Cleveland Browns: 5 important veterans for 2016
By Thomas Moore
Desmond Bryant has quietly become arguably the Browns best defensive lineman since joining the team as a free agent in 2013.
Bryant had a career-best six sacks last season and brings a veteran presence to a defensive line that has gotten younger after adding Danny Shelton, Jamie Meder and Xavier Cooper in 2014 and Carl Nassib in 2015. A quick look at the roster shows that of the nine players listed on the defensive line, seven of them have less than three years of NFL experience.
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Being familiar not only with Horton’s defensive principles but with Jackson, who was Bryant’s head coach in 2011 with the Oakland Raiders, means that Bryant should be an asset to all those young players.
“He’s more mature than what he was when I had him in Oakland,” Jackson told The Plain Dealer. “He was really starting to become a really good football player. Obviously, coming here for him was probably the height of his career where all of a sudden he started making a lot of money and having an opportunity to really be the guy.
“I see a more mature player who’s a lot calmer, who knows how to play this game, who knows the process of getting ready to play this game. He works at it every day.”
If these five veterans can play to their potential while also helping the rookies learn about life in the NFL, then the Browns latest rebuilding efforts may move along more quickly than anticipated.
Next: Can Hue Jackson turn things around?
The Cleveland Browns are in rebuilding mode, but still need some veterans on the team. Which veterans do you think are key to the team’s success in 2016?