With the decreased significance of the phrase “June 1st cuts,” odds are that the off-season transactions are essentially finished. So at the risk of jumping the gun ahead of mini-camp, I can’t help but make a few projections about the 2007 Browns based on what we now know. Today I’m starting a series of quick looks at each of the positional groups, starting with, for no particular reason, the defensive line.
- Projected starters: 98 Robaire Smith (DE), 92 Ted Washington (NT), 99 Orpheus Roye (DE)
- Key backups: 91 Shaun Smith (NT), 75 Simon Fraser (DE)
- On the bubble: 78 Ethan Kelley (NT), 69 J’vonne Parker (NT)
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Practice squad eligible: 97 Chase Pittman (DE), 60 Melila Purcell (DE), 96 Babatunde Oshinowo (DE?), 93 Orien Harris (DE), 73 Alvin Smith (DE)
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Probable number on 53-man roster: 6
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Off-season departures: Alvin McKinley, Nick Eason
- Unit strength: Questionable
Analysis: The Browns’ D-line has been a liability ever since it became clear that the mammoth investments in Courtney Brown and Gerard Warren would not pay off. In the 3-4 alignment, gap integrity and stout run support are key, and the Browns made the conversion before they had the right players for this scheme. The free agent Smiths, Robaire and Shaun, are expected to remedy the situation immediately, as no effort went toward retaining McKinley (now with Denver) and Eason (Pittsburgh).
At the critical nose tackle spot, gargantuan Washington is 39 and is good for maybe 15 plays a game. Look for Shaun Smith to spell him frequently, possibly with Robaire sliding inside on third downs. If they all prove fit, I’d be surprised if another nose tackle makes the team, meaning an exodus for holdovers Kelley and Parker. The bigger need is at end.
Roye, if his knee holds up, is a high-motor stalwart on one side, but at 34 years old he’ll be best in a rotation. Coaches love Fraser, who is supposedly beefing up as we speak to cancel future episodes of stampede victimhood on running plays. He’d be best as a third-down sub when Robaire Smith takes the nose. That leaves one, maybe two, roster spots for a handful of young defensive ends to battle out. There’s two late-round picks this year, Pittman and Purcell, plus last year’s disappointment, Baba, who seems better physically suited for end, though he played nose at Stanford. Expect at least two of the also-ran ends to develop on the practice squad, as this unit is aging fast.
If everyone stays healthy, if the Smiths adjust to the scheme quickly, if Fraser fills out, and if another end or two steps up fast, then maybe the Browns won’t again be among the league’s very worst rush defenses, and the vets can stay fresh by stopping drives before getting steamrolled by sheer momentum. But that’s an awful lot of ifs. I fear that the belated attention to this particular unit will be the limiting factor to the team’s fortunes this season.
