3 Cleveland Browns who could earn more time with COVID issues
By Greg Newland
Cleveland Browns Player No. 3 – Sione Takitaki
One guy that has been put on the back of the shelf the last few weeks is linebacker, Sione Takitaki. Andrew Berry brought in Anthony Walker this offseason, drafted Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and have Jacob Phillips from the 2020 NFL Draft.
Injuries at the beginning of the season kept him on the field in a limited role, but in last week’s victory over the Baltimore Ravens, Takitaki was only on the field for six defensive snaps.
With Wilson and Phillips on the COVID19 list this week, Takitaki will see a significant number of snaps as the team’s third linebacker. Remember, as of right now, John Johnson, Ronnie Harrison, and Grant Delpit will also miss the game so there won’t be a ton of three safety looks.
Takitaki had his best season last year where he started 12 games, but his services were only necessary because of the lack of talent. He isn’t a bad player, but he lacks athleticism and is a liability in pass coverage.
The Raiders won’t be a great matchup for the third-year player as Derek Carr will likely look to throw the ball all over the Browns depleted secondary, but he could certainly prove himself as the fourth linebacker moving forward.