CLEVELAND, Ohio (TheOBR.com) Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
THE DAILY BLOVIATION
Yesterday, I wrote to you about concerns with the Browns linbacker corps, using JOK’s likely exit from pro football and Devin Bush’s impending free agency as reasons to work myself up into my usual lather of worry and paranoia. Today, I’m back with a much clearer-headed (I’m sure) look at the Browns’ other opportunities to improve on defense.
With one of the NFL’s top defenses in 2025 (and likely the worst offense), most of the fascination about the Browns’ upcoming free agency period has been on the offense. It’s assumed that the Browns’ first-round picks will be on the offensive side of the ball, and that the offensive line, in particular, will be a priority during free agency.
Still, there’s work to be done on defense, and with the exit of a very annoyed Jim Schwartz, the focus on the defensive side of the ball will be on continuity and depth.
That need for continuity is emphasized by the team’s approach to Schwartz’s exit. The team’s successful and fiery coordinator had to be replaced, but the team did so with Mike Rutenberg, as backfield guru who brings a lot of the same aggressive Wide 9 approach to the unit. The team then went on a promotion spree, handing out new titles and (one assumes) raises to keep other key members of the defensive staff like Ephraim Banda and Jason Tarver, both of whom interviewed for coordinator jobs here and elsewhere.
As a result, Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger doesn’t anticipate many changes to the defense’s approach. Speaking on NFL Network’s The Insiders, Schwesinger made it crystal clear: “One of the big things for us is we wanted to keep a lot of the scheme the same. So in terms of that, I don’t expect there to be a lot of changes.” That’s smart, given that this defense ranked 4th in total yards allowed (283.6 per game) last season. When you have a formula that works—especially one that just produced the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett and the Defensive Rookie of the Year in Schwesinger—you don’t blow it up. You refine it. Rutenberg might very well bring that refinement, applying his expertise in the pass game alongside a very aggressive front.
Still, there are a couple of areas where the roster needs some work. ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi argues that these areas of need are at cornerback, safety, and the interior defensive line
Let’s start with the cornerback situation, because it’s the most pressing. Remember Week 2 against Baltimore when Denzel Ward missed most of the second half with cramping? The Ravens immediately targeted replacement corner Cam Mitchell, and Lamar Jackson threw three touchdowns when Mitchell was in coverage. That sends a message about cornerback depth. Martin Emerson is a potential answer here, but he’s coming back from an Achilles injury and will be a free agent who, in this NFL’s pass-happy environment, is likely to garner interest if teams are confident he’ll be healthy.
Depth at safety is a similar concern. This could be easily addressed in the draft if the Browns had the luxury of drafting Caleb Downs, but the needs on offense are so acute that the top-flight safety doesn’t seem like an option. Don’t be shocked if the Browns take some action in these areas in free agency, since even with ten picks, there are uncertain answers at Day 2 and Day 3 of the NFL Draft crapshoot.
So, folks, the Browns can’t just focus entirely on offense, as much as they need to, when March 9th rolls around.
Despite my nitpicking (insert frowny face emoji here), the Browns still have plenty of firepower on defense, starting with the aforementioned Myles Garrett, the most talented defensive player in the league, who set a single-season sack record in 2025 and has won Defensive Player of the Year two out of the last three seasons.
Garrett isn’t just thinking of running it back. He’s thinking about immortality. In front of him lies Bruce Smith’s record of 200 career sacks. He’s 30 and has suggested before that he doesn’t want to play until he’s 40, but he also wants that record. To get it, he needs 75 more sacks, which would be 15 per year over the next five years. This seems doable if Garrett stays healthy, and it can front-load this run with another big year in 2026.
Myles also wants a Super Bowl ring, but that seems a distant dream with the Browns’ current state. But anything is possible as the Browns gear up for their inaugural season in the new domed stadium and turn their full attention to fixing the offensive mess. Another couple of draft classes like the one they had in 2025, and anything could be possible, as long as they solve their quarterback problem.
So, that would be quite a career. From top pick in the draft to a sack record, all while wearing a Cleveland Browns uniform, which speaks to a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. Garrett would represent one of the top edge rushers, heck, defensive players of all time. Maybe the best edge rusher ever. Regardless, he’ll be donning that gold jacket in Canton, offering a moment to remember for Browns fans
And, despite all our travails and challenges as Browns fans, we were here to see it. Does that make everything else worth it? That’s for you to decide, but we’re very well watching history in the making. And we’re here for it, and that’s worth cherishing
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
OBR GOODIES
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– How Much Competition Will The Cleveland Browns Face In The Quarterback Market This Offseason – Jack
– Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 02/22/26: Bad Luck Finds the Browns Again – Barry
FROM THE FORUMS
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– LiveWire Thread for 2/22 – Twitter, Video, Articles
– NFL Combine Feb.26 – March 1
THE LIFT
Positive news from the world of sports and beyond…
A risky maneuver could send a spacecraft to interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Here’s the plan – Space.com
When we first heard about this interstellar intruder, currently flying out of our solar system, space fiends couldn’t help but be reminded of the old sci-fi book by Arthur C. Clarke, “Rendezvous with Rama,” about a similarly shaped alien spacecraft. That doesn’t appear to be the case here, but even if it’s just a big rock, it’s worth checking out to see what sort of things are out there in the cosmos. Seemed impossible given we were made aware of it late, and it’s already on its way out of the solar system. Still, some clever humans have come up with a scheme that might just be able to get a spacecraft in its vicinity by 2035. That type of ingenuity (which I generally reserve for scientists and engineers) gives me hope. The world faces a lot of challenges, natural and man-made, but we might just be able to think our way to what seemed at one point to be impossible solutions.
WRAPPING UP
When not worrying about September in February,, Barry McBride is the Publisher and Founder of the OBR and bloviates this nonsense every morning. You can follow him on Twitter @barrymcbride or write him at barry@theobr.com if you are so compelled.
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