The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Team expects a lot from Andrew Billings
Defensive tackle joins team after opting out of 2020 season
The defensive lineman sat out last season for COVID health concerns, but brings brute strength to D-Line.
Browns defensive tackle Andrew Billings dead-lifted 705 pounds, squatted 805 pounds and bench-pressed 500 pounds.
In high school eight years ago.
How much Billings could lift now after three years of college football at Baylor and four more with the Cincinnati Bengals he won’t say because he no longer lifts competitively. Suffice it to say when push comes to shove on Sundays, the Browns are counting on Billings doing most of the pushing during battles in the trenches.
“First of all, he’s the strongest guy I’ve ever seen — state high school (powerlifting) champion (in Texas),” defensive line coach Chris Kiffin said. “He lifts up our sled — it’s like 2,000 pounds.
“He lost 20 pounds this offseason, got down to the range we wanted him at and he’s working his tail off. He missed a lot last year. He told us he missed being out there with the guys, and he’s excited to be back. We’ll see what we get when we get rolling, but we’re excited about him.”
Billings, 26, is 6-foot-1, 328 pounds. He signed a one-year contract for $3.5 million with the Browns last year.
But he opted out of 2020 because he has had asthma all his life and did not want to put himself at risk while the novel coronavirus was raging. His contract carries over to this season.
Malik Jackson and Billings are projected to be the starting defensive tackles, bookended by Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, when the regular season begins Sept. 12 against the Chiefs in Kansas City.
“(Billings) is a big man,” Coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s moving people in the run game. Can defeat double teams. He has a great motor. He goes sideline to sideline and is a big man running. He’s not the loudest guy, but he brings an understated toughness to that group.”
Billings had no second thoughts about opting out last season. Teammates have no problem with his decision, either. He said he is comfortable playing in 2021 because he is fully vaccinated.
The only regret Billings had was missing out on the two postseason games the Browns played — the 48-37 victory over the Steelers in a wild-card game and the 22-17 loss to the Chiefs in the divisional round. The Bengals did not make the playoffs in the three seasons Billings played in Cincinnati. He missed his 2016 rookie season with a knee injury when the Bengals finished 6-9-1 and out of the playoffs
“Coming from a team that I never saw in the playoffs, then my first year supposed to be with a team that goes to the playoffs, I felt like I missed out on a career opportunity,” Billings said. “But we’re ready to get back to the playoffs again. Everybody’s working hard out here. The team, it’s a good atmosphere.”
Billings’ worth won’t be measured in sacks or tackles this season. It goes back to him being so strong. Opposing quarterbacks will be trapped if he and Jackson win their interior battles.
“Guys like Clowney and Myles, us pushing the pocket, getting pressure in there, so the quarterbacks can’t step up — if we do our job, it should increase their sacks and also help us out when the quarterback does step up, steps into our arms,” Billings said. “So definitely we help them out, complement them.”
Billings had 3.5 total sacks in his time with the Bengals. He started 16 games in 2018 and totaled 32 tackles. He had 35 tackles in 2019 in 16 games with 14 starts.
Notes
Defensive end Takkarist McKinley is absent for personal reasons. Coach Kevin Stefanski would not speculate on when McKinley will return. … The Browns practiced without pads on Aug. 7. The practice starting at noon Aug. 8 at FirstEnergy Stadium will be in pads and scheduled to last two hours. … Cornerback Denzel Ward and right tackle Jack Conklin were rested. Linebacker Tony Fields II (foot), safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. (hamstring), wide receiver Alexander Hollins (hamstring), linebacker Montrel Meander (hamstring), safety Sheldrick Redwine (ankle), wide receiver Anthony Schwartz (hamstring) and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (knee) did not practice.