The Browns have made some significant free agent additions on defense, signing players like safety John Johnson III, cornerback Troy Hill, linebacker Anthony Walker, defensive end Takk McKinley, and most recently defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
In his Tuesday press conference, head coach Kevin Stefanski said he feels like the defense has improved with all the moves.
“We’re trying to make ourselves a better football team, and I think [G.M.] Andrew [Berry] saw some opportunities to add players to this roster. We feel like we’ve gotten better on the defensive side of the ball and we’re creating competition,” Stefanski said. “We’re going to have a draft and we’re going to create even more competition by hopefully bringing in good players. So excited for bringing in guys at all three levels of the defense and what that can mean for us going forward.”
While Cleveland earned its first playoff berth since 2002 and won its first playoff game since 1994, the team’s defense was No. 21 in points allowed and No. 17 in yards allowed. If all the additions work out, the Browns could make a push to win their first AFC North title since re-entering the league in 1999.