STAY or GO? S Sheldrick Redwine

After last season, the safety room wasn’t a position group that appeared like it was going forward.

Which was odd, because newly-minted GM Andrew Berry did try to elevate this group to some extent. Out was Damarious Randall and in was Karl Joseph. Gone was Morgan Burnett and in his stead became Andrew Sendejo. Vamoose was said to Jermaine Whitehead and howdy was uttered to Ronnie Harrison.

The new guys were basically different versions of the ones they replaced. Joseph and Sendejo were ranked one-and-two on the Browns in missed tackles. Sheldrick Redwine has retained his roster spot, but was third on the team in missed tackles last year and played the least amount of snaps he has ever encountered as a player.

Redwine has above-average coverage skills and horrible tackling abilities. But, he always has even coming out of college. He is a “hand-grabber” which sticks out one hand, grabs hold of a jersey, gets dragged for additional yardage until help arrives. That is his tackling style.

Photo by: 2019 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

But now the safety room has changed. The Browns drafted Grant Delpit out of LSU in last year’s draft and are expecting a full recovery after a torn Achilles injury placed him on season-ending IR early in last year’s training camp.

And there are a few carry overs from last year including Jovante Moffatt plus two players from the practice squad: Elijah Benton and Montrel Meander who doubles at linebacker. In addition, Richard LeCounte out of Georgia was selected in the fifth-round of this year’s NFL draft.

Typically, Cleveland only keeps four safeties on the roster. That may change, though. DC Joe Woods uses the 4-2-5 for the majority of his defensive snaps which requires more defensive backs on the field. It is quite possible that he may keep five, or even six, safeties on the active roster this year.

One of the questions from the DBN writers plus one Browns Backers chapter President in this year’s training camp just so happens to be: with all of this new talent, what will happen to Sheldrick Redwine? So.....

Stay or Go? S Sheldrick Redwine

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Matt Wood

Redwine is a go for me. Nothing against him I think he has shown enough to be a NFL player but the Browns REALLY attacked the back of this defense. John Johnson, Troy Hill, Richard LeCounte and Greg Newsome are new. Add in the “return” of Grant Delpit and Greedy Williams that is five new bodies to a secondary group that will for sure keep Denzel Ward and you are quickly running out of chairs.

Redwine was drafted by former GM John Dorsey and according to OverTheCap.com could be cut post-June 1st for minimal dollars. If I was a gambling man, I think he’s cut.

Stay or Go? GO

Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Thomas Moore

Every year NFL teams turn over, on average, about one-third of their roster from the previous season. Even before free agency and the NFL Draft, safety Sheldrick Redwine appeared headed toward a spot in that annual roster turnover.

Since being selected in the fourth-round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Redwine has not done much while appearing in 27 games and making eight starts. As a rookie he allowed a quarterback rating of 131.8 and two touchdowns on passes targeted his way. (Even though it was a small sample size of just 16 passes, that is not good.)

This past season his playing time went down from 35 percent of the defensive snaps to 26 percent, and while he was only targeted eight times in coverage he still allowed six completions. He also finished with the second-lowest grade on the defense (41.5) from Pro Football Focus, and had the third-most missed tackles on the team with eight.

Even with the addition of John Johnson III in free agency, Richard LeCounte III in the draft, and the hopeful return of Grant Delpit from an injury, the safety position is still thin behind the projected starting trio of Johnson, Delpit and Ronnie Harrison Jr.

I went into this with the idea that Redwine was going to easily land in the “Go” column, but the competition is really not that fierce for a backup/special teams role. If he can clean up his tackling issues, Redwine might be able to hang on for another season with the Browns. For now, let’s put him in the “Stay” category by the slimmest of margins.

Stay or Go? STAY

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Barry Shuck

This position has been a group of weakness and issues for so many years. Not that the Browns haven’ attempted to remedy this unit and bring in what they supposed with able-bodies. But not everyone who signs a contract works out.

Redwine has been a holdover since he was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2019 NFL draft by then-GM John Dorsey. The knock on him coming out of Miami was that he was too willing to give up receptions plus was a below-average tackler. None of that has changed since he became a Brown.

Currently on the depth chart, LeCounte is placed above Redwine and he hasn’t even taken a practice snap yet. If Joe Woods keeps just five safeties, that list would be Johnson, Harrison, Delpit, LeCounte and either Moffatt or Redwine. If that list gets paired down to the usual four, Redwine is definitely on the outside.

I am just not seeing the production out of Redwine once he gets in a game. He rarely makes a solo tackle and instead is satisfied with hanging onto a guy and being dragged until somebody else will bring down the ballcarrier. To me, that is a crutch. LeCounte is a defensive playmaker who was a three-year starter in a tough conference. Ronnie Harrison is gold. If Delpit can become what he was drafted for, what is the need for a safety who can’t (or won’t) make a tackle and waits for receivers to catch the ball?

Stay or Go? GO

Janice Rea

President: Stark County Browns Backers

Canton, Ohio

Sheldrick Redwine is probably going to go. With the addition of John Johnson from the Rams and the the return of Grant Delpit, I just don’t know where he would fit in unless it was on special teams. This is a special time for the Browns. I don’t want to wish the summer away, but want our club viewing parties at Jerzees to resume.

Stay or Go? GO