Now let’s look at some of the teams that have it right every year. We can start with Carolina. The Panthers have had among the top defenses the last few years. In 2012, the Panthers had Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis put up 164 and 105. In 2013 they had 156 and 123.
In 2014 they had 153 and 100. This year Thomas has 57 despite playing one less game than the Browns and Kuechly already has 32 despite playing four fewer games. Carolina was a top ten defense each of those years and looks well on their way again this year.
Let’s look at San Fran over the last few years too before everybody retired. In 2012 NaVorro Bowman had 148 and Patrick Willis 120 tackles.
In 2013 Bowman had 145 and Willis 104. 2014 saw the 49ers lose Bowman for the entire year from that ugly injury in the Super Bowl and Willis only played in six games as well. Chris Borland stepped up and in only 14 games recorded 107 tackles as a rookie. San Fran was a top five defense each of those years.
I could even include Seattle in here with Bobby Wagner being the difference at linebacker, but their secondary is so good that they have stepped up and made way more tackles than most teams have.
When we look at these top defenses year in and year out, what is that one thing they all have in common. They all have at least one ball hawking linebacker that makes a difference. The Browns have nobody like that that scares you or you have to scheme around. The Browns secondary has the potential to be great with Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson and other young guys getting better with more reps like Pierre Desir and K’Waun Williams to go along with the veterans in Tramon Williams and Whitner.
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Dave
October 29, 2015 at 3:15 pm
That honestly was the best and on point browns article ive read in years. Our linebackers are terrible all cover guys nobody thats going to smack u in the mouth and for sure no sure tacklers and im not talking about 20 yards down the field everyone else in the division gets it ravens draft cj mosley soon as ray lewis retired Pittsburgh draft shazier bengals have burfict all young aggressive lbs we overpay dudes past their primes maybe someone in berea reads this and takes a long hard look at Alabamas Reggie Ragland or Jaylon Smith but like you said it the browns they will find a way to disappoint us once again. Smh
Avaunté
October 30, 2015 at 9:52 am
Great article… I have been saying the same for three years ever since lavonte david was drafted. I thought kirksey would be but he has missed a lot of tackles or taken bad angles. What do you think of Darren Lee from Ohio State? He is a sure tackler and is faster than shazier. Maybe undersized but jus what Browns need.
Seth Neale
October 30, 2015 at 11:20 am
Brandon Urasek
October 30, 2015 at 12:06 pm
Thank you everyone.
Avaunte-I wouldnt go as far as to say Lee is a sure tackler. He definitely is a big hitter though. He is undersized and would need to fill in at OLB if we drafted him, most likely on the weak side. He likely will be a late 1st to 2nd round pick so he may not be there and what complicates things the most is that the Browns drafted Orchard to be that same kind of guy last year. I think he only comes into consideration if the Browns move on from Kruger or Mingo.