@orion said:

So, by my count, we're down 3 LB'ers and up 1.  

We added Schwesinger...but we lost JOK (possibly forever), Hicks (forever), and Devin Bush is going to be suspended (if not jailed).   

It might have been nice if Hicks would've retired and Bush beat up his girlfriend BEFORE the draft.

I honestly forgot Bush went all Ghoolie on his girlfriend 

@dutch-oven said:

Yes

So, by my count, we're down 3 LB'ers and up 1.  

We added Schwesinger...but we lost JOK (possibly forever), Hicks (forever), and Devin Bush is going to be suspended (if not jailed).   

It might have been nice if Hicks would've retired and Bush beat up his girlfriend BEFORE the draft.

@orion said:

Schwesinger has taken over as the green dot on defense during training camp, which means he is the voice between the coaches on the sidelines and the players on the field. It's often rare to see a rookie with such high responsibility, but it's becoming clear that Schwesinger is earning the trust of the coaching staff.

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How do we take this?  That he's exceptional?  Or the position has a low bar to exceed?  

Yes

@dutch-oven said:

Speaking of Browns linebackers, I just saw a Reel on Facebook of Chip Banks, the Browns OLB from 82-86. He was the NFL Rookie of the Year and went to the Pro Bowl four out of five years with the Browns.

Then they traded him to San Diego. Does anyone remember why? Seems strange that the Browns would trade away such a dynamic OLB, seems like a guy that could have helped the Browns vs say a certain athletic QB that played in Denver. (He was with the Browns vs Elway in '86). 

Was he a clubhouse problem? It just doesn't make sense looking back at it now. 

Anyways, I'm excited about Schwesinger's future. 

Good Question?  Here's a link about him. https://www.brownsnation.com/chip-banks/

My clouded memory of him after his powerful 1st impression was he became unhappy and distracted in Cleveland. It didn't seem like he made a lot of friends or even cared to; which is strange for a sport the breeds camaraderie (with those you go into battle with every weekend). My best guess is when fans can sense a talented player doesn't want to be here - they're reluctant to reel him in.  It's also possible I'm wrong here Dutch.

All that said, he had 11 sacks in 85 (I wished he saved 10 of those for Elway in the AFC Championship Game the next season).  I remember my dad saying "I'm always reading and hearing about his alleged drug use and why he thinks he should holdout."  

Then they traded him to San Diego. Does anyone remember why? Seems strange that the Browns would trade away such a dynamic OLB, seems like a guy that could have helped the Browns vs say a certain athletic QB that played in Denver. (He was with the Browns vs Elway in '86). 

Was he a clubhouse problem? It just doesn't make sense looking back at it now. 

Anyways, I'm excited about Schwesinger's future. 

--------

How do we take this?  That he's exceptional?  Or the position has a low bar to exceed?  

A lot of players with some name recognition might simply go through the motions in order to get that last payday.  He did us a solid and I salute him for that.  The team doesn't need hangars on. That would have been a blow to this team.

Now Berry can keep a keener eye out for any FA backers who might still be out there or for any who are going to be cut over the next several weeks. We might also seek a trade.  Teams with a glut of backers put that team in a tough position.  Many might decide trading a guy for a 5th or 6th round pick is better than cutting a guy hoping to get him to the practice squad.

If I was Berry I would be calling teams letting them know we are willing to trade a pick for a backer. Other GMs should know we might be seeking a backer and start calling us with a laundry list of possible trade targets.

I doubt anything in the way of trade happens until the later stages of camp once other teams begin to see how the camp battles are panning out and know where tough cuts are likely to happen.

@orion said:

Yeah...we needed him.  He said that playing 24 years is enough.  Obviously he's made enough money.  He ain't winning no super bowl this year.  It's a looong season.  It's friggin' hot out.      God bless him...

Really a bigger blow than it may seem. Hicks quietly had a above average season last year and was graded as the best LB on the team. Maybe get Takitaki back in the building? Obviously not ideal, but not like its the piece moving the needle this year either. May as well see what you got in an unproven guy.

But good for him- seems to have a great family situation with three kids and getting out of the game never is a bad decision from a health standpoint. I can only imagine the back and forth on a decision like that, knowing one more year garners X amount of extra money despite the grind. Leaving $4 million on the table couldn't have been easy.

LBs are razor thin. 

@blitzz2 said:

May he have a career like Zack Thomas. Although a higher pick is expected to be a immediate impact player. One can only hope.

Great player!  Another guy that comes to mind (who was born in Cleveland, Ohio) was undrafted LB London Fletcher.  He had a productive 16 year NFL career in spite initial height concerns about him playing LB in the NFL somewhere between the altitudes of 5'9" & 5'10".   

@dutch-oven said:

I think he's basically JOK's replacement, so a guy who is always around the ball IMO doesn't need to be a thumper (but I wouldn't be upset if he was).

Be around the ball, diagnose plays well and make the sure tackle is fine by me. 

Precisely Dutch!  I wouldn't have wasted time posting the guy's highlights if I wasn't excited about him.  In doing so, the videos show quite a few examples of his 1st step instinct leading to picking off passers or making tackles at the point of attack for no gain or losses. This guy is a very good tackler & that's the most important thing to me.   This guy was a walk on doing this kind of stuff so believe me when I tell you I like the story unfolding here.  

@ballpeen said:

As has been said, the NFL isn't big on thumpers any more.

Right!  The connection between concussions and serious long term health issues has forced the NFL to make the game safer or else Moms will not let their sons play tackle football.  MLB'ers from back in the day, like, say Dick Butkis, are not right for today's game.  They'd spend the season getting fined and ejected.    Still though, JOK, wearing the extra pad on the exterior of his helmet, is a casualty of the game of tackle football.  

He could be … special right away: That’s what I heard about Carson Schwesinger, the team’s second-round pick from UCLA. The Browns believe he can start immediately at middle linebacker. He quickly picks up the defensive schemes. They love his speed. They believe he is as advanced at this early stage as Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah during his rookie season.

@ibleedbrown said:

Schwesinger is definitely more of a form tackler than a thumper. Wrap the arms and twist the hips. It’s honestly probably a better fit for the modern NFL. The refs seem to be hardwired to micromanage tackles and how many times have we seen a bone jarring hit that results in a yellow hankie? 

Consistent hard hitting from a Linebacker has a bigger toll on the tackler unless he's text book perfect all the time like Jack Lambert was.  As much as I hated his ass - he's one of the All Time best MLBs. Anyway, the following LBers had their NFL careers shortened from neck and/or head injuries:

Andy "The Big Kat" Katzenmoyer - NE Patriots

Luke Kuechly - Carolina Panthers

Ryan Shazier - Pittsburgh Steelers

David Pollack - Cincinnati Bengals

Sometimes you get guys who do both, but if not give me the guy who makes plays.  As has been said, the NFL isn't big on thumpers any more. What used to be seen as a commendable trait is now frowned upon.

Be around the ball, diagnose plays well and make the sure tackle is fine by me.