. Wright missed most of last season due to injury but posted his highest career grade as well (60.2).
Sam Kamara and free agent additions Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Julian Okwara round out the top of the Browns defensive end room, along with KJ Henry.
Who do you think will start alongside Myles Garrett this year? Who gets the most snaps among the other defensive ends on the roster?
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