Predicting Cleveland Browns 2020 Depth Chart: Linebacker
By Randy Gurzi
Predicting the Cleveland Browns linebacker depth chart in 2020
Things will be vastly different for the Cleveland Browns linebackers in 2020. For the past several seasons, this unit has been headlined by Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert, who have each had more than their fair share of success in the NFL.
Schobert, a fourth-round pick in 2016, developed into a tackling machine for Cleveland and by 2017, he made the Pro Bowl as the league’s leading tackler with 144. He topped the triple-digit mark the following two seasons (even while missing three games in 2018) as he recorded 103 and 133 tackles in those seasons.
However, the Browns never agreed to a contract extension and that allowed Schobert to join the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason. Replacing him won’t be easy and they also won’t have Kirksey there to help soften the blow.
That’s because Kirksey was let go following an injury-plagued two-year stint. A third-round pick in 2014, Kirksey played in seven games in 2018 and just two in 2019. With his price tag being more than $9 million this season, new general manager Andrew Berry decided it was best to move on and Kirksey is now with the Green Bay Packers.
With them gone, the Browns will be turning to a young linebacker corps but they also could be less reliant on the position than they have been in the past.
New head coach Kevin Stefanski hired Joe Woods to be the defensive coordinator and Woods is set to employ a 4-2-5 base defense which means there will be just two linebackers on the field for the majority of their games.
Even so, Cleveland needs players they can trust to line up there and we have had plenty of questions already asked about the position. Here, we will look at who is in the mix to play for the team in 2020 as we predict the Browns linebacker depth chart.