Cleveland Browns: 3 Things to watch for in Preseason Week 2
By Randy Gurzi
2. Can the defensive line hold up?
The offensive line wasn’t the only unit to struggle in the team’s preseason opener. For parts of the night, the defensive line did as well. To be fair, it wasn’t the starters though. Outside of the first big run surrendered to No. 2 overall pick, Saquon Barkley they did hold their own in the early drives.
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Issues came up after that however as the depth of this group was tested. With Trevon Coley already out due to injury, things felt thin. By the later portions of the game, the Browns defenders were struggling to get much of a push up front and the interior pressure was minimal.
It wasn’t enough of an issue to panic about, but the front office does seem to share some concerns. On Wednesday they brought in veterans defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins for a workout. They had no contract worked out with him, but they did sign rookie Blaine Woodson out of Delaware to at least add some bulk to the position.
On Friday against the Buffalo Bills, keeping an eye on the front four — especially the interior tackle — will be one of the bigger keys to watch during the game.