Browns claim second Rams DB, signing Troy Hill

The LA Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. And in doing so, they did a very good job of corraling the passing of quarterback Tom Brady. It was a Sunday Night Football game, giving all other 30 NFL teams a chance to kick back and watch the action. Clearly, some of the Cleveland Browns front office liked what they saw.

The Cleveland Browns may even have admired the LA Rams secondary from afar, it seems. How else do you account for the fact that they have now claimed the Rams’ final defensive free agent, CB Troy Hill? And what a haul the Browns have made. In less than a week’s time, they have claimed two of the NFL’s premier defensive backs.

The Browns had signed safety John Johnson III right out of the blocks to a  3-year $33.75  million dollar contract. Apparently, they were just getting started, as they followed that deal with another deal, this time for JJ III’s teammate, Troy Hill. And by doing so, they have reunited both Johnson and Hill on a defense that was ranked 22nd in pass defense in the NFL in 2020, and 20th ranked in interceptions. Clearly, they intend to improve upon that this year.

So why so much interest in this offseason? Well, the Browns are acutely aware that getting to the Super Bowl means getting past the passing offense of the Kansas City Chiefs and their elite quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In the Divisional Round, Mahomes was a nearly perfect 21 of 30 passing for 255 yards and a touchdown.

Gotta stop Mahomes

To stop the Chiefs, the Browns know that they must stop Mahomes.  Ergo, they just signed two elite defensive backs who will help that do exactly that. How so? Well, Hill has pulled in seven interceptions over the past three years but was responsible for two pick-six interceptions in 2020. He even ran a fumble recovery back for a touchdown as well.

In pass defense, Hill has allowed just 61 percent of passes targeting him to be completed. That is over the past three seasons. And over that three-year period, he has allowed just ten passing touchdowns. Best of all, his 2020 depth of target (how far was receiver down the field when the pass was thrown at him) dropped to a ridiculously pedestrian 6.6 yards. He allowed just 9.6 yards per completion.

While the Rams would love to have retained both Johnson and Hill, they haven’t the funds to do so. And much like the Aaron Donald effect, the Rams defensive backs may have benefitted from a ‘Jalen Ramsey effect’ in 2020. How can anyone tell?

Well, Dante Fowler Jr. struggled to perform after leaving the Rams. We will have to wait and see how well Hill and Johnson do for the Browns without Jalen Ramsey lining up in the same secondary.