BEREA ― It was almost as big a deal in the early offseason as the head-coaching change itself for the Browns.
The decision of Jim Schwartz to step down as defensive coordinator instead of stay on after Todd Monken was hired as head coach instead of him was a hot-button topic for a while. That Schwartz was replaced by a relative unknown, at least generally speaking, in Mike Rutenberg only added to the discourse.
Nine days into training camp, that discourse has, relatively speaking, gone away. What’s replaced it is discussion of ways Rutenberg can build on and enhance the defense ― with Jared Verse in place of Myles Garrett, obviously ― that twice was ranked in the top five the past five seasons.
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“I mean, I think the stuff that we were good at, he wanted to keep,” safety Ronnie Hickman said this week, “and the stuff that he was good at, he wanted to bring over. So a lot of it is still the same, but it’s a new DC, so there’s going to be things that are different.”
Obviously, the personnel change at right defensive end is even bigger than even the change at coordinator. You’re going from arguably the best defensive player in the game to a 25-year-old who, while he’s twice been selected for the Pro Bowl, still is coming into his own as an elite pass rusher.
Verse, though, at least gives the Browns’ defensive front an anchor piece to its pass rush. That should allow them to maintain the aggressive get-after-the-quarterback mindset that was central to Schwartz’s previous scheme.
It’s on the back end of the defense where Rutenberg may make his biggest adjustments. His background is in the second and third levels of the defense, either linebackers or defensive backs, and was the defensive pass game coordinator in Atlanta prior to being hired in Cleveland.
“I think from different systems come with different strengths and weaknesses,” defensive backs coach/pass game specialist Brandon Lynch said this week. “Rudy’s background as a DB guy, as a second-level guy, he really brings in our front, our coverages, how we tie into different situations, how we’re trying to affect the quarterback. And then we just really want to force a hitch on the back end. We have the best defensive line in football, so we want to make sure that we can supply the engine.”
If there’s a group that can hang with the defensive line in terms of top-line talent on the Browns, it’s the defensive backs. The starting cornerbacks are a five-time Pro Bowler in Denzel Ward and one of the more underrated under-30 corners in Tyson Campbell, while Grant Delpit, Hickman and rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren provide a strong safety group to start.
Most of that group has played together for at least multiple games, dating back to Week 6 of the 2025 season when Campbell was acquired for cornerback Greg Newsome II from the Jacksonville Jaguars. That at least gives them an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each other.
One of the strengths of that secondary under Schwartz was their ability to run man-to-man coverage, which they did more than any other team in the league. How much, though, will that change with Rutenberg remains to be seen.
“I think it’s everybody being able to play man, zone blitz coverage, anything,” Campbell said Aug. 7. “We all have versatility in those areas.”
The secret sauce to the succes the Schwartz scheme had was the synergy between the pass rush and that coverage. That’s something that, at least early on in training camp, appears to remain the same with Rutenberg.
One thing that Rutenberg has added is the coverage disguises with the back end of the defense. That’s created another hurdle for the quarterback to clear before they can safely get rid of the ball.
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That’s something all of the Browns’ quarterbacks have struggled with over the first nine days. They went into the ninth practice, which was just in helmets, having come up with 14 interceptions already.
“Yeah, anything to make the quarterback ― offenses are based off of space and timing,” Campbell said. “So anything to make the quarterback hold the ball longer, make him think, and think himself into making mistakes. That’s what defense is all about.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What ways has new Browns DC Mike Rutenberg evolved defensive scheme?
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
