BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns' secondary couldn't have ended the offseason workout program any better.
They lined up near the goal line for a 7-on-7 red zone drill, which naturally favors the offense. However, the first half-dozen reps for the Browns' offense were unproductive. Airtight coverage led to a string of deflected passes, off-target attempts -- and elaborate celebrations from the defensive backs.
It was a familiar sight for the secondary, which has continuity and health that should aid the position group in the second year in coordinator Jim Schwartz's scheme.
In 2023, no team left their defensive backs on an island as often as Cleveland. The Browns used man coverage at the fifth-highest rate (38.2%) in the NFL and single-high coverage -- either Cover 1 or Cover 3 -- at the highest rate (66.3%).
The Browns' cornerbacks thrived, though. Cleveland had the highest pass defense success rate (66.1%) of any team in a season in the NFL Next Gen Stats era. It's one of the many reasons the Browns finished as a top defense in the NFL, allowing a league-best 164.7 passing yards per game.
The Browns are primed to place a heavy workload on their cornerbacks again in 2024, returning their top three players at the position: three-time Pro Bowl selection Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson Jr. and Greg Newsome II.
As the Browns weighed the fifth-year option decision for Newsome this offseason, general manager Andrew Berry, a former cornerback himself at Harvard, said he wants to have as many quality corners as possible. By picking up Newsome's option, the Browns ensured they have one of the best trios in the league for the foreseeable future.
"I call Greg my brain out there on the field," Ward said. "Like, he gets us in position, makes a lot of calls, communicates out there. And, I mean, not only that, he's a talented player. He's a number one corner, I believe as well, able to lock guys down on his respective side of the field. And just having all three of us and being able to rotate or put guys in different positions, play inside or outside is a great availability that we got for this team."
Among cornerbacks, Ward, Emerson and Newsome all ranked in the top five for success rate allowed in 2023. This offseason, Emerson joined Ward in Florida to train as they strengthened that relationship.
"He lived with me out in Florida, and we worked out every single day together, and we're just working our techniques and everything, lifting and getting better," Ward said. "So, he's been on my hip."
That connectivity carried into offseason workouts, as Ward opted to stay in Berea for voluntary workouts. He was often at the center of mid-practice meetings between defensive backs, who would huddle at a screen behind their sideline and review film, discuss mistakes and make adjustments in between team drills.
At safety, the Browns are hoping for better injury luck than the string of ailments that hampered the group last season. Starters Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill missed a combined 10 games because of injury. Delpit missed the final four regular season games and the team's playoff loss to the Houston Texans because of a groin injury that required surgery.
Both are fully healthy and bring leadership to a position group that also includes Rodney McLeod Jr. The 13-year veteran, who announced the 2024 season will be his last, also had his season shortened by a biceps injury in Week 11.
"That's a really strong group ... there's young guys in there, there's some older guys in there, some established veterans," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "It's a group that worked really hard, extremely intelligent at minicamp. Getting everybody out there so we can see everybody work together, I think was a huge bonus."
Schwartz alluded to adding wrinkles to the scheme in 2024, and if it leads to new responsibilities for the secondary, say, more zone coverage, they feel they're equipped. While the Browns played the fifth-lowest rate of zone coverage last season, they allowed the fourth-fewest net yards per attempt in those situations.
The defense will continue to be powered by end Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. But coverage and pass rush go hand in hand, and the Browns' depth and versatility in the secondary give them a luxury in a pass-happy league. And with a gauntlet of talented quarterbacks awaiting on their schedule, it's almost a necessity.
"A lot of great quarterbacks, man," Emerson said. "A lot of great quarterbacks looking to make a lot of good balls. [We get to make] a lot of plays on the balls against those guys."