With former Browns inside linebacker Karlos Dansby reportedly set to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals, he’ll have a chance to haunt Cleveland twice a year in the AFC North.
But the Browns are confident their swap of Dansby for former New York Jets inside linebacker Demario Davis gives them an upgrade.
The Browns cut Dansby on March 16 and signed Davis the same day to a two-year contract worth a maximum of $8 million, including $4.2 million guaranteed. Dansby left the Browns with two years left on the four-year, $24 million contract the previous regime gave him. The deal included $12 million guaranteed.
NFL Network reported Tuesday that Dansby will sign with the Bengals, and Bengals.com described the move as “looking imminent.”
Barring injuries, Davis will be a full-time starter opposite Chris Kirksey, a third-round pick in the 2014 draft who has been a part-time starter thus far.
“[Davis will play] a position that will be asked to do something a little bit different than in the past on our defense and play more physical at the point of attack but also provide us some versatility,” Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown said last week during the NFL owners meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. “We’re really excited about him and Chris [Kirksey] being side by side because I think [defensive coordinator] Ray [Horton] will have the opportunity to do a lot of different things because both guys can cover and affect play going forward at the line of scrimmage as well.”
Why is Davis such a good fit?
“He’s going to hit ya,” Browns coach Hue Jackson replied. “That’s what he does. He goes and blows stuff up. That’s what a linebacker is supposed to do.”
The Browns have had one of the NFL’s worst run defenses the past two years (“I don’t like that,” Jackson said. “We need to get better.”). So they’re counting on Davis to spearhead a movement to stop the bleeding.
Jackson considers run defense Davis’ strength.
“Yeah, or else we wouldn’t put him on our team,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to stop the run in this league. I think we all know that.”
Dansby tied for 25th among 97 linebackers in ProFootballFocus.com’s rankings last season. Davis was listed 77th. But Hall of Fame NFL executive Bill Polian assigned Davis a player grade of B-plus and Dansby a B-minus.
After the Browns cut Dansby, he said in interviews the team told him it wanted to get younger. Dansby is 34 and Davis is 27, but the Browns insist the moves weren’t purely motivated by age.
“We certainly want to be young and good and talented,” Brown said. “We talked to Karlos and told him we want to be a lot of things at that position, including dynamic and physical. We were able to add Demario. We’re really excited about him. He’s got an opportunity to be a tremendous leader for our defense through his play and his character and his preparation on and off the field. So we had that conversation with Karlos. We will always look to stay young and stay talented, no question.
“It’s not a scorched-earth policy or a policy just making decisions on a guy’s age. We want to look at who can contribute to us. Those guys may come in all different packages and all different ages. It just so happens Demario is a guy in his mid-20s and in his prime, has learned the game well and brought us an opportunity to upgrade that position.”
But Dansby is still a productive player.
He started all 28 games in which he appeared with the Browns, missing four two years ago with a sprained knee. He had 108 tackles, three interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) and two forced fumbles last season. He has 41 sacks and 19 interceptions in 12 NFL seasons and needs one interception to become just the fifth player in the league’s history with at least 40 sacks and 20 interceptions in his career.
“[Dansby has] been productive every year,” Brown said. “We’re going to ask that position to do things a little different than in the past. So we’re confident Demario’s skill set will help us there and solidify us for some time. We’ve only got a two-year deal, but hopefully if he plays well, we’ll have some discussions about extending him.”
Davis hasn’t missed a game since the Jets drafted him in the third round (77th overall) out of Arkansas State in 2012. He started three times as a rookie and all 48 since, but he was demoted into shared playing time with Erin Henderson in the second half of last season partly because of struggles in pass coverage.
Last season, Davis ranked second on the Jets with 90 tackles, including two sacks. In 2014, he had 116 tackles, including 3.5 sacks. In 2013, he posted 107 tackles, including one sack.
Time for visiting
Mississippi wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is scheduled to travel Wednesday to Northeast Ohio and spend Thursday on a pre-draft visit with the Browns, a source familiar with the situation told the Beacon Journal on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-2, 221-pound Treadwell is widely considered the best receiver in this year’s draft class and a projected first-round selection. Most draft analysts predict Treadwell will be picked in the middle of the opening round.
In theory, the Browns could target him should they trade down from the second overall pick or move up from No. 32 overall.
The Browns have a dire need at receiver, even if the NFL were to reinstate suspended former All-Pro Josh Gordon. They hosted Temple receiver Robby Anderson for a pre-draft visit Tuesday, a source confirmed. They reportedly brought Baylor receiver Corey Coleman, a projected first-round pick, to town for a pre-draft visit Monday.
“It’s an area that we need to address, obviously,” Jackson said last week. “I’ve gone on record before saying I like to have bigger, faster guys play the position. We have some very talented guys right now. They’re slight in stature, but they’re tough, and I’m looking forward to working with them and see if there’s more that we can gain from them. But at the same time, I still think it’s an area that we need to get better. And we will.”
Extra points
• California quarterback Jared Goff is scheduled to work out privately for the Browns and San Francisco 49ers this week, FoxSports.com reported. Goff is a candidate to be drafted second overall by the Browns, who were front and center at his pro day March 18.
• NFL Network reported Browns outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo gained 20 pounds this offseason and now weighs 260 pounds. “Everybody’s wanted to put weight on him, and I think we’ll be impressed,” Jackson said last week. “I think he’s got his weight up. I can’t wait to see him in person.” The team’s offseason workout program begins Monday.
• New Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III tweeted he’ll wear No. 10 on his jersey. Griffin thanked Browns receiver Darius Jennings for surrendering the number.
• The Browns sent just a scout Tuesday to the pro day workout of Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, according to the Associated Press. Ramsey is a projected top-10 pick.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.