3 Cleveland Browns who have disappointed in the first four weeks
By Greg Newland
No. 1 – Denzel Ward, CB
Speaking of massive deals, in the last year the Cleveland Browns also signed Denzel Ward to a six-year deal worth nearly $115 million. After ending the 2021 season on a tear, not many questioned the money shelled out by Andrew Berry as Ward appeared to be a top-five cornerback in the league.
I don’t want to act like he has been terrible, but he’s been picked on a lot in 2022. Too many times he’s soft in coverage and gives up an easy first down, and he had two huge mental errors in the Jets game that both led to touchdowns. He bit on the slant in cover two which left the running back in the flats wide open before the half and then looked to be in the wrong coverage on the deep ball late in the game to give the Jets hope.
My biggest disappointment in Ward is his willingness to tackle and his constant defense of himself. After the Jets debacle, he not only avoided taking any ownership for his mistake, but he doubled down and said he was only targeted once that game. To me, that’s a guy that only cares about stats and not the team.
Ward certainly has the ability to return to form, but I hope he hasn’t lost motivation since he got his major payday. The Browns spent a lot of money and put a lot of faith that Ward would be a lockdown corner for years to come. We have yet to see him at his best in 2022.
