The Browns opened training camp missing LB Jordan Hicks for "personal reasons." On Friday morning, he announced his retirement. That ends a nice 10-year career for the former third-round pick, who spent nearly all of those seasons starting for the Eagles, Cardinals, Vikings, and Browns. But it also deals another blow to a Cleveland LB corps already down Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Losing Hicks removes Cleveland's 2024 leader in LB playing time. And Hicks claimed that role despite missing five games.
That's because the Browns also lost lead LB Owusu-Koramoah to a neck injury that leaves his NFL future uncertain.
Cleveland did draft LB Carson Schwesinger at the top of Round 2. He's almost certainly headed for a full-time role immediately and even looks like the best bet to relay defensive play calls in the huddle (i.e. wear the green-dot helmet).
Otherwise, expect open competition.
Free-agent import Jerome Baker looks like the best early bet to fill the Hicks void. He's a seven-year veteran who spent most of that time as a starter in Miami. But Baker's playing time fluctuated late in that stint, and both the Seahawks and Titans signed him and quit on him within the past year.
Baker's a "guess we don't have anything better" option. But Cleveland might not have anything better.
Devin Bush has similarly played his way out of multiple opportunities. And 2023 undrafted free agent Mohamoud Diabate -- an 11-game starter last year -- looks just OK.
We'll see how this plays out. Schwesinger's the only Cleveland LB you should be looking at in your IDP drafts, though.
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