The great Cleveland Browns cornerback conundrum of 2018

The Cleveland Browns have a cornerback problem. Even after trading Jason McCourty, there is an abundance of corners on Cleveland’s roster. So, what’s the Dawg Pound to do?

The Cleveland Browns have, well, a lot of cornerbacks on their roster. While they did make a dent in it by trading Jason McCourty to the Patriots, there are still seventeen players listed as defensive backs on the Browns’ current roster, about eight or nine of them being cornerbacks.

Now, of course, the Browns will be making some cuts before, during, and after this summer’s training camp. But, how is this all going to sort out? What can Browns fans expect this secondary to look like come September 9th, 2018? Let’s take a look.

First things first, the Browns have plenty of acquisitions that will likely be staying with the team. With T.J. Carrie, Terrence Mitchell, Damarious Randall, and E.J. Gaines all donning the orange and brown this coming season, John Dorsey‘s cap money should not go to waste on this defense.

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So, with Randall, Carrie, Mitchell, and Gaines now in the mix, what do fans make of the cornerbacks still in Cleveland from 2017? Jamar Taylor and Briean Boddy-Calhoun still remain on the roster, as well as the debuting Howard Wilson.

Taylor will almost certainly be the next to go. Whether Cleveland chooses to release or trade Taylor, the Boise State product is just acting as dead weight at this point. As for Boddy-Calhoun and Wilson, the story will likely be different.

Randall is a special case, considering he can play both safety and cornerback. Right now, Randall has told fans and reporters that he will play as a safety come 2018. However, he might play cornerback if one of the current starters sustains an injury during the season.

Wilson may find himself on the bubble come training camp and preseason, an unfortunate consequence of his injury. Boddy-Calhoun, however, may be on the cusp of a big year with this Browns defense.

Boddy-Calhoun is a great nickel corner and slot, and has the potential to break out in Gregg Williams’s 4-2-5 defensive set.

So, with T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines (and sometimes Briean Boddy-Calhoun) likely to start in 2018, this gives the Browns incredible depth in the secondary. Even if they cut Jamar Taylor or Howard Wilson, there is still a solid set of backups behind those three.

The Browns may, and likely will, add more pieces to their secondary in the 2018 NFL Draft. With either Minkah Fitzpatrick or Denzel Ward joining the Browns in 2018, Gregg Williams and John Dorsey will have quite a conundrum on their hands when it comes to defensive cuts.

Next: Next on John Dorsey’s roster hit list?

As for the fans, all we have to do is sit back, enjoy the ride, and hope our favorite defender doesn’t get cut. This deep a defense might be the one to bring back the Dawg Pound though, and that’s as exciting as ever.

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