Out of the Woods

Last season, the most verbally abused member of the Browns did not wear a uniform. That abuse came from the fans. It was reserved the entire season for defensive coordinator Joe Woods.

Yes, the Browns made the playoffs for the first time since 2002. But, said the fans, it wasn't because of Woods' contributions to the cause. Far from it, in fact. 

What stood out most about last season was how the Browns won games. They did so by bludgeoning opponents. They scored 34 or more points in six of their 11 regular-season victories and another 42 in a loss. It took 48 points to knock off Pittsburgh in the playoffs.

With Woods' defense underachieving on pretty much a weekly basis, no lead was safe. The offense almost routinely shifted into rescue mode in an effort to insure Kevin Stefanski's rookie season as head coach ended successfully.

To be fair, the beleaguered Woods operated with what amounted to spare parts working on the cheap. Most of the defense was comprised of players who were either on the downside of a career or hadn't started with previous teams. Several played under fiscally restrained one-season, prove-it contracts.

They were thrust into what amounted to an impossible situation. They played up to the level of their talent, which was mediocre at best, dismally predictable at worst. The only members of that sad group who belonged were Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon and Denzel Ward.

Woods had no chance to be successful and bore the brunt of the fans' anger and disgust. A few probably wondered why management chose to retained his services. General Manager Andrew Berry and Stefanski knew they were unfair to Woods from a talent standpoint. 

All that changed when Berry launched a mission to address the situation on that side of the football after successfully correcting the offense last season.  It has taken him just a couple of months to almost totally revamp the defense to the point where last season is just a bad memory.

As a result of his success in free agency, and the selection of cornerback Greg Newsome II and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with his first two picks in the college draft, Woods now has some glossy talent with which to work. It will make his job easier and much more satisfying.

Eleven members of that 2020 defense are gone, replaced by 10 men who did not wear a Cleveland uniform last season and will be significant contributors this season. Each level has been dramatically improved. Its youth, versatility, speed, quickness and much better talent will enable Woods to mix and match much more readily without losing strength. 

It is entirely possible the new Cleveland defense will include at least nine new starters -- Garrett and Ward the only incumbents -- to complement an offense that no longer will be required to pump out points at a feverish pace to win games. From the trenches to the secondary, this is a much, much better defense.

It is assumed -- and I can say this with much more assurance than I ever could last season -- that leads the offense produce this season will be in much safer hands this season. The days of the 42-37 and 49-38 outcomes are over.

No longer will fans have to sit on the edge of their seats wondering how the defense will screw up. Not if . . . how. That's how bad they were. This new group will take the mystery out of the equation and live up to Garrett's recent boast that the Browns' defense this season will be "scary."

And Woods, in all likelihood, will be looked upon differently by the fans now that he has bullets in his proverbial gun and a sizable gun belt.  Berry has now provided him the weapons he needs to gain that trust and prove his appointment as defensive coordinator was not a mistake.