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Browns Tryout Former Texas Tech Defender Amid Injury Issues

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Getty Images Texas Tech defensive back Thomas Leggett (16) worked out for the Browns.

The Cleveland Browns worked out former Texas Tech safety Thomas Leggett on Thursday, a sign that the team would like to add some depth to the position with some injury issues sprouting up during training camp.

Leggett played in 32 games over his college career with the Red Raiders, notching 88 tackles, six pass breakups and two sacks.

Safeties Ronnie Harrison and Sheldrick Redwine are currently dealing with injuries and have been sidelined for multiple practices. Second-year safety Grant Delpit is coming off a ruptured Achilles and is on a snap count. If the team likes what they see from Leggett, he could get some valuable reps during the preseason.

The Browns also tried out:

  • Corey Taylor, RB
  • Ryan Willis, QB
  • Marlon Williams, WR
  • Ben Putnam, WR

The Browns open preseason play on August 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, so the team still has hope that they can get healthy by then. However, knowing who is available and what they bring to the table is important in case they need to make a move.

Browns Being ‘Extra Cautious’ With Ronnie Harrison

Harrison is penciled into the starting strong safety spot for the Browns alongside John Johnson III and has been impressive early on in camp after starting seven games last season. He notched 38 tackles and an interception he returned for a touchdown.

The Browns are not pushing Harrison to get back on the field and will be “extra cautious” with the injury, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reported. The Browns have been somewhat vague on Harrison’s status going forward.

“Ronnie we are going to have to wait and see,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said this week at training camp. “He will be out for an undisclosed number of days here, but we will see.”

The Browns have retooled on defense, but health will be key. Cleveland was hammered with injuries at various positions last season, making it tough to put out a consistent product.

Ronnie Harrison, Grant Delpit Have Been Impressive

During minicamp defensive coordinator Joe Woods came away incredibly impressed with Harrison.

“With Ronnie, I was watching film yesterday. I said, ‘Who’s that guy in the post?’ They said, ‘That’s Ronnie.’ ‘Ronnie?’ Just in terms of what he’s done so far, working on his movement skills, bending more in his back pedal, he looks like a different guy,” Woods said. “And he has a natural feel when he’s in the box, so I think he’s set up to have a really good year for us.”

Johnson is just 25 years old but will be a leader on the defense from the secondary. He’s been very impressed with both Delpit and Harrison, even saying the Browns should have locked him up long-term.

“Both of those guys are smart players. Everyone knows that they can do everything. You can move them all around, versatile and athletes. I think the thing is just the work ethic,” Johnson told reporters this week. “Grant sitting back from that injury, and he is going to be a big part of the defense this year. Ronnie is just exceptional. I do not know how a team did not lock him in for a long time. Hopefully, that will happen. We are just going to go out there and have fun. Hopefully, all three of us can put in a lot of work for the team.”

There were high expectations for Delpit, who won the Jim Thorpe Award at LSU in 2019, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back. He was selected in the second round last season.

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J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He covered local and statewide sports as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SB Nation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote

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