Position Recap: Defensive line

01.11.2008

The following is the second in a series of features recapping the Browns' 2007 season position by position.

Overview: The way things went for the Browns defensive line in '07 were in many ways a microcosm of the defense as a whole: It started out pretty dismally but by the end of the season it looked a lot more promising.

Against the running game, the Browns struggled throughout the bulk of the season but significantly improved towards the latter parts of the campaign. Much of that was due to an improved, solidified defensive line starring a pair of guys named Smith. In the sack department, sometimes the pass rush was there and sometimes it simply wasn't.

Unlike the rest of the defense, however, the defensive line was one spot where the team struggled with injuries.

Starting nose tackle Ted Washington played only 5 games before being placed on injured-reserve with a knee injury. Backup Ethan Kelley got through 13 games with 5 starts before he too was placed on IR. Meanwhile, defensive end Orpheus Roye played 13 games, missing 3 with knee and foot problems. Even when they weren't missing games, Roye, Kelley, Robaire Smith and Shaun Smith were frequent sightings on the Browns' injury report.

Taking the place of both Roye and the pair of nose tackles throughout the year was Shaun Smith, who went from a newly signed free agent with no experience in a 3-4 to the team's most versatile linemen all because of injuries.

Smith started 8 games at end and 3 at nose tackle, making 63 tackles with 2 sacks, 4 pressures, 2 pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Meanwhile, Robaire Smith held down the right end slot, starting all 16 games amidst the battered unit.

Third-year man Simon Fraser played in all 16 games (he has yet to miss an NFL game) with 1 start and made 17 tackles, also playing on special teams, while midseason pickup rookie Louis Leonard appeared in 4 games and made a pair of tackles.

The team also finished the season with rookie sixth-round pick Melila Purcell and veteran Bobby Hamilton on the roster. Hamilton was signed before the final game of the season to help fill the void when Kelley was placed on injured-reserve.

MVP: While Shaun Smith had a breakout season, it was Robaire Smith who was the team's most consistent player throughout the campaign. He finished the year with 64 tackles, 4 sacks and 7 pressures.

Key Stat: The defense allowed 136.8 rushing yards per game during the first 10 games of the season but then improved to allow only 116.8 yards per game in the final six contests.

High point: The defense allowed a season-low 77 yards rushing against the Houston Texans during a 27-17 win over Thanksgiving weekend. Meanwhile, Shaun Smith notched the defensive line's fifth full sack in three games during the contest.

Areas of concern: With Washington turning 40 in April, Roye to be 35 on Jan. 21, and Robaire Smith 30, the Browns defensive line isn't a young group. And despite the clear improvement towards the latter portions of the season, the unit is still in need of some young talent as well as a dominating presence that the team might need to scour free agency or the first few rounds of the draft to find.

What's ahead: With the age of the group and the need for a star on the unit, the defensive line could be the No. 1 priority for the Browns come free agency and the draft.