Cleveland Browns: Who is Ed Reynolds?

The Cleveland Browns secondary has not been a bright spot in 2016, but safety Ed Reynolds has calmed things down since entering the starting lineup.

The Cleveland Browns secondary has been a mess all season, hurt by injuries, declining skills and, like most position groups on the roster, poor drafting.

So it should be no surprise that the Browns have given up a league-high 28 touchdown passes, 44 plays of more than 20 yards (second most) and seen opposing quarterbacks post a rating of 103.6 (third highest).

But just like there are bright spots along the defensive line and with the linebackers, there have been a surprise or two in the secondary, most notably from safety Ed Reynolds.

“I kind of control everything in that back end … making sure that we are trying to run a tight ship and eliminate the mental errors.” – Safety Ed Reynolds

The Browns signed Reynolds off the practice squad in mid-October after starting safety Jordan Poyer landed on injured reserve with a lacerated kidney. Since then Reynolds has quickly moved past Ibraheim Campbell (who is looking like yet another Ray Farmer miss) as one of the starting safeties and somehow become a stabilizing player at a troublesome position.

“He understands how to play the position, how to get people aligned. He has been very vocal back there, and that is what has been needed,” head coach Hue Jackson said of Reynolds. “It has been a calming situation happening back there because he does a good job communicating with his other teammates.

“He has a chance to get people on the same page, doing the right things so that maybe we do not have the issues that way from a communication standpoint.”

Communication problems are a common thread in defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s system, so the fact that Reynolds can help in that regard is a bonus right off the bat.

Prior to coming to Cleveland, Reynolds spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles after being selected in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He spent most of his time with the Eagles either being released or on the team’s practice squad, but did play in six games with the Eagles and made the most of his opportunity, totaling 21 tackles and picking off a pass.

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He has now paired with rookie Derrick Kindred to, if not exactly shine, at least bring some stability to the position.

“(Derrick) continues to progress, and I think right now with him and Ed back there, that is our best tandem because you have a guy that has some skins on the wall,” defensive backs coach Louie Cioffi said this week. “He has kind of settled it down back there, guys making checks and making calls and the coverage has been better in the last few weeks.

“Those guys, we put a lot on them. They are like the quarterbacks of the defense so it is a good combination. Like I said, these last four games I am looking forward to. “

The downside to pairing Reynolds and Kindred is that neither is particularly strong in coverage. Reynolds is fundamentally sound, but is going to struggle if he finds himself matched up with a slot receiver or a tight end.

If nothing else, Reynolds’ work ethic fits in well with the culture shift that is ongoing with the Browns.

“It’s been a grind but it’s made me a better player, it’s humbled me along the way,” he said of his three years in the NFL. “I’ve worked toward everything that I have now and right now, playing at a high level and trying to help this team win games and help this defense be where we want to be. ”

Next: Browns can't make drastic changes

Reynolds may not be a starter for a playoff team, but in a season that is all about evaluating players, the fact that he has made his position one less thing for the coaching staff to worry about makes him a welcome addition.

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