Cleveland Browns bolster defensive line with Malik Jackson

The Cleveland Browns make another move on defense with the signing of Malik Jackson

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry has been moving at lightspeed this offseason in his attempt to improve one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

After landing two top-tier defensive backs in John Johnson III and Troy Hill, along with pass-rusher Takk McKinley, Cleveland is signing defensive tackle Malik Jackson, who will be entering his ninth NFL season at the age of 31.

He’s no longer the player he was with the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars during the mid-2010s, but Jackson can certainly be a quality rotational player for a team that was desperate for exactly that.

Jackson is 6-5, 290 pounds and logged 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss last season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Berry would have been able to interact with Jackson first-hand while they were both with the Eagles in 2019, although Jackson missed all but one game due to injury that season. It’s the only significant time he’s missed throughout his NFL career, so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

The interesting thing about this signing is that it may reveal how the front office and coaching staff view second-year player Jordan Elliott, the team’s first third-round pick in 2020. He had an inconsistent rookie season but did show promise at times. Jackson is more of a three-technique and has logged a good deal of snaps at defensive end as well.

Sheldon Richardson and Elliott were assumed to the Browns three-techs for this season, with Andrew Billings starting at one-tech. Signing Jackson may indicate that the team sees Elliott as a one-tech, as he has a better body for it at 6-4, 315 pounds, with plenty of room to grow as he’s just 23 years old.

Jackson likely won’t start, but with how often defensive coordinator Joe Woods rotates his defensive lineman, he’ll certainly play a lot, and could be the team’s primary defensive tackle on passing downs, as he would have been the Browns most efficient pass-rushing tackle last season. His versatility will be welcomed along the line, and having another veteran presence on a very young defense is always a good thing.

In a very weak draft class for defensive tackles, it makes a lot of sense for the Browns to address the position in free agency with stop-gap veterans and wait for better young talent to appear, and it seems that is exactly the route they will be taking. Jackson won’t be a world-beater, but he’s a solid player against both the run and the pass, and will deepen the rotation at a crucial position, especially since Cleveland plans on running less and less base defense.

Contract details haven’t been released yet, but Jackson should not be too expensive. At positions where rotation is vital, it’s never a bad thing to add more playable talent, and that’s exactly what Jackson is.