Cleveland Browns: Is Myles Garrett aggressive enough?

Former Cleveland Browns defensive line coach Clyde Simmons says that Myles Garrett can improve if he gets ‘a little nastier’ which he said comes in time

Two seasons into his career and it’s apparent that former No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett is going to be a star. The Cleveland Browns defensive end came on incredibly strong in year two and finished with 44 tackles and a team-high 12 sacks.

Garrett made a lot of progress in his second season after missing five games as a rookie while dealing with a high ankle sprain and later concussion symptoms. Even with the missed time, he flashed his brilliance by recording seven sacks.

As good as he has been, former Cleveland defensive line coach Clyde Simmons thinks Garrett can be even better. And he says the key will be Garrett turning up the aggression to the point where he becomes nasty.

"“There’s still some little things in there that I think he could be a little bit more aggressive about, a little nastier about, but that takes time. Nobody just comes out and turns into a full-blooded killer.’’ — Simmons said according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com"

Simmons played defensive end in the NFL from 1986 through 2000 and spent time with five different clubs — including the Philadelphia Eagles where he was a teammate of the great Reggie White from 1986 through 1992. After his playing career, he went into coaching and spent 2017 and 2018 with the Browns before being replaced this offseason with Tosh Lupoi, the former Alabama defensive coordinator.

All that being said, Simmons understands what it takes to be a success in the NFL and he believes Garrett needs an edge — although it needs to be said that Simmons was in no way criticizing Garrett, just saying he can take his game to the next level. Of course, anyone who has paid attention to Garrett knows he’s pretty laid back for a defensive end. That doesn’t mean he can’t reach his full potential.

And while Simmons seemed to have done a fine job working with the former Texas A&M star, the Browns hope Lupoi can help Garrett reach that next level. If he does, the sky is the limit, because even without that ‘nastiness’, Garrett is pretty darn good.