Defensive Line
This was the most improved unit on the season.
Ahtyba Rubin continued to develop as one of the league best all around defensive tackles.
Rubin is one of the rare defensive tackles that can rush the passer and yet play very strong against the run.
First round pick Phil Taylor had his ups and downs,most memorably with his jumping offsides to clinch a loss against Baltimore,but played well enough to be counting on Taylor as a future cornerstone.
Jabaal Sheard played very well at one defensive end after being taken in the second round last draft.
Sheard finished with eight and a half sacks in an excellent rookie season.
Jayme Mitchell was very disappointing in generating a pass rush off the opposite end of Sheard and might be on his way out of Cleveland.
Marcus Benard might have been able to help some,but he missed much of the season after a motorcycle wreck.
None of the depth players did much to impress me,so depth along the line is a need for the Browns,but the team is one more player away from ranking among the better defensive lines in the game
Grade:B+
Linebackers
This group still needs to be upgraded with a playmaker or two,but I cannot say that the Browns did not get the most of what they had in the position.
D'Qwell Jackson had a terrific year after missing much of the last two seasons due to injuries.
Jackson is the type of steady tackling type that does not make impact plays,but makes the solid plays.
Jackson would be even better,I think,if he had more speed around him.
Chris Gogong was equaling Jackson's play by season's end and showed why the Browns signed him to an extension and Kaluka Maiava showed signs of being at least a member of a rotation when he replaced the injured Scott Fujita over the second half of the season.
Fujita missed time in both of his seasons in Cleveland and should not counted on for full time duty.
This unit was used to its utmost,but still needs speed,speed and more speed....
Grade:B
Secondary
Joe Haden started the season strong at one corner,but tailed off in the second half.
I still am not concerned about Haden,but there is no denying that his second half was a not good one.
Sheldon Brown on the other corner is showing his age badly and needs to either be moved to safety,where he might have a few good years left or be allowed to leave.
Brown simply does not have the physical skills to play the corner anymore.
If Brown is moved to safety,the Browns could cut ties with Mike Adams,who I like as a nickel or dime back,but not as much as a full time player.
T.J Ward missed much of the season with injury,but lacked the same impact as in 2010 when he was on the field.The jury is still out on Ward's fit in the Dick Jauron defensive scheme,in my opinion.
Usama Young was very disappointing after being signed from the Saints in one of the few free agents signed in the abbreviated off season.
Dimitri Patterson showed decent skills as a third or even better fourth corner,but I would not feel comfortable with Patterson starting in 2012.
I liked what I saw in limited action from rookie corner Buster Skrine and his fellow rookie safety Eric Hagg.
Both need work,Skrine as a cover corner has the speed,if not the size and needs reps,while Hagg might wind up being a better fit at safety for this defense than T.J. Ward..
The team needs at least one corner,maybe two and a safety might not be a bad idea either.
Grade C
Overall,I saw some good signs from a defense that lacked the overall talent of many teams,yet helped the team hang into games that on pure talent,they should not have been able to do.
Give plenty of credit to Dick Jauron for this groups success.
I liked Rob Ryan,but I must admit that Jauron was a better fit for the talent in Cleveland,although Ryan was not given two picks in the first two rounds of a draft to bulk up the defensive line either.
There are holes to be plugged for 2012,but I like what I see as the beginning of the foundation....
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