Is Greedy Williams the CB2?
By: Michael Welsh
With the NFL Draft over and Free Agency remaining very quiet, we’re getting to a point where teams will focus on the players on their roster and the decisions to be made. The Cleveland Browns made several great moves this off-season, and that means the pressure is on for a few players to prove they should be on the team. There will be tough choices to be made from GM Andrew Berry and challenging hills to climb for a few players that have been with the team for a few years. Let’s check out the players with the most to prove in OTA’s and Training Camp.
Greedy Williams – CB
It wasn’t long ago that Greedy Williams was the starter alongside Denzel Ward in the secondary. He had impressive flashes in his 2019 rookie season and also showed plenty of areas to improve on. Either way, the future seemed bright for the LSU product. Unfortunately, Greedy began dealing with a nerve issue in his shoulder before the 2020 season started and he didn’t play one snap. It quickly became concerning because nerve damage is something that can stick around forever, so many wondered if Williams would even play again. Earlier this year, he took to Twitter to announce he was coming back. As exciting as this is for him, the Browns have a stacked secondary after drafting Greg Newsome out of Northwestern and signing Troy Hill from the Los Angeles Rams. All of the sudden, Greedy will have to work even harder to prove he still has the talent to make the roster. He hasn’t played football in a long time, so hopefully he hasn’t lost a step. You can never have too many cornerbacks, so at least he has that in his favor.
Jordan Elliot – DT
One room that has gotten crowded fast for the Browns is the defensive line room. Jordan Elliot was drafted by Andrew Berry in the 3rd round of the 2020 draft and he saw some rotational playing time last season. He finished with 12 tackles, 1 forced fumble and a 55.3 Pro Football Focus grade. There were several moments where he looked like a first string player, but he still has an uphill battle to make the roster and earn playing time in 2021. Cleveland drafted Tommy Togiai out of Ohio State in the 4th round, signed Malik Jackson, and they have Andrew Billings coming back after opting out in 2020. In addition to them, veterans Sheldon Day and Damion Square will be competing for roster spots. Things will be interesting with Jordan Elliot and the defensive line room.
The Browns had arguably the best offensive line in football last season. The starters are set for years to come, but that doesn’t mean depth isn’t needed. Drew Forbes was drafted by John Dorsey in the 6th round of the 2019 draft out of Southeast Missouri State. He hasn’t seen any playing time, but at one time there were rumblings of him having tremendous upside at the pro level after a few years of development. Forbes chose to opt out of the 2020 season, so making the roster in 2021 is going to be very challenging. The Browns have since drafted James Hudson and Nick Harris, both of which can play all over the offensive line. They also brought in Blake Hance who came up clutch in the playoffs against the Steelers, as well as Michael Dunn. Forbes will have his work cut out for him if he wants to wear the brown and orange in 2021.
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