‘Dominating the leverage’ key to Browns man coverage under Jim Schwartz

The Cleveland Browns defense under DC Joe Woods the last three seasons lacked an identity. Well, a positive identity.

Woods’ defense was known for giving up a lot of yards on the ground and blowing coverages on the backend. Under the former defensive coordinator, the Browns played cornerbacks that were best at man coverage in a lot of zone. Safety John Johnson III looked great with the Los Angeles Rams as a box safety then Woods tried to use him as a centerfielder.

There are a variety of reasons Browns fans are excited that DC Jim Schwartz is in town but Woods’ struggles set the bar really low. Just being competent, a B-minus-level defense would be a huge upgrade in Cleveland this year.

With…