Cleveland Browns: Midseason Rookie Progress Report
The Cleveland Browns have just crossed the halfway point in their 2015 campaign and have two wins and seven losses to show for it. But that win-loss record only tells part of the story of their season to this point. It doesn't adequately illustrate the individual contributions players have made this year.
So let's check in with the Browns rookies who remain on the roster and what they've done so far. Who is getting the most playing time? Who is making a positive contribution? And who is, to this point, an afterthought? Here's the Browns' midseason rookie progress report.
NT Danny Shelton
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Nose tackle Danny Shelton was drafted with the 12th overall pick this year to step in and play immediately, a move further solidified by the team releasing longtime defensive lineman Phil Taylor prior to the start of the regular season.
Shelton has served as the team's starting nose tackle for all nine games this year, but he's not a full-time player. Pro Football Focus notes that Shelton has played 304 snaps this year, or 47.5 percent of all the Browns' defensive plays—182 against the run and 122 as a pass-rusher.
It's not that someone else has been getting reps at nose tackle, but rather a byproduct of a Browns defensive front that is multiple and rotates players based on in-game situations. This has, though, limited Shelton's stat-line contributions. He has just 19 combined tackles (two for a loss) and three quarterback hits so far this year.
Currently, Pro Football Focus has Shelton ranked 67th out of 70 defensive tackles this year. It's not hard to see why—though Shelton is heavily involved in the run defense, Cleveland ranks last in the league against the run, and he has yet to sack a quarterback though he's been involved in rushing the passer. For such a high pick, Shelton should be making a more positive impact.
OL Cameron Erving
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Offensive lineman Cameron Erving was the second of two Round 1 draft picks for the Browns this year, but his contributions have been much smaller than fellow first-rounder Danny Shelton. This is primarily because Erving wasn't able to beat out John Greco for the team's right guard job in the summer. His best odds to be a full-time starter likely won't come until 2016.
Thus far, Erving has played only 34 snaps on offense and in just six games. Most often, he's been used as a sixth lineman on specific plays. He did, though, get work at left guard in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals after starter Joel Bitonio suffered an ankle injury. It was, simply put, not pretty. And it makes sense—Erving was a defensive tackle, offensive tackle and then center in college.
Erving, though, may get his first true start of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, with Bitonio still nursing his injured ankle. Ready or not, the Browns need Erving; now, we could have a shot at seeing an extended look at what he has to offer and whether the Browns made the right decision with their second first-round pick.
LB Nate Orchard
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For better or for worse, Round 2 2015 draft pick Nate Orchard has become a fast favorite of Browns head coach Mike Pettine.
After serving as a bit player on the team's linebacking corps for the first three weeks of the season, he's been promoted to a starting outside linebacker and is eating away at the snaps of Barkevious Mingo and has stepped into the spot that could have been occupied by Scott Solomon had he not landed on injured reserve.
Orchard has played 40.9 percent of the Browns' defensive snaps so far and has been averaging over 30 per game over the last three weeks, mostly as a run defender. He has 20 combined tackles (two for a loss) and a pass defensed this season.
Orchard is clearly handling the run defense part of the outside linebacking responsibilities, while Mingo has been more involved in pass coverage. Though Orchard's numbers haven't jumped off the page, he clearly has the coach's favor, which means we'll be seeing more and more of the rookie as the season progresses.
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RB Duke Johnson
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Rookie running back Duke Johnson has struggled to get carries this year, and it's not because he lacks talent. It's more a result of the Browns taking a committee approach to the running back position, with Johnson, Isaiah Crowell and Robert Turbin all getting touches.
That committee looks like it will remain in place; though the Browns did release Turbin on Tuesday, they also promoted another back, Glenn Winston, off of the reserve/non-football injury list. As such, Johnson has had just 59 carries so far this season for 179 yards and no scores and is averaging three yards per carry.
Johnson has been an asset in the passing game, though, which is not surprising given how many passes he caught in college. He's pulled down 35 passes on 40 targets this season for 369 yards and two scores. But despite this usefulness, he's been marginalized in Cleveland's offense, particularly in the second halves of their previous two games, where he's all but disappeared.
While Johnson has been on the field for 48.2 percent of Cleveland's offensive snaps this year, his usage—particularly his lack thereof—has been a head-scratcher. Someone that dynamic should be getting more carries, more targets and more playing time.
DL Xavier Cooper
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Browns rookie defensive lineman Xavier Cooper has seen the least playing time among his positional teammates this year, at just 182 snaps. He's had no starts and has played no more than 33 snaps in a given game and did not take the field on defense until Week 3.
With that limited playing time, Cooper has totaled eight combined tackles (including one for a loss) and one sack while offering rotational and situational support as a pass-rusher and run defender.
Cooper's issue with getting on the field is one of depth. The Browns have a number of defensive ends, such as Desmond Bryant, hybrid end-linebacker Armonty Bryant, Randy Starks and John Hughes playing ahead of him and, so far, doing a good enough job in the coaches' eyes to warrant limiting Cooper's snaps.
As the season continues, the Browns may opt to evaluate their young players in preparation for 2016. If that happens, Cooper should get more playing time. Otherwise, he's another 2015 rookie who will have to wait until next year to get the opportunity he seeks.
S Ibraheim Campbell
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It took until Week 8—and a number of injuries—for safety Ibraheim Campbell to contribute more to the Browns than just special teams work.
Because backup safety Jordan Poyer suffered a shoulder injury and starter Donte Whitner was out with a concussion, Campbell started at free safety for the Browns in Week 9. He also played 36 snaps at the position in Week 8.
He did an OK job, with 10 combined tackles and five defensive stops through those two games. He did struggle in coverage against the Bengals in Week 9, though, allowing all three passes thrown his way to be caught for 21 yards and 19 yards after the catch, according to Pro Football Focus.
Campbell is certainly someone the Browns can turn to when their safety depth is depleted, but he also clearly has more to learn. His largest role this year will be on special teams, but the time seems sure to come when he will be suiting up as a starter in Cleveland's secondary.
FB Malcolm Johnson
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Fullback Malcolm Johnson, drafted in Round 6, was touted as being an H-back in the Marcel Reece mold. Reece, an H-back for the Oakland Raiders, was heavily involved with the team's passing game when current Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo was there.
But, so far, Johnson's been a run-blocker more than anything, with 83 of his 136 snaps spent trying to get the run game going, per Pro Football Focus. He's also, like many rookies, made a few appearances on special teams. As a receiver, he's been targeted four times, with three catches for 14 yards.
The 6'2" Johnson could be an asset in the passing offense, given he has the height the rest of Cleveland's receiving corps is lacking. But that hasn't been the case as of yet. The Browns aren't as willing as first expected to carve out a defined role for Johnson, which could result in a murky future.
The Undrafted
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There are two undrafted rookies currently on the Browns' 53-man roster, but it's yet to be seen how much of an impact, if any, they will have on the team this year.
One is tight end E.J. Bibbs, who was a preseason and training camp standout. But he's played just two offensive snaps this year while stuck behind Gary Barnidge, Rob Housler and Jim Dray on the depth chart.
With Housler on injured reserve, Bibbs could pick up a few snaps here and there on days when he's on the active game-day roster. But Barnidge and Dray haven't given many reasons why they shouldn't be on the field, which means Bibbs' time, should it ever come, will be in the future.
The other is offensive lineman Darrian Miller, whom the Browns activated from the practice squad on Tuesday. Miller has spent the entire season on the practice squad and is likely being activated now because guard Joel Bitonio won't be playing against Pittsburgh in Week 10, meaning the Browns needed more depth on the line.
Miller's fate hinges on fellow rookie Cameron Erving. If Erving struggles in place of Bitonio, Miller could see a few snaps. But once Bitonio returns, he'll likely be cut and then re-signed to Cleveland's practice squad.
The Injured
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The Browns have a trio of walking-wounded rookies, two of whom could be poised to make their regular-season debuts sometime soon.
Cornerback Charles Gaines, drafted in Round 6, was the Browns' injured reserve-recall player this year, having suffered a hamstring injury that ended what was a very promising preseason campaign. He's been activated to the 53-man roster and could see playing time as early as this Sunday.
Tight end Randall Telfer, who came into the NFL with a foot injury, is still not on the Browns' 53-man roster. He remains on the reserve/non-football injury list. However, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reported Tuesday that Telfer practiced for the first time, which means he's inching ever closer to being activated.
Meanwhile, seventh-round pick, cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is essentially getting a redshirt year after suffering a devastating knee injury while his Oregon Ducks were preparing for the College Football Playoffs. At some point, he should land on injured reserve with the hope being he can be healthy enough for the Browns to see what they have in Ekpre-Olomu next year.
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