The Cleveland Browns defense was the staunchest in the NFL last season and perhaps the least appreciated unit on the squad was the linebacking corps.
Of the three starters in 2023, the only one who remains this year is former second-round pick Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. He is entering the final season of his four-year, $6.5 million rookie deal in 2024, which makes him a prime candidate for an extension in the coming months.
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report on Thursday, January 20, contended that getting a deal done with Owusu-Koramoah should be among Cleveland’s top priorities this summer.
“Owusu-Koramoah is coming off a Pro Bowl campaign in which he proved to be a Swiss Army knife-type player, racking up [2] interceptions, [6] passes defended, 101 total tackles (20 for loss) and 3.5 sacks,” Holder wrote. “While the Notre Dame product has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, he’s a valuable piece of the Browns’ defense and the linebacker corps would be pretty destitute without him. Also, he doesn’t even turn 25 until November.”
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Offers Browns Chance at Continuity in LB Room
Cleveland’s defense led the league in total yards allowed at just 270.2 per contest in 2023. The team is likely to rely heavily on the unit again this upcoming season if it hopes to replicate its trip to the playoffs in January.
While the front office has spent extensively on players like edge rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward, buying itself defensive continuity in the process, that continuity will not be there in the linebacker room outside of Owusu-Koramoah.
Former team captain and last year’s starting middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. departed in free agency for the Miami Dolphins. Last season’s starting strong-side linebacker Sione Takitaki also took off for the AFC East as a new member of the New England Patriots.
Browns Welcome 2 New Faces to Linebacking Corps
The Browns have invested a great deal in the roster they have now, on both sides of the football, in an attempt to open a Super Bowl window that figures to remain ajar for another two or three years with the right bounces.
Final determinations for the 53-man roster and the starting lineup won’t come until late August/early September, though based on ESPN’s depth chart projections, the two linebackers likely to join Owusu-Koramoah on the front line are new additions Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush.
Hicks came over from the Minnesota Vikings on a two-year deal worth $8 million. Bush played last season for the Seattle Seahawks and joined Cleveland on a one-year deal for $1.5 million. The Browns also spent a sixth-round draft pick on linebacker Nathaniel Watson out of Mississippi State in the 2024 draft.
Cleveland’s plug-and-play approach to linebacker will allow the team to get by without spending much on the position in 2024. However, the Browns will likely need to prioritize the spot financially with a sizable deal for Owusu-Koramoah that begins in 2025, lest they risk creating a big hole at the center of the defense.
