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Cleveland Browns: 5 questions on Derrick Kindred with Frogs O’ War

By Steven Kubitza

Feb 29, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Christian defensive back Derrick Kindred goes through a workout drill during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 29, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas Christian defensive back Derrick Kindred goes through a workout drill during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns drafted TCU’s Derrick Kindred in hopes of improving the defensive secondary.

The Cleveland Browns opened up rookie minicamp Friday and Derrick Kindred was one of the rookies in attendance.

The former TCU Horned Frog was taken by the Browns with the No. 129 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and will be given a shot to take the role held by Donte Whitner in 2015.

To learn more about Kindred we caught up with Jamie Plunkett, the editor of Frogs O’ War, and asked him a few questions about the rookie safety.

1. Kindred was drafted No. 129 overall by the Browns. Were you surprised by where he was taken in the draft?

Jamie: Most of the projections I saw had Kindred going a bit later, so it was definitely a pleasant surprise to see him go in the fourth round. That being said, I think he’s always been undervalued as a player. He was a solid safety for TCU in a pass-happy league, and he wasn’t afraid to stick his nose in a pile either.

2. What is Kindred’s greatest asset he will bring to Cleveland?

Jamie: His greatest assets are his toughness and his intelligence. First, to his toughness: Kindred played the majority of the 2015 season with a broken collarbone, and he still managed to be second on the team with 87 tackles, to go with two forced fumbles and two interceptions (including one for a TD) on the season. Despite his injury, Kindred never hesitated to stick his nose in a pile, and it didn’t hamper his pass coverage ability too much either.

To understand the intelligence that Kindred has, one has to understand what Gary Patterson demands of his safeties, and how he breaks down his 4-2-5 defense. First, Patterson’s defense is broken into two chunks. The front six and the back five. These two groups run independent of one another, and receive their defensive signals from different coaches on the sideline.

The secondary is then split down the middle. Two of Patterson’s three safeties in the 4-2-5 are responsible for calling audibles and adjustments for their half of the field on the fly, and sometimes they’re responsible for identifying an offensive formation and calling the defense for their half of the field. Kindred stepped into that role in 2015, and had to adjust not only to the larger responsibilities, but also to the rotating door of teammates next to him at corner and the other safety positions. He did so admirably.

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3. Does Kindred have a legitimate shot to be a major contributor for the Browns in 2016?

Jamie: I don’t think Kindred is ready to step in and be a “major”contributor right away, but he definitely can contribute quickly. Depending on how he develops over the course of his first season in the league, he has a legitimate chance to be a major contributor down the road. And, it’s clear that Cleveland saw something in him they valued, which is why they took him a little sooner than others thought he would go.

4. Do you see Kindred as someone who will have trouble adjusting to the massive stage that is the NFL?

Jamie: He’s got the mental and physical toughness to transition quickly to the demands of the NFL, so it’s really just a matter of being able to step up to that level of competition. There are always learning curves with rookies, especially guys taken in the 4th or later, but I don’t see his struggles being too great.

Next: 5 questions on Jordan Payton

5. What is a weakness Kindred needs to work on before the season begins?

Jamie: Kindred remedied this a bit in 2015, but he still tends to bite on a WR double move. He’s very aggressive, and that tends to get him into trouble when he’s covering someone one-on-one. I’m not terribly familiar with Cleveland’s scheme, so I’m not sure how often he’d find himself in that kind of situation, but in a division with solid WR cores in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, I’m going to assume he’ll be needed in that vein with some consistency.

Once he’s able to make that adjustment, and know when to flash his aggressiveness and when to play tight coverage, he should be good to go.

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