Browns working out veteran safety, increases Juan Thornhill injury-related concerns

The Cleveland Browns first injury list was a concerning one on Thursday with a myriad of defensive tackles joining safety Juan Thornhill not participating. Thornhill missed the Browns Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals with a calf injury that popped up in the middle of the week.

Brought over from the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent, Thornhill replaced John Johnson III who never really caught on in Cleveland. New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz wanted his new safety for his leadership and ability as a split safety alongside Grant Delpit.

With Thornhill out in Week 1, veteran safety Rodney McLeod stepped in and played well overall. While there was hope last week that the free agent addition would be able to play, that hope could be waning for Week 2 as the team brought in veteran Erik Harris for a workout:

Harris has played seven seasons in the NFL with 91 games of experience including 43 starts. He played the last two years with the Atlanta Falcons where he played in 26 games with 13 starts. The Cal Golden Bears defensive back has also played in over 1,500 snaps on special teams.

For his career, Harris has five interceptions, two of which returned for touchdowns, 28 passes defended, one forced fumble, a half a sack, seven tackles for loss and four quarterback hits.

According to Pro Football Focus, Harris’ best two seasons came with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2018 (73.5) and 2019 (66.7) but they graded him as a sure tackler last year (78.6).

If Thornhill is not able to go, it is possible that the Browns know that already and are looking to get a veteran on the roster quickly. Harris could be signed to the practice squad and elevated for Monday Night Football if he picks up the defense well.

Does Harris’ workout concern you about Thornhill or do you think the two are unrelated?