Cleveland Browns: 4 defenders making noise at camp
By Randy Gurzi
4. Damarious Randall, Free Safety
Last year, the Cleveland Browns went out and drafted quarterback DeShone Kizer in the second round out of Notre Dame. Now, the pick wasn’t bad, but Kizer came with this one small caveat — he was incredibly raw and not ready to handle a starting job.
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This was evident by him starting just two seasons for the Irish and while he showed plenty of flashes, he didn’t have the snaps needed. So naturally, head coach Hue Jackson named him the starter. Kizer then struggled and eventually, the team traded him as he was the starter for most of their 0-16 season.
In their trade for Kizer though, they may have found a gem. Cleveland landed former Green Bay Packers cornerback Damarious Randall and promptly moved him to free safety. For Randall, it has been a welcome move as it put him back where he played while starring at Arizona State.
Not much has been said since then, but word from the Browns’ camp is that Randall is a natural. He’s a much better fit than Jabrill Peppers who manned the spot last season and has been taking the ball away in team drills — something he excelled at for Green Bay.
While the move for Kizer looked really bad, they may have at least salvaged it by finding a true free safety to roam the back end of the defense.