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Cleveland Browns: Evaluating the Browns safeties

By Dan Justik

CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 26: Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs the football upfield against Jabrill Peppers #22 of the Cleveland Browns during their game at Paul Brown Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Browns 30-16. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 26: Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs the football upfield against Jabrill Peppers #22 of the Cleveland Browns during their game at Paul Brown Stadium on November 26, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Browns 30-16. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images) /
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GREEN BAY, WI – JANUARY 8: Damarious Randall #23 of the Green Bay Packers makes an interception in the fourth quarter during the NFC Wild Card game against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field on January 8, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WI – JANUARY 8: Damarious Randall #23 of the Green Bay Packers makes an interception in the fourth quarter during the NFC Wild Card game against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field on January 8, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Damarious Randall

The Browns traded for Damarious Randall to become the teams starting free safety. Although he has only played cornerback in the NFL, he will likely be much more comfortable playing at safety.

When Randall was drafted by the Packers, he was coming from college as a safety and was moved to cornerback.

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In Cleveland, he will be allowing Peppers to move to strong safety and play closer to the line of scrimmage.

Randall will thrive as a ball-hawk free safety that can range from sideline to sideline. He has shown in his NFL career that he excels at making plays on the ball with ten career interceptions, including four last season.

With the Browns expected to play more man coverage than they did in 2017, having a player like Randall that has excellent ball skills playing deep middle third will help create turnovers for a team that registered only seven interceptions last season.

Derrick Kindred

Derrick Kindred was the starting strong safety for the Browns last season before he was injured at the end of last season.

Kindred played well last season, compiling 55 tackles, ten tackles for loss, one interception, and six pass deflections in 14 games.

It appears that he will be playing as the rotational third safety. He does not have the best coverage skills, so it will be hard to play him as the free safety. But he has shown that he can play well closer to the line of scrimmage as the strong safety.

It is even possible that he enters training camp in a competition with Peppers for the starting strong safety job. But with the first round investment in Peppers, it would be hard for Kindred to win the competition.

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