Cleveland Browns: Sheldrick Redwine is a player to watch in training camp
Cleveland Browns rookie safety Sheldrick Redwine is undoubtedly a primary player to watch as training camp begins.
The Cleveland Browns had an exciting offseason. Coupled with the already impressive talent on their roster, the Browns have put themselves in a position to become a true powerhouse in the AFC.
As we inch towards the Browns opening training camp on July 25th, I have one specific rookie player on my mind, fourth-round safety Sheldrick Redwine.
Redwine is a converted cornerback who shows impressive ability in pass coverage. He is a smart player who always seems to be in a position to make a play, he is quick and explosive on the back-end and shows incredible natural ball skills. Redwine can shine in zone coverage and shows some upside as a man-to-man defender against tight ends, running backs and even some slot receivers.
His coverage ability is obvious, but Redwine also shows fantastic toughness on the field. He is a physical player who is not afraid to step up and hit someone in the mouth. He is a bit on the small side (6-foot-0, 196 pounds), but Redwine appears to have the ability to play in the box at the next level.
If Redwine can shine in training camp, there is a path to him seeing serious playing time with the Cleveland Browns as a rookie. After trading away Jabrill Peppers and releasing Derrick Kindred, the Browns have an obvious hole at the strong safety position.
Veteran Morgan Burnett is the favorite to start at strong safety and will likely start the season at the position. That being said, Burnett has been shaky in recent years and can be replaced if someone can step up and take his job.
Redwine is probably a more natural coverage safety at the next level, but I believe in this guy’s toughness and physicality. If the Browns were to give him a chance to prove himself in more of a strong safety role, I think he could have some success.
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Honestly, in today’s NFL, the difference between free and strong safety is basically irrelevant. Teams need players who can cover on the back-end and also make some noise in-the-box. Redwine needs to become a more consistent player and clean up his game a bit, but he has the skills to be the kind of versatile safety who has a ton of success in the NFL.
It will not be easy to take the starting job away from Burnett, but Redwine is good enough to make it happen. He is undoubtedly a guy to keep an eye as Cleveland Browns training camp is set to begin.