Cleveland Browns training camp: Storylines, position battles and what to watch

3 Most important departures

Yes, the Browns added a lot of good players but there were also some departures this offseason that will affect them going forward. Here are the three most important departures for them.

3. Kendall Lamm

Kendall Lamm was a solid option as a swing tackle and he became even more important after Chris Hubbard was injured. He ended up signing with the Tennessee Titans where he will ironically have a shot at filling in the right tackle spot that was left vacant by Jack Conklin who is now in Cleveland.

Lamm will have to beat out rookie Dillon Radunz but even if he doesn’t, he will be a solid swing tackle for them. Cleveland replaced Lamm with rookie James Hudson who could develop into a quality player but going from a trusted veteran to a mid-round rookie usually leads to growing pains.

2. Olivier Vernon

Injuries constantly hampered Olivier Vernon during his time in Cleveland but he seemed to be on the right track in 2020. Vernon had 9.0 sacks which was the most he’s had since 2013 when he was with Miami.

Unfortunately, it all came to an end when he tore his Achilles in Week 17 against Pittsburgh. This meant he was unable to play in their playoff game and is still not signed anywhere. And with his age and injury history, it may be a while until a team takes a chance.

The Browns did add Jadeveon Clowney as a replacement who is arguably a better overall player but Vernon has been more dangerous at rushing the quarterback in recent seasons.

1. Sheldon Richardson

No player will be missed more than Sheldon Richardson in 2021. The big defensive tackle joined the Browns in 2019 and in two seasons he had 126 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 33 quarterback pressures. He was let go to save cap space which is a necessary evil but the defensive line lost a leader and a great player — and it won’t be easy to replace him by any means.