Impressive finish

Like a strong thoroughbred, Andrew Berry turned it on in the stretch and came thisclose to emerging a solid winner in the free-agent frenzy this season.

The Browns' general manager still has some work to do to complete his goal of totally rejiggering the personnel on defense and thus produce the best balanced Browns team in at least a generation.

In agreeing to contract terms with former Indianapolis inside linebacker Anthony Walker Friday in what amounts to a prove-it incentive-laden one-year contract, Berry that quickly upgraded the run defense with the smarter, quicker, much more aggressive replacement for B.J. Goodson

Walker is a three-down linebacker in the mold of Joe Schobert, only better. His downhill style has helped him become a tackling machine the last three seasons (107 a season) after his quiet rookie season with the Colts.

The newest Brown also brings a strong, commanding presence to the Cleveland locker room. "He's a great leader and he's going to lead your defense to be great," Colts All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard tweeted Brsowns fans.  "I will truly miss him. I give him a lot of credit for my success. I wouldn't be me without him."

Walker also impressed Kevin Stefanski. "This is a guy who plays hard, plays fast and plays nasty," the Browns head coach said of the Northwestern alumnus. "He can be a quarterback for the defense. Really intelligent, heady player."

Leonard's strong testimonial tells Browns fans all they need to know about the newest member of the defense. And they don't have to worry about him not living up to the advance billing. He's the kind of playmaking linebacker whose connection between the line and secondary promises to pay handsome dividends.

In Walker, safety John Johnson III and slot cornerback Troy Hill, Berry has now toughened the most vulnerable part of the defense -- the back seven -- to the point where it will take pressure off the offense to flat outscore the opposition.

Walker's arrival puts a huge Band-Aid on a defensive backfield that failed time and again last season to make plays at critical junctures. It finally gives defensive coordinator Joe Woods the kind of talent that should enable him to open the playbook wide and become more creative. He was limited last season with inferior talent.

Because of possible injury problems lingering in the secondary, Berry likely will continue to add depth to that room with second- or third-tier talent. Ditto at linebacker with the signing of Walker and the resigning of returning veteran Malcolm Smith making it less critical.

Berry can now concentrate on getting Myles Garrett some help along the defensive line, especially on the edge. That's where it all starts on that side of the football and where turnovers are born. A so-so or weak pass rush is asking for trouble and makes it that much more difficult for the back seven. 

Signing defensive end Takkarist McKinley on day two of free agency, is a meh move. Even McKinley realizes it's time to step up after four below-average seasons. "This league is not promised," he said via Zoom with the Cleveland media. "I feel like I'm at the point of my career where if I want to be in this league, I need to start acting like it."

It is entirely possible McKinley's production will be limited if Berry successfully brings on board, either by trade or through the college draft, at least two quality defensive linemen (an edge presence and tackle), limiting his contributions to strictly sub packages.

By and large, though, a job well done by Berry considering some of the financial constraints with which he had to work.