Cleveland Browns 2016 linebacker review and 2017 needs
By Justin Blum
The Cleveland Browns look good at linebacker with Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey, but they can still use some help at the position.
The Cleveland Browns made a big splash in the NFL last year when they traded for former Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins at the trading deadline.
An impending free agent at the time of the deal, the Browns and Collins recently worked out anew deal that will keep Collins in Cleveland for four years. This was an important signing as not only did Cleveland get one of the best linebackers in the NFL, the franchise gained credibility with both players and fans alike.
Collins will hold down one of the starting linebacker spots in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ system. While he is athletic enough to play any of the linebacker positions, his final spot may not be known until we see what the Browns do in the draft and free agency. Maybe the Browns will have a future Hall of Fame player at linebacker.
Related: Jamie Collins first of many major investments
Next to Collins is Christian Kirksey, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract. Kirksey has improved every year since being drafted in the third round out of Iowa. In 2016 he was a full-time starter for the first time and led the Browns in tackles.
Kirksey isn’t the athlete that Collins is, but he is smart and he hustles. After gaining so much experience last year, Kirksey will most likely improve again and be another leader on the defensive side of a very young team.
Cleveland has two guys that are more suited to being 3-4 linebackers instead of 4-3 in Joe Schobert and Cam Johnson. However, both players struggled at times last year and we’ll just have to wait and see on how Schobert and Johnson fit in Williams’ scheme.
Demario Davis will likely be the backup to whomever starts at middle linebacker in the 4-3. He will also backup at the inside linebacker slots in the 3-4 alignments. Davis is a nice player and showed enough to be in the upper half of Cleveland’s linebackers next season.
More from Dawg Pound Daily
- How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
- Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
- 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
- Is Marcus Davenport on the Browns radar in 2023?
- 5 Free agents from Super Bowl LVII Cleveland Browns should target
Dominique Alexander was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Browns in 2016. He played about as expected for a rookie linebacker with limited snaps. Alexander will hopefully take a jump in development in 2017, a scenario where the Browns are chock full of guys in the same situation.
The Browns have some really good players at the second level on defense. If Cleveland selects Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett in the 2017 NFL Draft and pairs him up with defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, then a player like Temple’s Haason Reddick would be an ideal linebacker to draft. If the Browns are interested in Reddick, however, he would have to be drafted early though because he may be gone by the end of the first.
If the Browns are not interested in another outside linebacker then they should go for Alabama inside linebacker Reuben Foster if he is available with their second first-round pick. If they add Garrett and Foster to their existing talent, the Browns would have a dominant front seven.
Next: Browns: 2016 defensive line review
As far as free agency goes, the Browns don’t need to shop free agents for linebacking help.