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Browns building strong foundation along defensive line

Through free agency and a trade, the Cleveland Browns have built up their foundation along the defensive line.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are trying to build a strong foundation in the trenches, and they made a sizeable commitment to the defensive line through a free-agent signing and trade on the first day of the new league year last week.

General manager John Dorsey facilitated a trade with the New York Giants that landed the Browns pass-rush specialist Olivier Vernon, and then, signed stout defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to a three-year deal worth a reported $39 million.

“We stress the importance of the foundation,” Dorsey said in a conference call with the Cleveland media last week.

“The foundation for a football team is offensive and defensive line. You can’t have enough talented football players on your team, especially on the defensive line. Having the ability to acquire these types of players will help us be a better defense moving forward.”

Credit: AP
Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson during an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018 in Foxborough, Mass. (Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini)

In his six-year career, including four with the New York Jets and one each with the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings, Richardson played in 89 games and started 87 of those contests at defensive tackle, defensive end, three-technique or linebacker.

A one-time Pro Bowler, Richardson registered 333 total tackles, including 195 solo stops and 138 assists. Of those tackles, 49 went for lost yardage, and he had 76 hits on the quarterback. Also, Richardson recovered five fumbles and collected 23.5 sacks.

“I think Sheldon is a really fine football player, especially from the interior part of the line,” Dorsey said. “I think in today’s football, if you can have an interior defensive lineman who can apply pressure on the quarterback, that is all you can ask for. That is the way the game is kind of going.”

Credit: AP
Miami Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon (50) sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Over 103 games in seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins and Giants, the 6-foot-2, 270-pound Vernon registered 326 total tackles, including 232 solo stops and 94 assists, with 51.0 sacks, two passes defended and one interception.

Vernon registered at least 6.5 sacks in each of the last six seasons.

Vernon figures to transition back to defensive end after spending last season as an outside linebacker for the Giants, and will be a bookend pass rusher with standout third-year player Myles Garrett.

Credit: David Richard
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) rushes against Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Jake Matthews (70) in the second half of a game at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland on Sunday, November 11, 2018.

Fully healthy coming into the 2018 season, Garrett emerged as a leader for the Browns’ defense and registered 44 total tackles, including 35 solo stops, while playing in all 16 games for the team who selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Of those 44 tackles, 13.5 were sacks on opposing quarterbacks for 75.5 lost yards and finished the year with the fourth-most sacks in a single season in franchise history.

With 20.5 career sacks, Garrett registered the most by a Brown in his first 27 games, as well as the most by a defender in his first two professional seasons. This past year, Garrett ranked sixth in the NFL with the 13.5 sacks and fourth in the AFC with four forced fumbles.

“What you are attempting to do here is increase your pass rush,” Dorsey said.

“I think that helps us get a little bit better on the defensive line. You combine that with Larry (Ogunjobi) and Emmanuel (Ogbah), and then, you know what? You have a pretty good defensive line and you can start to develop a pretty good pass rush.”

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