Solid start

All last season, Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods took all kinds of verbal abuse from the fans for the product he put out there on a weekly basis. A lot of it was warranted.

General Manager Andrew Berry didn't help Woods by going cheap and signing way too many defensive free agents on a prove-it basis. Many were on the down side of their careers. And it showed.

If it hadn't been for the Browns' best offense since the last century, there's no telling how terrible the season would have turned out. All that changed Monday with the opening of National Football League free agency.

Berry, who concentrated (quite successfully) last season on improving the offense via free agency with some solid moves, turned his attention to the defense Monday with a ten strike by agreeing to a three-year, $34 million contract with safety John Johnson III.

Johnson, who won't turn 26 until Christmas time, is a four-year veteran with the Los Angeles Rams and the perfect fit for Woods' 4-2-5 base defense, which generally features three safeties. 

With the return of Grant Delpit, who missed his rookie season with a ruptured Achilles, and Ronnie Harrison, who battled through an injury-plagued season, the deep secondary is beginning to look good. With those two back and healthy and Johnson joining them, Woods now has the tools with which to work.

No more Andrew Sendejo or Karl Joseph or Sheldrick Redwine to run out there and cross your fingers. Games and leads that were lost last season will -- or at least should -- become nothing more than bad memories. 

The 6-0, 210-pound Johnson brings to the Browns the same versatility Delpit and Harrison possess, the ability to comfortably play either safety position. The newest Brown is also a dynamic producer with 119 total tackles in 2018 at strong safety and 105 last season at free safety.

He brings to that side of the football two attributes sadly missing last season from safety -- strong pass coverage and even stronger tackling. How many times last season did fans bemoan blown coverages, especially on third and long, and missed tackles. That will rarely happen this season.

It's the overall kind of versatility in the secondary Woods needs to make his unusual scheme work. He didn't have the talent last season. He does now. 

It's now incumbent on Berry to continue filling in the gaps along the defensive line and linebacker -- especially linebacker -- as he attempts to duplicate his strong 2020 performance with the offense in an effort to produce the best and most balanced Browns team in more than a generation.

He's off a pretty good start with Johnson.