BEREA, Ohio — The Browns roster is full of rookies, young players, and new pieces. They're building for the future while addressing the holes that have led to losing seasons these past two years. But for a team to build success, having veterans and franchise staples to help lead the way is important.
That's why the Browns made sure to lock up their two veterans in the secondary, cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Grant Delpit, the latter excited to continue his career in Cleveland, and perhaps unlock even more in his game under new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg.
Last season, Delpit played in all 17 games, recording 89 total tackles, four for loss, with seven quarterback hits, three sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, four passes defended and an interception. It was impressive production, but he wasn't satisfied with it.
"There's so much more. I think the last year was just average; the year before that, I think I left a lot out there. Also, a new scheme I think this year will help with more ball production, stuff like that," Delpit said. "It's good, something to chase after and capitalize on."
Rutenberg's defense is expected to incorporate plenty of disguises and utilize his secondary in more prominent ways, including three-safety packages that would heap added responsibility on Delpit. That's something he's eager for.
"It's a lot on the safeties' plate. Even Kevin Stefanski texted me yesterday, was telling me congratulations on the contract, and I was talking to him about this defense, and he was just like, 'You know, it's a lot on the safeties' plate, but use your instincts and it's going to be great for you,'" Delpit said. "As we see with the Atlanta safeties last year, [Jesse] Bates III and [Xavier] Watts all over the field, so I've been watching a lot of their tape. It's a lot on our plates, but at the same time, I can eat a lot too."
In any given practice, Delpit can be seen hyping up his defense. Screaming "Dog food!" across the line at the offense, hoping to push them into growth and development through the concept of "iron sharpening iron."
There's a lot of room for the Browns to grow, but Delpit is optimistic about their approach to creating a winning culture with this iteration of the Browns.
"The last two years and even the year before that, the playoff berth we had, it just hasn't been good enough. This game is about winning and losing. We all know this, and it gets to a certain point where you've got to be tired of being the team that everybody wants to play. That's why I'm on my defense every day like, 'We got to whoop them.' And when I say 'them,' I'm talking about the offense. Every day. Because we're going to make each other better and they will get tired of it at some point, and I think that's going to help the team."
As Delpit pushes himself and his teammates toward that goal, he does so with a sense of gratitude to be trusted with that kind of responsibility and to keep playing in front of the Dawg Pound where his career began.
"Having the organization have the faith in me that they do, it means a lot. It just helps motivate me more to produce," Delpit said. "It's cool being in that position to be the steady hand of the rooks, someone who's been through it before, especially in the same place, being here for so long. But you've got to attack every year with a new, clear-headed mentality and have that new energy every year. "
