Cleveland Browns: Desmond Bryant Injury Fallout
By Peter Smith
Desmond Bryant’s season ending injury won’t have much of an impact on the standings but it does present multiple problems for the Cleveland Browns roster.
The Cleveland Browns have lost Desmond Bryant for the season with a pectoral tear that occurred in a weight room accident. The injury required surgery with a recovery time estimated at five to six months.
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Bryant was the team’s most productive pass rusher this past year with six sacks. The stat sheet doesn’t do him justice since he was the only player on the Browns defense that could create pressure from the interior with any consistency. Over the past few years, he has been the engine that made the team’s pass rush happen, anemic as it was.
As good as Bryant was as a pass rusher, he was as mediocre as a run defender. Bryant also struggled to stay healthy and was constantly on the injury report with issues that nagged at him. Last year in particular, when Bryant was hurt or tired, the Browns had nothing to play in his place and tried to put John Hughes and Xavier Cooper there. Both were poor fits for the position and it showed.
As big of a loss as Bryant is, the outlook for the Browns’ season is unchanged in terms of wins and losses. They are going to struggle to win games this year. Nevertheless, Bryant’s loss causes issues on a few fronts, not the least of which is the fact they lose a productive player on a team desperate for them.
The next man up to fill the spot currently is Carl Nassib, one of the team’s third-round picks from the 2016 NFL Draft. Nassib is adding weight and changing the role he played in college, so having Bryant there, even with the problems he had, was valuable. There’s little room for error as Nassib has to go right in and play well.
Currently, the only other 5-tech defensive end on the team is undrafted rookie Kyle Rose. Rose came in with a chance to make the final 53 because of his versatility and ability to play, but his chances might have improved with the loss of Bryant.
Additionally, the Browns will obviously be looking outside the organization for additional help. They might be patient and wait for players to get released and scoop up some help that way. They could also try to trade for help to improve the position. If they do opt to make a trade, it is more likely to be a player for player swap or a giving up conditional draft pick, contingent on that player making the final roster.
Bryant’s injury also likely means the end of his tenure as a member of the Cleveland Browns. Although he does provide value, he is scheduled to make $8 million in 2017, the final year of his contract. The Browns might consider restructuring the deal to keep him, but this injury more than likely seals his outright release.
And for Bryant, given the state of the team and the fact he’ll be 31 years old next year, he may be inclined to go elsewhere anyway.
Unless the Browns find a gem somewhere or make an unexpected trade, they will need to address the position next year, regardless of how Nassib performs. In the event Nassib struggles, it will only serve to highlight the problem.
Bryant’s injury could also impact the Browns’ defensive scheme. Even though Ray Horton hates the term ‘hybrid’ as it relates to his defense, he may have to embrace the fact he’ll need to employ it more this year to put the best product on the field, defensively.
Even if Nassib comes out and plays extremely well, they might find themselves shorthanded at the 5-tech position. Last year, the Browns insisted on putting square pegs into round holes and it proved costly. Horton may opt to just utilize more even fronts to bridge the gap.
Normally, they have a 9-tech defensive end, likely Paul Kruger, a 0 true nose in Danny Shelton, a 3-tech in John Hughes and then a 5-tech which would be where Nassib plays with an outside linebacker flanking him. They can move the nose out to a 1-tech in between the guard and center and sub out the 5-tech for another true defensive end.
This would also force them to use a more traditional linebacker roles with a stacked look, having the linebackers behind the defensive ends. Not ideal for what the Browns want to do in the long run, but it might be prudent to put out their most competitive product now.
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Along with this, Armonty Bryant’s career in Cleveland may have found new life. The pass rusher that is set to go on trial for felony drug possession for his Christmas arrest and is slated to miss the first four games of the 2016 season due to a league suspension, is suited to play a traditional defensive end.
Armonty Bryant seemed all but doomed to be cut or traded unless something dramatic happened. Des Bryant’s injury more than qualifies and if the Browns decide to use more even fronts in their scheme, he could step in and contribute in that role along with players like Emmanuel Ogbah.
As much as the Browns may abhor Bryant’s behavior, given this isn’t his first run in with the law since he was drafted in 2013, and might prefer to use it to set an example of what Hue Jackson expects from his players, they may like his talent better than the alternatives they could get outside of the organization. His contract is nothing and it runs out after this season, so they can let him walk and potentially get a compensatory pick out of it if he signs a contact elsewhere in the offseason.
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As bad as the Browns are likely to be in the standings this year, Desmond Bryant’s loss hurts this team. All eyes will be on Nassib with training camp under three weeks away and short of injury, he will get all the reps he can handle as he tries to adjust to the NFL to see if he’s capable of doing the job. Beyond Nassib, the path the Browns choose to take to work around this injury is something worth watching.