Cleveland Browns training camp preview: Coverage switch to help talented cornerback trio

BEREA — Training camp is fast approaching for the Browns.

The team will first gather in Berea in two days, starting with rookies and quarterbacks on Wednesday. The veterans will report on Friday, a day before the team travels to The Greenbrier Resort in southeast West Virginia for the first eight practices of camp.

The Browns enter camp with a roster capable of challenging for an AFC playoff berth, maybe even an AFC North title. However, there are also questions abounding at each position.

This is the eighth in a position-by-position look at the Browns roster heading into camp. It looks at the locks or near-locks at each position, those who are on the bubble and those who likely won't be on the 53-man roster when cutdown day arrives on Aug. 29.

Earlier installations of this series looked at the offensive side of the roster: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen. The defensive linemen and linebackers have also been featured.

Today, it's a look at a position group that may be one of the most talented on the roster — the cornerbacks.

Cleveland Browns cornerbacks entering training camp

Locks to make the 53-man roster: Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Martin Emerson Jr., A.J. Green III, Cameron Mitchell

On the bubble: Mike Ford Jr., Thomas Graham Jr.

Unlikely to make the roster: Caleb Biggers, Thakarius "BoPete" Keyes, Chris Westry

The Browns may possess one of the better cornerback groups in the NFL. Certainly, their top three — Ward, Newsome and Emerson — may be one of the best young cornerback trios out there.

What may unlock them this season is the scheme of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, which favors man-to-man over zone coverage. That should play right into the skill sets those three in particular possess.

A year ago, no Browns cornerback played more than 31.2% of their coverage snaps in man, according to Pro Football Focus. That cornerback, Greedy Williams, is now in Philadelphia after having signed a free agent deal with the Eagles.

The rest ranged from 25% for Emerson, who was in his rookie season, to 18.7% for the two-time Pro Bowler Ward. That should change with Schwartz calling the defense.

What may also change is responsibilities. A year ago, Newsome found himself almost by default playing in the slot, about which he expressed some offseason displeasure before walking some of those comments back this spring.

"Greg is one of those focal points of our team," cornerbacks coach Brandon Lynch said at the end of minicamp on June 8. "He's another smart, tough, accountable, resilient team player. So when he's already bought into the team concept, he's been excellent out here for us. "

While the third-year pro may still get a large number of snaps there, at least during the offseason program, there's been a willingness to move the corners around. All three of the primary cornerbacks have spent some time in the slot in certain packages.

Schwartz has indicated those snaps may be dictated by matchups as much as anything else. So that puts an emphasis on versatility.

"That's huge," Ward said. "Just guys having the versatility to play different positions, whether that's corner nickel or safety and just being able to move guys around, create matchups against the offense, I think it'll be helpful for us this year."

Green has become a very reliable backup for the Browns, which is why they made sure to sign him to a new one-year contract at the start of free agency. After Green, though, it could be any number of cornerbacks kept.

Mitchell was a fifth-round pick in April's draft, and is a former Northwestern teammate and longtime friend of Newsome. The rookie's biggest impact this season could be on special teams.

Special teams are almost certainly the reason why Ford was signed as a free agent. The question is if his presence costs Graham, whom the Browns do like, a spot.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns camp preview: Man coverage chances to help talented corner trio