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Browns Mailbag

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Browns Mailbag: What will Browns secondary look like in 2016?

On a beautiful Cleveland day for a parade, we're diving deep into the mailbag and passing out answers like candy.

On with the questions!

Is Tramon Williams job safe? Could Justin Gilbert, Pierre Desir or Charles Gaines take over the CB spot opposite of Haden? -- Brian E., Sandusky

There's no official depth chart at the moment and there won't be one for a while. Assuming any of the team's starting jobs outside of a very select few would be premature, especially with a new coaching staff on board and new sets of eyes making decisions at every position group. So that's a long way of saying no one's job, not even the seasoned veterans', is safe.

That said, Williams, at 33, is considered a valuable member of Cleveland's secondary and is coming off a year in which he was one of the defense's most reliable players, especially when Haden was on the field with him. Williams is also very durable, a key strength for a player who has logged double-digit seasons, missing just two games in the last six years. His veteran savvy can't be overlooked, either, in a secondary that skews much younger than in years' past following the departures of Donte Whitner and Tashaun Gipson.

"I think we have some young guys in, young, hungry guys who have done a good job this whole offseason who have come in, putting in the work, learning the defense and doing an excellent job just leading the group," Williams said earlier this month. "It's going to be some young guys who are going to have to step up for us. Those guys are doing an excellent job of leading so far."

It will take an excellent performance by one of them during training camp to dethrone a player such as Williams. Gilbert, a former first-round pick, got off to the right start at Cleveland's offseason workout program but will need to maintain that consistency throughout training camp to earn a role in this group. Desir and Gaines had their ups and downs in 2015 but are certainly in the mix for a spot. And don't forget about Jamar Taylor, whom the Browns acquired in a trade with the Dolphins on Day 3 of the draft

"There's a lot of opportunity for guys, both at the nickel position and the corner position," secondary coach Louie Cioffi said. "You can never have enough corners in this league. This is a passing league. The more guys we have that can compete and be ready to play for us, the better off we will be in the long run."

Who are the frontrunners for our starting safeties? Who has been getting first team reps? -- Brent H., Lombard, Illinois

Based on what we saw at OTAs, Jordan Poyer and Ibraheim Campbell are in a good spot to take over for Whitner and Gipson, but it's very, very early in the process. Their collective familiarity with Cioffi has certainly helped, and both are at a point in their careers where they'd love to seize a bigger role within the defense.

"I have confidence in both of them," Cioffi said. "I was fortunate enough to coach Campbell at the Senior Bowl when he was a rookie so we have some history together. I've also been around Poyer during my last stop here [in 2013]. They've both been in our system before. They've done everything that we have asked them up to this point. I think it is going to be a very good competition moving into camp."

The rookies visit the second week of the Browns' Youth Football Camp at FirstEnergy Stadium.

With RGIII at the helm, will Hue's offense crack the top 20 in total offense this year? -- Nick C., Manhattan, Kansas

That's certainly the goal, no matter who the quarterback is. The Browns want to be dynamic on offense, and that includes a strong running game and a passing game that keeps defenses on their heels.

Here are the rankings of the last four offenses Jackson has directed.

Bengals (2015) - 15th

Bengals (2014) - 15th

Raiders (2011) - 9th

Raiders (2010) - 10th

In Jackson's last season as the Bengals offensive coordinator, the team ranked 7th (26.2 points per game) in scoring offense.

Have you seen if Terrelle Pryor played any tight end? He has the height, little small on weight, but it would be a great mismatch -- Brad H., Brookpark

Pryor has worked exclusively as a wide receiver since he re-joined the Browns in December and there's been no indication that's going to change.

Are all five QBs being taken into the official training camp? If so, why, as that would seem to be hard to give practice time to more than 3? -- Antoine F., San Leandro, California

Barring a transaction in the next month-plus -- and there are many of them in the NFL, despite the relative lag in league news during this stretch -- that's what the Browns are riding with into training camp. And you're right on one part -- it is hard to divide repetitions to five quarterbacks, but the Browns managed it just fine during OTAs and minicamp. Those repetitions certainly weren't equal, but they kept the players fresh and involved.

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