Dawg Pound Daily
FanSided

Linebacker competition looks to be fierce for Cleveland Browns heading into camp

By Giovanni Castelli

Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Scooby Wright III (33) gets past Boise State Broncos offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo (71) during the second half in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Scooby Wright III (33) gets past Boise State Broncos offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo (71) during the second half in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Dec 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) escapes from pressure brought by Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Paul Kruger (99) during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) escapes from pressure brought by Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Paul Kruger (99) during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Paul Kruger, OLB

Career stats: 99 games, 53 starts, 127 tackles, 33.5 sacks

Contract status: Two years left on his contract. This year, Kruger will earn a base salary of $6.5 million. Kruger has a cap hit of $7.7 million, while his dead money value is $2.4.

Paul Kruger enters his eighth season in the league and his fourth with the Browns in 2016. This fall, Kruger will be coached up by his third different coaching staff and looks to regain his form after a dismal 2015 season.

At 30 years old, it’s not known how much Kruger is in the Browns future plans as they embark on a full rebuild of the roster. We’ve seen that when Kruger is allowed to rush the passer he can be disruptive and get to the quarterback. His 2014 season, when he had a career-high 11 sacks, shows what he can do.

When you drop Kruger into coverage is where things get dicey, as he is not a drop-back defender that can cover a tight end streaking across the field. Ultimately, Kruger makes the Browns roster and the new regime will maximize his talent at the start of the season, but if he struggles as he did last year Kruger could fall out of favor with the coaches and find himself riding the pine.

Barkevious Mingo, OLB

Career stats: 46 games, 16 starts, 68 tackles, 7 sacks

Contract status: Mingo is in the final year of his rookie contract after the Browns declined to pick up his fifth-year option. This year, Mingo will earn a base salary of $675,000 and a roster bonus of $1.95 million. Mingo has a cap hit of $5.2 million while his dead money value is $5.2 million.

Barkevious Mingo comes into the 2016 season needing to prove he’s worthy. The former first-round pick has failed to live up to his draft status in each of his first three seasons in the league. The knock on Mingo has always been he needs to add more muscle as he is routinely overpowered at the line of scrimmage and struggles in the role as a pass rusher.

During this off-season Mingo has made it a point to bulk up, and has added a reported 20 pounds of muscle in hopes of helping gain more penetration when rushing the quarterback. It’s no question that Mingo has some of the intangibles you seek out of a starting outside linebacker, but he’s failed to capitalize on his potential to date.

The Browns have already declined the fifth-year option on Mingo, so he is going to have to prove to the new regime in training camp and the preseason that he’s worthy of a roster spot. If he struggles in camp, Mingo could be a late cut before the season starts in September.

Next: The second-tier guys

Home/Browns News