3 most underrated moves of the Cleveland Browns offseason

2. Replacing B.J. Goodson with Anthony Walker Jr.

Joe Woods’ defense is designed to limit the impact the linebacker position has on the game, because that is where the league is headed. Very few LBs are physically capable of matching up with receivers and modern tight ends in coverage. It’s simply more valuable to have an extra defensive back or pass-rusher on the field instead of an LB, but it’s practically impossible to eliminate the position altogether.

B.J. Goodson manned the middle for Cleveland in 2020, and graded out fairly well via Pro Football Focus, especially against a tackler. However, in a defense full of weak links, Goodson’s limitations were consistently exposed by opponents. Coverage was certainly not his strong suit, as Goodson was billed as a between-the-tackles thumper.

The issue was that while he racked up tackles, and didn’t miss many, they were rarely impactful. He was a reactive player as opposed to proactive; he was always waiting for the play to develop and the runner to come to him, and backs would get two or three extra yards dragging Goodson downfield before going down.

His replacement, former Indianapolis Colt Anthony Walker, will hopefully fix the lack of impact tackling. Walker struggles in coverage, and has put up significantly lower PFF grades than Goodson, but he reads his keys well and has better speed and lateral quickness than Goodson. He’s still limited, and will be deployed in a limited role, but he should provide an upgrade in that limited role.