Cleveland Browns: 4-3 Defense, the Roster and the 2011 NFL Draft

January 15, 2011   ·   Richard Baird   ·   Jump to comments

"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts."—Arnold Bennett, English novelist
 
With the departures of Eric Mangini and Rob Ryan, the Browns will fall fully into line with the Mike Holmgren philosophy. They have already hired Pat Shurmur as head coach. Shurmur, an Andy Reid disciple, plans to implement a West Coast style offense.
The next hire will almost certainly be a defensive coordinator to run a 4-3 defense, the system Holmgren employed while a head coach. The early rumors are the Browns intend to hire Dick Jauron.
With the shift in defensive philosophy, change is certainly going to affect the roster. Several of the players are ill-suited to a 4-3 defense that requires more athletic linemen and linebackers with different skill sets.
Luckily, the secondary should remain mostly intact.
Here's a quick look at what the defensive starting lineup could look like next year:
 
DE: Ma...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com