Most Browns fans woke up on April Fool’s Day to a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport stating the team will release projected starting strong safety Derrick Kindred. The Browns apparently found no trade takers for the fourth-year veteran and will part ways with Kindred soon.
What does moving on from Kindred mean for the Browns?
First off, it leaves a hole at safety. After trading Jabrill Peppers away in the deal that brought Odell Beckham Jr. to Cleveland and now parting ways with his presumptive successor, there is a big hole opposite Damarious Randall at safety.
The only safeties on the roster besides Randall, who played great in his first year as the coverage-oriented safety, are Jermaine Whitehead and Tigie Sankoh. Remember, the team did not offer restricted free agent Briean Boddy-Calhoun a new contract (he’s now in Houston). Whitehead played briefly on special teams after being claimed off waivers from Green Bay. Sankoh is part of the NFL’s international development program, an Englishman still trying to acclimate to the speed of playing with Americans.
Don’t presume the next player added at safety will be like Kindred or Peppers, however. New defensive coordinator Steve Wilks comes from a defensive system (his days in Carolina) which used safeties more interchangeably than having designated “strong” and “free” players.
Randall has proven his positional versatility. He started at cornerback for the Packers, after all. The 2018 Pro Bowl snub is more coverage-oriented but isn’t lost as a tackler. Adding another player who can play as a safety, not strictly a strong safety, makes a lot of sense.
Tre Boston makes a lot of sense. I wrote about his potential fit and his experience playing under Wilks in both Carolina and Arizona a couple weeks ago. He’s a perfect replacement for Kindred (and Peppers) if the price is right.
Earl Thomas can also fill the hole. The longtime Chiefs Pro Bowler has obvious ties to GM John Dorsey. Alas, he also has played just three games since 2016 and left two of those early with injuries. Thomas would be worthwhile, but would also require a legit insurance policy.
There is some potential to move a current cornerback like T.J. Carrie to safety. Filling one hole by creating another isn’t typically something NFL teams like to do, however. Now if the Browns go out and ink another cornerback, Carrie could capably fill the Boddy-Calhoun role of third safety and hybrid DB. Asking him to reliably start with Randall is probably being too optimistic for a player of Carrie’s size and talents.
Safety now moves up the draft need ladder, too. Even if the team signs Boston or Thomas or someone else who can start right away, the depth needs replenishing. And if the team doesn’t sign anyone between now and the draft, expect safety to be a top priority with the team’s first pick, No. 49 overall in the second round.
Some draft options include Delaware’s Nassir Adderly, Juan Thornhill from Virginia and Maryland’s Darnell Savage. All could be there when the Browns make their first pick.
