Cleveland Browns: Risk vs. Reward on the defensive line

To this point in the season, the Cleveland Browns duo of Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi has been the NFL’s best, but the workload they’re getting is concerning for the long term.

The Cleveland Browns have as talented a pair of defensive linemen as they’ve ever had in team history with Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi. In three games, the pair have combined for 19 solo tackles, seven sacks (77 percent), three tackles for loss, two pass deflections and two forced fumbles.

Also through three games, out of a possible 213 defensive snaps, Garrett has played 206 (96.7 percent) and Ogunjobi has played 197 (92.4 percent). That occurred over a week and a half thanks to a Thursday game. The two of them deserve all the credit in the world for this, but the team should be concerned about this pace over the course of a 16-game schedule.

Clearly, the Browns have a pair of devastatingly impactful defensive linemen. They are the team’s thoroughbreds and it’s completely understandable that they want them to be on the field as much as humanly possible. And the players themselves do too.

Nevertheless, that is a frighteningly high percentage of snaps as well as the overall number and it’s not sustainable. The Browns have showed absolutely no faith in any of their backup defensive linemen with the exception of Chris Smith, who has been filling in for Emmanuel Ogbah while he was dealing with an ankle injury.

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Anthony Zettel, Carl Davis and Chad Thomas have played a combined 43 snaps in three games. Devaroe Lawrence, a player the Browns traded a seventh-round pick for when rosters were being cut down, has yet to be active.

Ogunjobi has been off the field for 16 total plays. The most any depth defensive lineman has played individually is 15. That has to change. At some point, the Browns have to find a way to get these guys a rest or they’re going to run into a wall as the year moves along and when it happens, the Browns defense will be unable to operate.

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There are a couple ways for the Browns to try to accomplish lightening their workload. The first is to find a way to trust their depth on the defensive line. If that means replacing them, so be it. Jamie Meder, for example, is sitting out there if they cannot trust Davis to be a backup nose.

Thomas is a miserably poor football player and doesn’t make the final roster if not for his status as a third round pick. He can’t play dead. Carl Nassib doesn’t suddenly make the Browns into a contender, but he could credibly give someone a blow at either end or the 3-tech.

The second and most attractive option for the Browns is for their offense now under Baker Mayfield to put up points, give the Browns a lead and a cushion that allows Gregg Williams to rest Garrett and Ogunjobi more, saving them for more critical situations in the game. Or in the event the Browns were to — wait for it — blow someone out and they could get part of or maybe even the entire fourth quarter off.

Along with that, an effective offense can also shorten the game. Long, time consuming drives that can give the defense rest can make an enormous difference. Against the New York Jets, the Browns had a 15-play, 75-yard drive that took just under seven minutes off the clock and resulted in a touchdown. Quick, explosive plays and drives are always going to be welcome, but being able to throw in one of these every game is huge.

Last but certainly not least, getting Ogbah back is important. Hopefully completely healthy and trusting his foot to allow him to play at the level he did before it broke last year, that makes the Browns dramatically better up front. It also gives them another player that can play on the edge or slide inside. That would also mean Chris Smith is able to play up and down the line, which could provide an opportunity for Garrett or Ogunjobi a rest.

Long term, as good as the Browns look on the defensive line, they have to make a dramatic investment there. This should only make Garrett and Ogunjobi better and more dangerous, but produce a more sustainable model. 80 percent of defensive snaps as a defensive line is a ton, but that would be a huge improvement over 92.4 percent.

The Browns need a starting, more impactful 3-technique defensive tackle that can be disruptive and rush the passer. They also need more edge depth and at least another one, perhaps two players that are either dedicated defensive tackles or players that can slide inside there to really get the type of defensive line rotation that is necessary to make a run into the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

A lot relies on where Ogbah is and what he can be. If he gets back to the form he had last year where he was the defensive MVP before going out for the year or even make another step forward as a pass rusher, that would give the Browns three studs up front. If he can’t, then that may open up the number of possibilities to how the Browns proceed after the year.

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The other possibility is that the Browns find a defensive end they love, be it in free agency or the draft. They then go to Ogbah and ask him to put on about 15 pounds and slide inside to become a full time defensive tackle. There’s no question he can do it, but he has more value if he can be an impact player on the edge that can also slide inside.

As it currently stands, the Cleveland Browns go as far as Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi take them. No team can afford to lose their stars and make no mistake, these are stars. They’re on pace for a combined 37 sacks this year. But the guys behind them have not even shown they belong on an NFL roster. Even if they stay healthy for the rest of the year, the Browns must find a way to get these guys some rest or they will wear down and the defense will wear down with them.

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