In Cleveland in December, it’s a case of the spy that came in from the cold, or perhaps it’s going out in the cold. One former Bears safety may have provided the Browns with information about the Bears defense this week. But now that he’s playing the Bears on Sunday, there’s a chance it will go beyond this. Before being waived, Duron Harmon played for the Bears from October 3 through November 8.
In three games, Harmon recorded six tackles, but he was forced to start the Bears’ road loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. When Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker, or both, were hurt, he was in on 84 plays in all. Due to all the injuries the Browns secondary sustained, Harmon was added to the practice squad on November 22 and may now play against the Bears on Sunday. Thus, Harmon’s presence in Cleveland is more than just a ruse to obtain opponent information. For the Raiders in 2022, Harmon totaled 76 tackles and two interceptions.
Anthony Moeglin, writing for FanNation’s Browns Digest, described a secondary that faces Justin Fields that is full of unknowns and might even be in need of prayer.
Safety Grant Delpit was added to the injured reserve list by the Browns, who had already lost defensive tackle Maurice Hurst and edge rusher Ogo Okoronkwo to injury in the same week. Juan Thornhill, their safety, is sidelined this week because of a calf injury. Denzel Ward, an all-Pro cornerback, was not guaranteed to start for Moeglin on Sunday. He is dubious, and he didn’t practice much during the week.
Due to a shoulder injury, he has been sidelined since November 19. The Browns will start D’Anthony Bell and Ronnie Hickman as backups at safety, with Harmon possibly getting some playing time. They do have former Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome who can play the position if Ward is unable to play. In any case, having so many reserves start in the secondary is never a good thing, so the Browns will undoubtedly rely heavily on their formidable front seven, which includes Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith, and Dalvin Tomlinson, to pose issues for Justin Fields.
