Cleveland Browns: 53-man roster prediction for defense
By Greg Newland
Linebackers
With Woods wanting to shift as much to the 4-2-5 as much as possible, there’s a good chance you will only see six linebackers on the game-day roster. In the past, there have been as many as seven, but mainly for special teams’ purposes.
Anthony Walker, Jacob Phillips, and rookie, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (JOK) are the three locks to make the roster. The next three spots will likely be competed for by four guys; Sione Takitaki, Mack Wilson, Malcolm Smith, and Tony Fields.
Right now, it looks like Walker and Phillips will be the workhorses on the field for most snaps. JOK appears to be the third linebacker for 4-3 sets and can also come in and play the rover-type position in certain scenarios (mainly as a blitzer).
The big breakthrough in this camp is Wilson who has really shown up. I originally had him off the roster, but I think he will be the added depth in the middle behind Walker. Fields will get his opportunity as a rookie and Smith will be kept because of his veteran presence and Super Bowl experience.
That leaves Takitaki as the surprising cut, along with Elijah Lee. Lee was a big-time special team contributor last year, but you will likely see a guy like Wilson step into that role. Unfortunately, Takitaki doesn’t have the athleticism to be an elite special teams’ player.