The Browns' Decision in the Secondary Will Tell the Story
The scheme demands some front office action.
The Browns session on Tuesday this week was meant to be a lighter day in between two physical practices. That meant avoiding full pads and really on spending time on the team portions of the session (skelly, 11-on-11) near the end and for a shorter duration. Sometimes the worst injuries happen when the physicality is dialed down.
Similar to Grant Delpit’s Achilles injury back in 2020, Martin Emerson was on his way down from making an effort on the football when he crumbled to the ground writhing in pain. The immediacy of the medical cart and the reaction of his teammates told the story. The mood at the session quickly turned cold and it was clear the injury rocked the world of those around the team on the field.
I tell you the details of the session just a few days ago to help discuss the severity of the injury but also the ramifications. The Browns play a demanding brand of coverage including more man than zone and higher rates of riskier (less deep defenders) than nearly team not coach by Brian Flores. Jim Schwartz’ scheme has high expectations for their cornerbacks and he puts them into challenging situations often.
This approach has merit when you have three cornerbacks who can handle the burden. Then changed on Tuesday. Now the front office has to pivot — one would think, and if they do not it probably tells the fanbase all they need to know.
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