If something good is happening for the Cleveland Browns’ defense during training camp, that means something is going badly for the offense. It’s an inevitable zero-sum game when a team is only practicing against each other.
However, with an ongoing quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders generating a great deal of scrutiny, the defensive performance against them becomes even more important. In that scenario, the Browns’ secondary has become a notable talking point.
Through the first nine practices of camp, Cleveland’s defense has 17 interceptions. When viewed through the lens of that unit, it is a very encouraging number, especially when you consider that the Browns had just 11 total in 17 games last season.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell recently revealed what’s fueling the Browns’ turnovers in training camp, saying that the revamped defense wants to make them part of its identity.
“It’s definitely a big number,” Campbell said. “It means a lot to us. Camp is where you want to build your identity. We want to build our identity off turnovers and physicality and 11 to the ball. So, we’re executing at a high level.”
Cleveland also recovered just seven fumbles on defense last year, which ranked in the middle of the pack in the NFL, even though it was third in the league with 15 forced fumbles. Any field position advantage or way to prevent the opponent from scoring will be vital this season as the Browns’ offense tries to get up to speed.
That side of the ball has not distinguished itself so far in camp. With the defense dominating daily, particularly at the line of scrimmage, Cleveland’s quarterbacks have had a very tough time.
Watson, who is thought to be leading the QB competition, has thrown eight interceptions in camp, including some in 7-on-7 drills with no pass rush. Sanders has also struggled in that area, with one INT in each of the past three practices.
That is not to say that the Browns’ secondary doesn’t deserve full credit for what it is doing. With Campbell, Denzel Ward and Myles Harden at cornerback, and Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman and rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at safety, it should be a dangerous threat to any quarterback it will face during the season.
It will be interesting to see how many of those starters play in the first preseason opener against the Chicago Bears next Saturday, and who manages to get the first interception in that game.
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