Is the status quo good enough for the Browns at linebacker?

Special teams and Undrafted free agents

Jordan Kunaszyk has been in the NFL for four years, becoming a solid special teams player for the Browns last season. Kunaszyk was forced into starting duties, like every linebacker on the roster in 2022, because of injuries.

He played in 15 games for the Browns, starting two of them. He would miss the final game of the season with a hand injury. As stated earlier, Kunaszyk is back because he was the best special teams player Cleveland had last season. He provides emergency depth if needed, but the hope is that 2022 was an aberration and special teams are where he shines.

Matt Adams is one of the new faces in the linebacking room. Adams was signed because he previously worked with Bubba Ventrone when they were both with the Indianapolis Colts. He spent 2022 with the Chicago Bears.

That season, he appeared in 10 games and made three starts for the Bears. In 188 snaps at linebacker, Adams would put up 26 total tackles, two for loss and a forced fumble. He has only played 508 snaps at linebacker in his career, but in a thin room could see more in 2023.

The final two on the roster are undrafted free agents Mohamoud Diabate and Charlie Thomas. Diabate played his senior season with the Utah Utes, racking up 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Thomas played for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last season. He saw action in 10 games and started six games at outside linebacker. He finished the season with 47 tackles, one sack, and one pass deflection. These two young free agents will have a chance to show they belong in a wide-open linebacker room.

This is what the Browns have going into 2023 at linebacker. Do you think it is enough? The starters seem solid, but depth could be a concern if some young guys don't develop. As my friend and editor Randy Gurzi said, " Good players are totally fine. No team has a superstar at every spot and if you notice, when one tries that...it often blows up. Got to have the right fit, and sometimes you need that non-star player who just shows up and does the job."

The Browns need some of these linebackers to show up and do their job in 2023.