Why D'Qwell Jackson May No Longer Fit the Cleveland Browns' Defense

Much has been made recently of the situation involving the five unsigned restricted free agents of the Cleveland Browns.

Safety Abram Elam, RB Jerome Harrison, FB Lawrence Vickers, and LBs D'Qwell Jackson and Matt Roth were all given a second round tender by Browns management.

The players have until June 15th to sign their tenders. So far none have signed while Jackson Roth and Elam decided to boycott mandatory mini camp.

The three defenders have all been vocal about seeking long term contract extensions and appear poised for a hold out.

Elam and Roth are entering just their second seasons in Cleveland. Jackson, meanwhile, has been a defensive leader for the Browns for the past four years and is the teams leading tackler over that span.

So why do the Browns seem so unwilling to negotiate with D'Qwell Jackson? Simply put, he may no longer seem to be a good fit for the team, making him expendable.

The front office of the Cleveland Browns, led by new team president Mike Holmgren, have made it a priority this off season to upgrade the physicality of the defense.

They made a trade for hard hitters Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong and drafted secondary enforcers T.J. Ward and Larry Asante.

With the CB group of Eric Wright, Sheldon Brown and rookie Joe Haden locking down in pass coverage, it is up to the rest of the defense to create pressure, lay hits and make plays.

Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan likes to use elaborate defensive schemes and bring a pass rush from all positions on the field. This type of defense places an emphasis on the versatility and physicality of defenders.

D'Qwell Jackson simply does not fit the mold of a physical and versatile defender.

Jackson has amassed 407 total tackles in four years, meaning he does know how to get to the football.

However, those tackles are almost always beyond the line of scrimmage and he only has three sacks and one forced fumble in those four years. D'Qwell Jackson may be a solid tackler, but he is not a game changer.

Jackson is not going to put pressure on the quarterback, stuff runners behind the line of scrimmage or make receivers second guess catching a pass over the middle.

Jackson is more often found tackling ball carriers from behind than hitting them head on or knocking them back. He simply doesn't possess the physical presence of an elite inside linebacker.

Premier player such as Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis and Jon Beason bring an intimidation factor to the middle of the defense while Jackson is almost an afterthought.

In 2008, D'Qwell led the NFL in tackles with 154. He also showed the ability to get the defense lined up, make pre-snap adjustments and was expected to be the unquestioned leader of the defense for 2009 and beyond.

However, when Jackson was placed on IR with a shoulder injury in week six, there was no drop off in defensive production as David Bowens moved inside and replaced him as the defensive leader.

Add in the acquisition of Super Bowl champion and eight year veteran Scott Fujita, and suddenly the Browns don't seem to lack experience or leadership at the ILB position.

At 6'0" and 240 lbs, Jackson is undersized to play extensive time at OLB, so he is pretty much confined to the inside where Fujita, Bowens, Jason Trusnik and second year players Kaluka Maiava and David Veikune will all be competing for playing time.

Overall, signing D'Qwell Jackson to a long term deal just doesn't seem like a high priority for the Cleveland Browns. He has not proven to be a player to build the future of a defense around, is not a player who opposing coordinators game plan around, and has done little to prove he cannot be replaced by another player.

A hold out is certainly not going to help Jackson's case any. Coach Mangini has made it clear that he won't tolerate me-first players. With several young, hungry linebackers looking to earn playing time, the best thing Jackson can do is sign his tender and show up to training camp. 

If he wants to be a Cleveland Brown for the long term, D'Qwell Jackson needs to shut up, show up, compete and prove that he belongs, and at this point it is no sure thing that he does.