Browns bolster secondary with Hill

It was blatantly obvious where the Browns needed to improve most after the 2020 season, and so far during free agency 2021 director of football operations Andrew Berry has been all about defense, defense, defense.

After signing safety John Johnson on March 15 and defensive end Takkarist McKinley on March 16, Berry on March 18 signed cornerback Troy Hill to a four-year, $24 million contract.

Hill, 29 years old, was the starting left cornerback - the position Denzel Ward plays for the Browns - for all 16 games in 2020. Hill intercepted three passes and returned two of them for touchdowns. His two TDs and 119 return yardage on the three picks both led the NFL. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown.

Hill could replace Kevin Johnson as the nickel back (Johnson signed with the Titans on March 18) or replace 2019 top draft pick Greedy Williams as the starting right cornerback. Williams suffered nerve damage in his shoulder in a 2020 training injury and still isn’t 100 percent. Plus, Ward has missed 11 games because of injury over three seasons.

Hill is a poster boy for what perseverance can achieve. He caught on with the Bengals as an undrafted rookie out of Oregon in 2015. The Bengals waived him on Christmas Eve that year. The Patriots claimed him on Christmas Day and waived him just five days later.

Hill played for the

Rams from 2016-2020. He did not become a fulltime starter until last season when he and Johnson helped the Rams become the No. 1 defense and toprated pass defense in the NFL.

Staying with the goal to improve the defense, the Browns officially announced re-signing linebacker Malcolm Smith to a one-year contract. Smith was second on the Browns with 72 tackles. B.J. Goodson led the team with 91.

Smith believes the Browns defense has a bright future. Joe Woods will be in his second season as defensive coordinator. Adding Johnson, Hill and McKinley help the cause.

“I’ve played for a while,” Smith said in a Zoom call while sitting in his car in front of his home in Los Angeles.. “The difference in talent is so small across the league. It’s usually not talent. I say it all the time and people probably get bored hearing it, but it’s definitely just dedication to the game and understanding your technique and the way you’re supposed to play the game.

“I feel like that’s where we’ll make our biggest improvements is technique on defense, situational awareness, knowing when to take your chances and knowing when to be a little bit more conservative in general. I feel like we have the guys to do that, and we’ll see what happens in the next few days and over the course of the draft and see what comes out of it.”

The 31 touchdowns allowed by the Browns were eighth most in the NFL last year. The Titans (36) are the only team that allowed more and qualified for the playoffs.