Cleveland Browns moneyball strategy taking form

Controversy on Defense:  Pay linebackers or not?

The Browns are paying more than the NFL average for defensive linemen, as shown on the chart. We can further subdivide the linemen between defensive ends and defensive tackles. Myles Garrett is the 2017 first overall draft pick, and Olivier Vernon is the highest-paid person on the team.

The investment in this position can scarcely be higher. At tackle, Sheldon Richardson costs the Browns $13.7 million per year. He’s joined by free-agent signee Andrew Billings, a one year wonder at $3.5 million, and third-round draft pick Jordan Elliott. The tackle position is well taken care of, but not at the elite level of defensive end.

One controversy this off-season has been whether the Browns should release Vernon in order to sign free agent Jadeveon Clowney, at an even higher pay rate.  So far, that has not happened, although the Browns are rumored to be the top bidder so far.

It would be fair to say that the Browns appear to be much more interested in investing big dollars for defensive ends rather than defensive tackles.

Similarly, at defensive back, cornerbacks Denzel Ward, Terrance Mitchell, and free agent Kevin Johnson own the largest salaries. Free-agent safety signees include Andrew Sendejo and Karl Joseph. The top five corners average $2.9 million per year, while the top five safeties average $1.4 million, or about half of what the corners are getting. Cleveland clearly favors high salaries for corners over safeties.

But the biggest controversy concerns the value of linebackers, as the Browns chose not to re-sign veterans Joe Schobert and Chris Kirksey, who signed major deals. Schobert signed with Jacksonville for five years, $53.8 million and Kirksey got two years for $13 million with the Packers and old friend Mike Pettine as his defensive coordinator.

The Browns replaced those two every-down linebackers with third-round draft pick Jacob Phillips and veteran B. J. Goodson, who took a one-year deal for $2.4 million dollars. It could not be more obvious that the Browns do not regard linebackers as a priority in today’s NFL. Most of the time, the Browns will use two linebackers or fewer, instead of adding an additional defensive back in the nickel or dime formation. They will fill the remaining roster sports with low- budget players such as Sione Takitaki, Mack Wilson, and Willie Harvey, all of whom are paid less than a million dollars per year.

How can the Browns expect to replace a Pro Bowl linebacker in Schobert with very low salaried replacements? The answer may be that they have confidence in the young kids, but it also appears that they do not regard linebackers as every-down players. They anticipate playing a lot of nickel and dime formations with two or even just one linebacker. There will be extra defensive backs in passing situations, and linebackers are coming off the field. We shall see how it is implemented and how well it works.

Following trends in the NFL, the Browns have shown they are willing to pay top dollar for pass rushers and pass-intercepting corners, less for safeties and defensive tackles. The most controversial aspect of the Browns investment strategy on defense is to save money by not signing every-down linebackers.