BEREA, Ohio \u2014 The sight of Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah walking into the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in great spirits on the first day of the Browns offseason program April 22 lifted the entire organization and provided hope for his return to the field. <\/p>\n
But the Browns quickly pumped the brakes on expectations, with GM Andrew Berry reiterating during draft weekend that Owusu-Koramoah\u2019s timeline is \u201cnebulous\u201d and making no promises he\u2019ll be able to play this season after suffering the scary neck injury in a violent collision with bruising Ravens running back Derrick Henry on Oct. 27 at Huntington Bank Field. <\/p>\n
The sobering truth is, the Browns have no idea if Owusu-Koramoah, their second-round pick in 2021 out of Notre Dame, will play this season, or at all. The neck was so compressed and the injury so severe that Owusu-Koramoah will likely have to weigh the pros and cons of playing again even if he gets the green light from the doctors. <\/p>\n
\u201cGreat to have Jeremiah back in the building,\u201d Kevin Stefanski said during the offseason program kickoff press conference last month. \u201cObviously, he\u2019s been here in and out of the building throughout the offseason. Great energy. He\u2019s always the same person every single day at every single hour of the day, but fun to have him around.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for whether or not his arrival on the first day bodes well for the season, Stefanski said, \u201cwe\u2019re so day-to-day with any injury, and in particular, we\u2019ll continue to treat his injury and listen to what he says and what the doctors say.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Browns have been primarily concerned with Owusu-Koramoah\u2019s health and wellbeing, but from a football standpoint, they\u2019ll potentially be without one of the premier off-ball linebackers in the NFL, and one for whom the arrow was pointing up. The lights had come on for Owusu-Koramoah over the past two seasons, and he was becoming the dominant force the Browns believed he\u2019d be when they traded up to No. 52 in 2021 to draft him. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s where second-round pick Carson Schwesinger, the No. 33 pick out of UCLA, comes in. The Browns didn\u2019t draft Schwesinger because of Owusu-Koramoah\u2019s injury, but he\u2019ll certainly ease the loss of shifty, rangy, impact player. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou guys know our history here is we haven\u2019t necessarily invested a ton of resources in the off-the-ball linebacker room with really Jeremiah being the notable exception in 2021,\u201d Berry said on Day 2 of the draft. \u201cWe felt like Carson was a pretty unique player at the position. Fast, athletic, really good in the passing game, he can blitz and he\u2019s super smart and aggressive. We felt like he was really another modern-day archetype at the position, and we really felt like he could really elevate that position room if we can get him to his potential at maturity. We\u2019re really excited to add him to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Browns are so enthused about Schwesinger that they passed on opportunities to trade down from No. 33 and went back-to-back defense after taking Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5 following the blockbuster trade with Jacksonville down from No. 2. <\/p>\n
The Schwesinger pick raised some eyebrows from NFL analysts, especially with the Browns needing to revive their points-challenged offense. But they jumped at the chance to grab him with the first pick of the second round, believing he\u2019d be gone soon after. They were so sure about him that they secured him at 33 instead of 36, one of the three picks they received in their haul from the Jaguars. But the eyebrows relaxed when they used 36 on Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins, who will help transform the running game, along with fourth-round pick Dylan Sampson out of Tennessee, also a pick from that Jaguars bonanza. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou talk about a guy who was a walk-on, and not only a walk-on, but really a one-year starter, started three games into the season and just took off,\u201d Browns assistant general manager Glenn Cook said on Day 2. \u201cAnd extremely productive, extremely smart, very versatile, kind of fits exactly the identity we want on defense. So, for us it was really about maximizing these picks. You guys know Andrew. He\u2019s going to take calls. There are opportunities on the table, but we felt like it was best to sit.\u201d <\/p>\n
Berry was quick to point out that Schwesinger\u2019s acquisition doesn\u2019t portend a lost season for Owusu-Koramoah. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat did not drive the decision for Carson,\u201d Berry said. \u201cI want to be clear there,\u201d adding that Schwesinger would\u2019ve \u201cabsolutely\u201d been in play there had Owusu-Koramoah been healthy. <\/p>\n
But he did acknowledge that Schwesinger, the No. 2-ranked linebacker in the class according to noted draft expert Dane Brugler of The Athletic, has a superpower like Owusu-Koramoah did. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing for us is, guys at the off-the-ball linebacker position, for us to maybe go outside of the norm, we have to project them to be able to do something special or well above average in the passing game,\u201d Berry said. \u201cAnd for Jeremiah. that was really his ability as a blitzer. He was a great run defender because he can make plays behind the line of scrimmage and everything, but he was really special \u2013 or is really special, I should say, as a blitzer. <\/p>\n
\u201cWith Carson, his profile is maybe a little bit different in the fact that he\u2019s shown himself to be a really strong coverage player. Whether man or zone, he very much, like Jeremiah, he\u2019s very good in the run game, very instinctive, a surefire tackler. But when we look at that position and if we\u2019re going to invest significant resources, it\u2019s, \u2018hey, can this player contribute above and beyond on third down?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Cook noted that Schwesinger, a bioengineering major with an exceptionally high football IQ, has \u201cgreen dot\u201d potential as the defensive signal-caller, and that it will be up to defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and linebackers coach Jason Tarver on how to best use him. <\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, we still have Jordan (Hicks), who\u2019s a strong vet for our team, a really great leader. So really, it\u2019s about getting the best combo out there. So, if it\u2019s him playing SAM, WILL, you know, coming in at nickel, whatever we need him to do. You know, he\u2019s got a ton of versatility. That\u2019s probably what excited us about him so that\u2019s probably how we\u2019ll approach him.\u201d<\/p>\n
With only nine full starts under his belt, the Browns can\u2019t wait to see what Schwesinger can do with some pro coaching and a full-time commitment to the gig. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe was just so productive even in his (limited) opportunities,\u201d Cook said. \u201cThere\u2019s potentially even more meat on the bone in terms of his development. We\u2019re excited about that. He\u2019s 22 years old. He\u2019s probably got some room to grow, and there\u2019s obviously still things he can improve at, but ultimately what he did show made us really excited about what he could do for our defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
A no-star recruit coming out of Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, Ca., Schwesinger went unranked by the online recruiting services in 2021 and didn\u2019t receive his first scholarship offer \u2014 only partial \u2014 from FCS Bucknell until midway through his senior season. He opted to accept a walk-on opportunity with Chip Kelly at UCLA. Impressive in practices in 2021, he earned time on the special teams scout team, and was put on full scholarship in 2022. An eight-time Honor Roll member, he\u2019s graduating this spring. <\/p>\n
\u201cI have to start with Carson\u2019s journey off the field, because [it\u2019s] such an impressive journey,\u201d Browns assistant GM Catherine Hickman said on draft weekend. \u201cA walk-on, that mentality, what he\u2019s going to bring to our program, from a work ethic and leadership standpoint, he\u2019s invaluable. On the field, you\u2019re thinking of a very versatile, athletic, instinctive player with good feel. And that\u2019s something that Jim and Coach Tarv (Jason Tarver) put premium on when it comes to versatility. It gives them pieces to interchange and attack offenses differently. So I think that\u2019s what he\u2019s going to bring. Extremely productive in his last year and also a very productive special teams player in his first two years as well. So really just extremely excited to bring a young man like Carson into our program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schwesinger exemplifies the Browns\u2019 desired profile of smart, tough, accountable players. It runs through the entire rookie class, from Mason Graham at No. 5, to Shedeur Sanders at No. 144. <\/p>\n
\u201cI like to say we\u2019re building a team,\u201d Hickman said. \u201cWe\u2019re not just acquiring talent. The culture that we\u2019re trying to build, the type of people we\u2019re trying to bring here is really important. We want to play tough and competitive. We want to work hard. That\u2019s what we\u2019re about. You have to be physical and tough to play in this division. So bringing guys here that can play that brand of football is really important to us and so far the guys we brought are embodying this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schwesinger, who\u2019s ready for any role the Browns give him, won\u2019t forget what landed him here in the first place. <\/p>\n
\u201cRegardless of the walk-on, that chip on that shoulder has been something that\u2019s been there since I was born,\u201d he said on draft day. \u201cEven going against my older brother (E.J) growing up, that competitive nature, but definitely in college, it helped shape me. It gave me the work ethic that I needed. And the chip on the shoulder, once you have it, it\u2019s never going to leave. So, it\u2019s going to be something that continues to drive me throughout my NFL career and I\u2019m ready for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
And along the way, he\u2019ll also have a Pro Bowl linebacker to learn from in Owusu-Koramoah. <\/p>\n