Cleveland Browns: Secondary Rivals Seahawks 'Legion of Boom'

Many people when they think of the Cleveland Browns these days they think of Johnny Manziel. I get it, he’s polarizing and what not, but the heart of this team doesn’t revolve around Manziel, but instead their secondary.

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The amount of potential that this group has, rivals and even surpasses what the Seattle Seahawks ‘Legion of Boom’ brings to the table. Yes, I’m willing to go to those extents, and I’ll tell you why.

I sound like a broken record because I’ve talked about this time and time again, but in a passing league with three-plus wide receivers on the field at once, you need depth in your secondary. The Browns have depth that can withstand multiple injuries, and still be one of the league’s very best. Throughout the course of the season, don’t think the roster assembled in June is going to be perfectly intact come mid-season. Injuries and bad play can shake up a roster big-time from original thought, but it always helps when you have options.

The word “options” is an important one depending on what side of it you’re on. Just think of Cleveland’s own, LeBron James. He has more options than anyone else in basketball, and maybe even in professional sports. The Cavs know LeBron could play just about anywhere he so chooses, because he’s a once in a generation type of player. So, he has forced their hand in putting pieces around, no matter the luxury tax they have to pay for going over the salary cap.

The Browns have options in their secondary. Tiers of them.

You start with shutdown corner, Joe Haden. We all know his capabilities in basically deleting a team’s number one target, so you know what you’re going to get with him. This offseason they lost Buster Skrine, who was a very underrated asset for them over the past couple of seasons, but filled his departure with veteran corner, Tramon Williams.

Lining up Haden and Williams side-by-side, brings a cerebral and experienced aspect to the Browns defense, and gives them a great matchup against any team’s one and two receivers. Knowing as a defensive coordinator that you could win both matchups on the outside in a pass-happy league is enormous.

As they say, behind every good man there is a good woman. Well, behind many good corners there are good safeties. With Tashaun Gipson emerging on the scene the last two seasons with 11 combined interceptions and a Pro Bowl bid, he has created a ball-hawking center fielder role in the middle of that secondary that makes the lives easier on already great cover corners in Haden and Williams.

Dec 8, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; Cleveland Browns free safety Tashaun Gipson (39) waits for a snap during the fourth quarter of New England

Donte Whitner on the other hand, is your classic in the box safety that provides an intimidation factor for any receiver or tight end coming over the middle of the field. He’s the bouncer at the club. His job is to protect his fellow defensive backs by any means necessary. After all, he was going to change his last name to “Hitner.” Speaking volumes to his persona.

The final tier to this group is what I call the wildcard unit. Players such as K’Waun Williams, Justin Gilbert, Pierre Desir, and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu fill this group. All of which are young, and are only an added bonus to an already talented bunch.

Williams is the only one who has produced at the NFL level, ranking as Pro Football Focus’s 13th best cornerback in the NFL last season. The others have work to do, but the ability is clearly there, especially for last year’s first-round pick, Justin Gilbert.

If Gilbert can live up to his elite ability, I’m not sure how anyone is going to pass on this team. What’s good about this wildcard group, is that there really is not much pressure. Gilbert might feel some considering his first-round label, but Haden and Williams are still the starters at both corner positions. The younger players won’t be asked of much, except to fill a certain role in specific situations.

Last year, the Browns secondary ranked first in the league in both opposing quarterback rating and completion percentage against. While, also tallying the second-most interceptions as a unit. A better run defense should alleviate the pressure on the pass defense, in return leading to an even more effective group.

Now, as the title suggests, the Seattle Seahawks are whom I’m comparing this unit to. Why do I feel they can and will be better than Seattle this season? Simply, because of Seattle’s lack of options. Byron Maxwell is no longer playing opposite to Richard Sherman, and Jeremy Lane sustained significant injuries in the Super Bowl that could effect the start of his season. Who else is behind Sherman? Cary Williams? Tharold Simon? Yuck.

Even the key members of the Legion of Boom – Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor – battled big-time injuries such as separated shoulders, torn ligaments in both knees and elbows. I get it, this is football and everyone battles ailments, but if a few of these guys go down this season, who is there to replace them?

The Browns secondary is clearly on the rise. There is too much depth, and too many options with this group to not think they will be the league’s best in 2015. Move over ‘Legion of Boom,’ here comes the Browns ‘Lockdown on the Lake.’

What are your expectations for this Browns secondary in 2015?

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Cleveland Browns: Secondary Rivals Seahawks ‘Legion of Boom’

By Vincent Rapisardi | Jul 10, 2015

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