Getty

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Mason Graham wore a walking boot at minicamp.

The Cleveland Browns need Mason Graham on the field, not watching from the sideline.

Graham, entering his second season with the Browns, was spotted in a walking boot during minicamp. It’s an early setback for a player Cleveland is counting on to take a significant step forward. Browns coach Todd Monken declined to offer specifics on the injury but did not indicate that Graham’s status for training camp is in jeopardy.

“I don’t really comment on injuries. I’ll just say this, I don’t see anybody that won’t be ready for training camp,” Monken said. “I’ll just leave it at that with our roster. The rest of it, I won’t speak to the injuries.”

The Browns invested heavily in Graham because of the traits that made him one of the top defensive line prospects in his class. He was solid as a rookie, showing flashes of the power, leverage and disruption that made him such a highly regarded interior defender. But solid is not the same as dominant, especially for a player with his draft pedigree.

This offseason was supposed to be about stacking reps, sharpening technique and growing into a larger role in a defense that is being reshaped around a different group up front. Instead, Graham spent minicamp limited, while the Browns worked through one of their most important defensive transitions in years.

Mason Graham Set for Bigger Role After Myles Garrett Exit

Graham’s importance has only grown after the Browns moved on from Myles Garrett.

Garrett was the foundation of Cleveland’s pass rush and one of the league’s most disruptive defensive players. Without him, the Browns no longer have the same obvious answer when opponents get into third-and-long or need to slide protection toward one side of the line. That puts more pressure on the entire front, including Graham.

Cleveland added Jared Verse as the centerpiece of the Garrett trade, giving the Browns a young edge rusher with the burst and violence to become a major piece of the defense. But Verse will need help from the inside. So will the rest of the edge group, which includes Alex Wright, Isaiah McGuire and Julian Okwara.

If Graham can consistently collapse the pocket, he can change the way teams block the Browns. Graham said earlier this offseason that he spent the backend of his rookie season playing through a broken rib.

With that behind him, the Browns need Graham to become a steady disruptive force in the middle of the defense, especially with Cleveland trying to rebuild its pass rush without the player who defined it for nearly a decade.

Browns Defense Dealing With More Injury Questions

Graham was not the only key Browns defender who was limited during minicamp. Cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Grant Delpit were also among the players who did not have full participation, though Monken again declined to provide details.

“Again, I won’t comment on injuries,” Monken said.

Even as the offense sputtered through recent seasons, Cleveland’s defense remained the backbone of the team. The Browns allowed 283.6 yards per game and 22.3 points per game last season, leaning on their pass rush, coverage talent and physicality to keep games competitive when the offense provided little margin for error.

That group will have a different look this season. Garrett is gone, and Jim Schwartz is no longer running the defense. New defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg is now tasked with preserving the standard while reshaping the unit around a new core.

“It’s always going to be style over scheme. No matter what — the way we play, how hard we play, playing for each other, how fast we play and how violent we play. And that’s always going to be over scheme,” Rutenberg said. “Us going after the ball and then putting our players in the best positions to be successful, it’s always going to start with the front. It forever and always will in the history of football. And we’re going to continue to do that.”

With minicamp wrapped up, the Browns are breaking for summer. They’ll kick off training camp at the end of July, with preseason games scheduled to start August 15.

J.R. DeGroote Browns beat writer for Heavy.com. Covering the NFL and NBA since 2019. ASU Cronkite grad. More about J.R. DeGroote