No doubt that a healthy T.J. Ward will be a big boost to the 2012 Browns secondary. Last year was basically wasted due to a sprained right foot, but there’s no reason to think that he could not still be a very solid starting strong safety for years to come.

Ward is one of only 16 safeties in the past 11 years to start all 16 games as a rookie. (Troy Palomalu in 2003 was seen as slow to adjust and started no games. The 6-10 Steelers instead went with Mike Logan, who in 73 previous games had started only 12.)

Anyway, while stats only tell you so much, of those 16 rookie starters, Ward ranked third in tackles, second in assists, and tied for fifth in passes defensed.

He could certainly improve in deeper coverage, but his main value is underneath and in run support. It will be interesting to see what happens with the rest of the secondary — whether Sheldon Brown moves to free safety, whether they re-sign Adams and Patterson, how Skrine and Hagg develop, etc. In any case, my eyeballs tell me that the Browns’ D is a better unit with Ward on the field.

And on a trivial note, T.J. Ward is already the best player in Browns history who goes by his initials, easily beating out the likes of L.J. Shelton, O.J. Santiago, and D.D. Hoggard.