Coleman hoping D-line can excel

07.06.2009

When training camp opens August 1, those Browns fans still unfamiliar with Kenyon Coleman should catch up quickly.

He's hard to miss.

Coleman is listed at 6-foot-5, 295, and it's not a stretch to say he looks even bigger. Even in a defensive line crowd that includes the likes of Corey Williams (6-foot-4, 320), Shaun Smith (6-foot-2, 325) and another former Jet-turned-Brown in C.J. Mosley (6-foot-3, 305), Coleman still looks big.

He's not 350-pound Shaun Rogers, but he's done well so far just being Kenyon Coleman -- a smart, strong reliable veteran who's about to embark on his eighth professional season with his fourth team; an ideal fit as a 3-4 end; and a guy who led all NFL defensive linemen in tackles two seasons ago, his first with Eric Mangini and the Jets.

He was brought here in a draft-day trade to use that muscle to help boost the Browns' run defense. The Browns acquired Coleman, Abram Elam and Brett Ratliff from the Jets in what became the first of three trades that resulted in the Browns moving down to No. 21 overall and selecting Alex Mack.

With the Browns playing in the always-brutal AFC North and set to face reigning rushing champion Adrian Peterson and the Vikings in Week One -- plus eight of last year's top 25 rushers over the course of the season -- playing solid run defense will be a top priority.

The Browns have ranked in the NFL's bottom five in rushing yards allowed per game in each of the last five seasons, and it's no coincidence that all but one of those seasons ended in a losing record. It's also no coincidence that Mangini made sure Coleman was included in that draft-day trade.

After making the trade, Mangini called Coleman "an unbelievable person who adds real stoutness in the run game." And from the first day he arrived, Coleman was able to tell the other defensive linemen exactly what Mangini wants from his players.

"It all starts with the players," Coleman said. "He wants players that aren't just good talent-wise but also understand football, how to break down film, how to understand the other teams' tendencies. With Eric, you're going to learn something every week.

"I'm glad to be here. I was excited, obviously, that Eric wanted me and went after me. I'm glad to be here, and I'm ready to get it going."

A fifth-round pick of the Raiders in 2002, Coleman played just one game in Oakland but spent the next three seasons with the Cowboys after being traded to Dallas in the 2003 preseason. With the Cowboys, his first career sack resulted in a safety and he played his only postseason game, recording 4 tackles.

He signed with the Jets in March 2007 and made 12 tackles in his first game there. He finished the season with 90 tackles, and he started 29 of 32 games in his two seasons there.

Though Coleman turned 30 in the spring, he said he's still learning and improving. With the talent and experience on the Browns' defensive line, it's an area that could prove to be a strength of the team -- but only if, Coleman said, the entire group takes the challenge and the players push each other to keep improving.

"I've had a lot of great coaches with great experience," he said. "I've learned a lot of different philosophies, different techniques. Even things I learned in my rookie year I'm still working on.

"I guess I'm known as a run stopper but I'm working on that, too, going into my eighth year and just working on my craft, working on my run defense and my pass rush. This is a good group. I think we complement each other well and we'll make each other better at every aspect.

"I don't label myself as anything but a football player. I'm just a guy that likes to compete, likes to work hard and is glad to be a Cleveland Brown."