Getty Images Jadeveon Clowney of the Cleveland Browns jokes with Myles Garrett.
There’s a reason Cleveland Browns defensive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Myles Garrett were No. 1 overall picks — they’re athletic freaks, capable of throwing grown men around like ragdolls.
Garrett and Clowney — when healthy – are elite disruptors that show up in nightmares of offensive tackles around the league. While they’re already a tough matchup, sliding either one inside to do battle against guards might create even more of a mismatch. It’s something the Browns are considering implementing next season, with Clowney and Garrett being on the same side of the line.
“We love that matchup,” Clowney told reporters on Thursday. “We feel like they’re the unathletic guys. That guard position, they’re not real athletes down there. So they’re just physical and maulers. But we try to get in there and create those matchups for certain guys and hopefully we get some wins.
“You’ve got to think different [on the interior]. Everything happens very, very fast down there. Those guys are much bigger down there. So, yes, your whole mindset has got to change in how you attack the quarterback, how you attack the guys down there.”
Hopefully, nobody tells Browns guards Wyatt Teller or Joel Bitonio that. Both have proved to be among the best in the league at their position and have helped pave the way for Cleveland’s stellar ground attack.
Clowney Healthy Despite Missed Time
The Browns took a small risk with a possible big reward by signing Clowney to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million. He’s been banged up but has still made a trio of Pro Bowls and was a second-team All-Pro in 2016. That being said, Clowney has missed 29 games in his career, including 12 his rookie season after having microfracture knee surgery.
The Browns have taken a conservative approach with Clowney, with the towering defensive end missing some practice. He said it has nothing to do with his health.
“Have to take care of what you have to to get ready for the long season,” Clowney said. “That was the goal — not to come out here and hurt nothing. If something happened, a little strain or something, take care of it now, so that it won’t linger later on.”
Browns Have Lethal Combo in Garrett, Clowney
If Clowney can stay healthy, the Browns will have a lethal pass-rushing combo — something Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods is very excited about.
“Rush the passer. He probably does not get enough credit for how effective he is in the run game,” Woods said of Clowney. “I am happy to have that in my arsenal. It will be on display at some point.”
Clowney replaces Olivier Vernon, who spent two up-and-down seasons opposite of Garrett. Clowney still thinks he can be an All-Pro level talent and is excited for the opportunities that will come working with Garrett on the other side.
“Ever since I got here, me and him have been spending time together, talking, picking each other’s brains because we know it’s going to take us up front to get things going,” Clowney said. “We’ve already said that. We know what we’ve got ahead of us and what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to work together, so we need to know each other front and back for us to go out here and do what we do — dominate and play well.”
The Browns defensive line should be one of the strengths of the team, headlined by Garrett and Clowney but with lots of interesting pieces. Andrew Billings and Malik Jackson are in the middle, while Takkarist McKinley and former first-round pick Malik McDowell are interesting rotation pieces.
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