After already adding Dalvin Tomlinson and Ogbo Okoronkwo, the Cleveland Browns were back at it on Monday evening. In need of a centerfield-type of safety, they were able to fill that void with Juan Thornhill.
A former second-round pick out of Virginia, Thornhill spent four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and just helped them win their second Super Bowl during his tenure.
During his time with the Chiefs, Thornhill was excellent in coverage and had 234 tackles, 20 pass defenses, and eight interceptions. Three of those picks came this past season.
Thornhill quickly tweeted out to the Dawg Pound to show his excitement and the Pound was quick to respond. Looking back at the tweets that were flying around following the move, it's safe to say the fans are a little excited about this one.
#DawgPound what up baby !!!!! Let’s Gooooo
— The_Juan_And_Only (@Juan_Thornhill) March 15, 2023
Some were thrilled to point out just how good he was in coverage during his time in KC.
PFF Forced Incompletion Stat (50% min)
— Jack Duffin (@JackDuffin) March 15, 2023
Juan Thornhill - 20% (3rd for S)
Martin Emerson - 20% (6th for CB)
Denzel Ward - 19% (7th for CB)
Grant Delpit - 14% (12th for S)
Greg Newsome - 11% (39th for CB)
For Reference
John Johnson - 8% (47th for S) https://t.co/KjrcnpG2lf
The #Browns have signed S Juan Thornhill (via @Schultz_Report).
— MoreForYouCleveland (@MoreForYou_CLE) March 15, 2023
He has posted an 82.4 PFF coverage grade since 2019, which ranks 11th among all safeties in that span. pic.twitter.com/rkTHqJTRyt
Nick Karns, a friend of DPD's, pointed out that the Browns upgraded after replacing John Johnson (who is much better in a strong safety role) with a Super Bowl champ.
Not too shabby upgrading from John Johnson to SUPER BOWL CHAMPION JUAN THORNHILL pic.twitter.com/Q6aM4t0Rfm
— Nick Karns (@karnsies817) March 15, 2023
And of course, there are others who just love the fit in Cleveland.
#Browns @TheOBR
— Cody Suek (@CodySuek) March 15, 2023
The Juan Thornhill signing made too much sense: pic.twitter.com/Xj1aH1C5LC
Lastly, another friend of DPD's Grant Puskar, simply let his excitement shine in the simplest, yet most relatable, tweet of the night.
JUAN THORNHILL LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Grant Puskar (@grant_puskar_) March 15, 2023
Not only will Thornhill be a welcome addition but he also comes in at a very affordable price. The three-year deal he agreed to is worth $21 million. For some perspective, Jessie Bates will earn just over $16 million per season with the Atlanta Falcons.
Cleveland showed interest in Bates but the former Cincinnati Bengal wound up making far more than they were willing to pay.
In the end, the Browns came out on top as they will spent $9 million less per season. That helped them find a way to afford Tomlinson, who will make $57 million over four seasons.
Cleveland's defense was an issue in 2022 but now, they have three new starters as well as a new coordinator in Jim Schwartz. It's safe to say they'll look much different on that side of the ball this coming season — which is a good thing.