Fitzpatrick could play at CB or free safety, Browns say
The Browns believe Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick can play cornerback or free safety in the NFL, and general manager John Dorsey said he doesn’t believe they need to settle on one position or the other before the draft begins April 26.
Fitzpatrick is a popular pick among draft analysts to be selected by the Browns with their second first-round choice, No. 4 overall.
“He’s a very talented player, and I think he is one of those guys that maybe he could actually play corner, maybe he could play safety,” Dorsey said Thursday during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. “I think you want to watch him move around amongst his peers this weekend, see how he moves and turns and twists. I know he’s a really good football player, and whoever gets him is going to be very lucky.”
But prior to the draft, do the Browns need to know where they would play Fitzpatrick?
“No, because he’s a good football player,” Dorsey said.
The Browns need help on the outside at cornerback and in the back end at free safety, but Fitzpatrick is a projection at both spots because he moved around so much for Alabama.
According to ProFootball Focus.com, he played 752 snaps last season — 481 at slot corner (64 percent), 204 at linebacker (27 percent), 31 at free safety (4 percent), 23 at strong safety (3 percent) and 13 at outside corner (2 percent). In his other two seasons at Alabama, he played just 87 (2016) and 21 (2015) snaps at outside corner, per PFF.
“When you put him in your system, let’s see where the best fit is for him within your system,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said Wednesday. “But he’s a very talented player. There’s no question that he can play both [cornerback and free safety].
“Let’s see where this all goes. And if he’s a Cleveland Brown, believe me, we’ll have the right spot for him to play for us.”
Contract talk
Dorsey was asked if he knows what he wants to do with the fifth-year option on the rookie contract of defensive tackle Danny Shelton.
“Actually, we were just talking to his agent this morning earlier,” Dorsey replied, “so we’ll see what happens.”
To exercise Shelton’s fifthyear option, the Browns must give him written notice prior to May 3.
Shelton, the 12th overall pick in 2015, is under contract through next season. If the Browns pick up the option, he would be scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019 season.
Worth developing
The day after the 2017 season finale, Jackson made it clear the Browns planned to keep quarterback DeShone Kizer as a developmental player, even though they’re intent on adding a veteran and a draft pick to the position this offseason.
Dorsey indicated he isn’t ready to give up on Kizer.
“I had the good luck of being there for [the final] four weeks [of the season] really just to observe and watch things unfold, and what I thought was really nice was how much he improved week in and week out,” Dorsey said. “And like I’ve always told you guys, I think a young quarterback from year one going through his rookie year, into year two, he makes exponential improvement moving forward, and I would expect nothing less from him.”