BEREA, Ohio -- Cornerback Justin Gilbert, the eighth overall pick in May's NFL draft, was replaced by an undrafted rookie last week and this week he's competing with an undrafted rookie to see who plays if the starter ahead of him cannot.
Despite that, defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil said he is not down on Gilbert.
Which brings to mind the time Jimmy Johnson cut a player named Gene Atkins midseason in Miami, then told the media: “I don’t want you to take that as a negative toward Gene.”
Perish the thought.
In reality, the Cleveland Browns have proven they can believe in a guy while adjusting his playing time. They also have shown they can bring a guy back to effectiveness after he has struggled -- examples being Travis Benjamin during the win over Tennessee, Brian Hoyer after a difficult preseason and Christian Yount rebounding from almost losing his job to having his best game as a Brown (according to his special-teams coach Chris Tabor).
This staff does not give up on people; it continues to support them even while benching or nearly benching them.
Gilbert is in the nearly benched category. His snaps dropped to nine in Tennessee when he was replaced as nickelback by undrafted rookie K’Waun Williams. Buster Skrine will start outside at one corner spot, and Williams will be the slot corner. That leaves uncertainty at the other corner if Haden’s hip injury does not come around.
Gilbert is in a competition with undrafted rookie Robert Nelson to see who starts if Haden can't.
Coach Mike Pettine said Nelson and Gilbert both got reps in practice Wednesday, and it would continue the rest of the week.
The Browns were privately very high on Nelson in training camp and preseason after signing him out of Arizona State. But he found himself inactive for three of the four games as the team determined Williams was ahead and better suited to cover inside receivers.
Now he’s got at least a chance to play ahead of Gilbert, which proves another thing about this coaching staff: It will not force the “name” on the field, but will play who’s better suited for the role.
Gilbert isn’t the first rookie cornerback to get off to a slow start, but the way he’s played has been eye-opening -- especially because at one point of training camp he seemed to be emerging the way the team hoped he would.
It has not translated to the field.
“He’s a rookie,” O’Neil said. “He’s learning his way in this league. He’s got to learn how to bring the techniques that we’re teaching and the fundamentals of the playing field. He's like every rookie, when you come into the NFL you get slapped in the face with how hard it is to play in this league, especially at corner.
“A lot of guys who are elite athletes can get away with a lot of stuff on the college level. You get in the NFL, that guy whose just as athletic as you and just as talented as you, you have to rely on your fundamentals and technique.”
Which of course brings the thought to mind that Gilbert is getting slapped in the face but Williams, also a rookie, isn’t. But Gilbert is playing with the weight of expectation and high-draft status while Williams and Nelson play with no expectations. Williams missed an early tackle against Tennessee that turned into a touchdown, but then played very well -- and came up with a key sack on the Titans’ last drive.
If Haden cannot play, his replacement will be determined, O’Neil said, “by how those guys practice this week.”
Said Pettine: “We’ll see.”