Cleveland Browns: The surprising way the CB depth chart ended up

The Cleveland Browns put a lot of effort in adding talent to the cornerback room this off-season, with one free acquisition earning a starting job during training camp.

When the Cleveland Browns entered training camp, most people knew that the fourth overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, Denzel Ward, was going to be one of the two starting cornerbacks to begin the season.

But the other starting cornerback was going to be determined through a competition during training camp. The thought was the competition would be between free agent acquisitions T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines.

Both have starting experience, with Gaines coming off a career year in 2017 with the Buffalo Bills. Carrie was one of the first free agent signings for the Browns this off-season, and received a contract that would make sense for a player about to start.

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However, it became apparent after the first couple of weeks of training camp that neither player was the favorite to win the starting cornerback job. The favorite for the starting job was the free agent acquisition that received the least amount of attention this off-season: Terrance Mitchell.

On Sunday, Browns head coach Hue Jackson announced that Mitchell would be starting opposite of Ward when the Browns open the regular season against the Steelers.

Mitchell signed a three-year, $10 million contract with the Browns this off-season after spending two years with the Kansas City Chiefs. Last season with the Chiefs, Mitchell showed he had a knack for being a ballhawk, intercepting four passes in 15 games.

Mitchell is known for his physical style of play, which has made him more prone to receive penalties. But with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams wanting to play more press coverage this season, Mitchell fits perfectly into that philosophy. Mitchell also likes to make some hits in run support, which is a good way to get on Williams’ good side.

Before training camp, Mitchell seemed like a guy that would come in during nickel or dime packages and primarily play in the slot. But he simply outplayed Carrie, who has been inconsistent in the preseason. He also beat out Gaines, who has been dealing with injuries.

With how much versatility is in the Browns defense, it’s uncertain how much playing time Carrie and Gaines will get now that Mitchell is the starter. With Williams playing his strong safety closer to the line of scrimmage and covering the slot, Gaines and Carrie will lose snaps because of that.

Williams has also been using Briean Boddy-Calhoun as a hybrid safety/corner throughout the preseason. Unless he is needed as the free safety, Boddy-Calhoun has played a lot in the slot in the preseason. If that continues to happen, then the best chance for either Carrie or Gaines to get on the field is when the Browns put their dime package in.

The way players are used by Williams will likely change when the regular season starts. But if the preseason was a sign of things come, Mitchell winning the starting cornerback job changes a lot of roles and expectations for the other cornerbacks.

The Browns have shown that having a lot of talent at one position can be a good thing. But with the expectations entering training camp, the way the cornerback depth ended up was quite a surprise.