Schwartz helps revamp Browns’ new style of ‘D’
Juan Thornhill walked into the Browns’ facility last Friday for the first time. Part of the safety’s visit involved spending time with his new defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz.
It wasn’t a lengthy visit. However, it was more than enough to make an impact.
“We was up there talking, I would say maybe like 30, 45 minutes, something like that, but he got me pumped up,” Thornhill said. “That’s all I can say, already, just talking a little bit about football, the scheme, how he see me in the defense. He got me ready to go for sure.”
That has been the way many players have talked about Schwartz. Linebacker Jacob Phillips, for instance, called his new coordinator a “super cool dude” who was “super easy to talk to.”
“Super excited,” Phillips said. “Obviously he has a resume and, you know, you see the players that he’s been able to coach over this time and super excited for it. Super excited to learn, super excited to be around him and the depth of his knowledge . ... Can’t wait ‘til football rolls back around.”
Schwartz’s biggest impact came last week. There is no question he had an incredible amount of input on the team’s wish list going into free agency.
General manager Andrew Berry himself acknowledged a certain deference to Schwartz in terms of what he wants in defenders, especially along the line of scrimmage.
“He’ll talk about being an attackstyle front,” Berry said. “So guys that really do get up the field, penetrate, really use either quickness or power to create disruption behind the line of scrimmage ... that’s the general picture that you’ll get from our defense.”
That’s the general picture you got from the Browns’ free-agent signings over the last week.
Defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst Jr. and Trysten
Hill, as well as edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo all meet that description. That’s part of the draw they had to Cleveland.
“It’s super exciting,” Tomlinson said. “Space on the inside, it’s hard to come by these days. So the more space you can have is also amazing. It just gives you that much more room to attack the offensive line.”
There remain moves for the Browns to make. They still need help at linebacker, even after re-signing Sione Takitaki and Jordan Kunaszyk, and a team can never have enough defensive line help.
Whomever the Browns get to help fill those holes, they’re going to come with Schwartz’s seal of approval. And, judging by the players who have already crossed paths with him, they will give their own seal of approval to him.
“Like I said with Coach Schwartz, he drew up a couple plays on the board, and I just like what he was drawing up,” Thornhill said. “But I can see me stepping in and playing a big role and helping this team tremendously and making a lot of plays for this team as well.”