Cleveland Browns: Joe Woods has plan to ‘dictate tempo’ on defense

Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods plans to use more nickel and dime formations to dictate tempo on defense in 2021

Last season, the Cleveland Browns defense never looked comfortable. There were issues with talent, especially at linebacker, but most of the problems they dealt with were out of their control.

Injuries and COVID left their ranks ravaged and that had a toll on how defensive coordinator Joe Woods could game plan. While he didn’t want to use that as an excuse, he opened up recently about how the constant changes to the depth chart kept them from installing everything they panned to.

Now with the team preparing for 2021, they have an infusion of talent thanks to both free agency and the draft, Woods believes they can fully implement their defense. And his plan is to use much more nickel and dime formations, which he believes will help them dictate the tempo.

"“We’ve already started the process in the offseason of installing some new defensive packages and some new cover schemes, just so we can dictate the tempo a little bit more,” Woods said about the Browns defense according to Anthony Poisal of the team’s official website."

When Woods was hired last season, there was a lot of excitement about his style of defense. While with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos, he showed a preference for a 4-2-5 defense that often utilized three safeties and two linebackers.

Cleveland was never truly able to commit to this defense with Grant Delpit tearing his Achilles early in camp. They also had problems with Ronnie Harrison and Karl Joseph getting banged up throughout the season.

Looking forward to 2021, they have Delpit back and signed John Johnson in free agency. They also added Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah early in the draft, giving them a hybrid linebacker who can play in that role as well as in coverage much in the way a safety operates at times.

Considering how pass-happy the NFL has become, it’s a great plan to land players who can get the job done against the pass.

Woods has the right idea, now we just need to see if he can get the players to execute that plan.