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Cleveland Browns sign a pair of defensive backs

By Thomas Moore

Oct 10, 2015; Toledo, OH, USA; Toledo Rockets wide receiver Alonzo Russell (9) runs after a catch against Kent State Golden Flashes cornerback Najee Murray (12) during the first quarter at Glass Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Toledo, OH, USA; Toledo Rockets wide receiver Alonzo Russell (9) runs after a catch against Kent State Golden Flashes cornerback Najee Murray (12) during the first quarter at Glass Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns added some depth to the secondary by signing Najee Murray and Donte Carey after rookie tryouts over the weekend.

The Cleveland Browns, who continue to be on the lookout for secondary help, have signed two players who participated in rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.

Joining the roster are defensive backs Donte Carey from Grand Valley State and Najee Murray from Kent State University.

The team announced the moves on its website.

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Carey, who is 5-foot-11 and 199 pounds, played both safety and cornerback at during his four years at Grand Valley.  He finished his collegiate career with 134 tackles and seven interceptions, while making 23 starts.

Murray, who is 5-foot-8 and 182 pounds, is the more intriguing of the two. He started his career at Ohio State before transferring to Kent in 2013.

He played in 27 games for the Golden Flashes, finishing with 100 tackles, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Murray was named to the All-MAC First Team his senior season.

Murray also earned some pre-draft love from the analytics site Pro Football Focus, which highlighted Murray as a Day 3 target that smart teams – they used the New England Patriots as an example – should target:

"With the departure of CB Logan Ryan, the Patriots should be looking to bring some competition to the slot corner position to compete with Cyrus Jones and Justin Coleman. Najee Murray graded extremely well for PFF in 2016, finishing the year with a final grade of 85.6. Out of his 364 coverage snaps, 301 were in the slot. When in slot coverage, he allowed only 16 receptions on 38 targets, no TDs, and a 37.8 QB rating. The former Ohio State transfer is projected as a late-round pick or UDFA, but could come in and compete for playing time in nickel and dime packages."

The Browns are quite fond of analytics – in case you had not heard – and are working hard to do the type of things that smart teams do, so to be able to sign a player that projected to be a good fit for the Patriots is a smart play.

Even on a team that is thin on talent in the secondary, it is going to be a hard job for Carey and Murray to earn a roster spot. The jump in talent from Grand Valley to the NFL may be a bit steep for Carey, and while Murray is talented, his height is going to offer some mismatches for opposing receivers.

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However, Murray is talented – he may have ended up at Kent State but he did start at Ohio State, which says something – and with rookie cornerback Howard Wilson suffering a broken kneecap over the weekend, a roster spot is there if Murray can grab it.

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