The Cleveland Browns had a championship-caliber defense in 2023.
That means they cannot afford to shake things up that much on that side of the field.
Jim Schwartz staying grants the team some sort of stability there, and we already know the kind of players he likes to get.
Browns insider Ashley Bastock shared her thoughts on the linebackers corps and some of the things that may or may not happen going forward, per cleveland.com’s Youtube channel.
For starters, she claimed that linebackers aren’t all that important in Schwartz’s scheme, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see them letting some big-name players walk away and replace them with lesser talents.
She believes that Anthony Walker Jr. is ready to walk away, and given his history of injuries, it may be for the best for the Browns.
Bastock believes Jordan Hicks could be a realistic target for this team, adding that they’re more than likely to prioritize retaining Sione Takitaki.
On top of that, Mohamoud Diabate could also be in for an expanded role next season, not only on special teams but on defense as well, as the coaching staff seems to be quite high on him.
The Browns would’ve never been able to make the playoffs without their lockdown defense.
Despite a myriad of turnovers and subpar offensive display and even with five different players starting at quarterback, this team was able to make it to the Wild Card round with a defensive unit that constantly put the offense in a position to make plays.
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