The quartet of players who made up the starting secondary for the Cleveland Browns in 2015 talked a good game throughout training camp and the preseason.
The group was coming off a successful first year in former head coach Mike Pettine’s defense and were openly talking about how they were ready to challenge the Legion of Boom in Seattle for the title of the NFL’s best secondary.
Then, as often happens with the Browns, the regular season began and reality set in.
Age caught up with strong safety Donte Whitner, free safety Tashaun Gipson was ineffective after returning from a season-ending knee injury, cornerback Joe Haden was limited to five games due to injuries and multiple concussions, and cornerback Tramon Williams became so disenfranchised with former defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil that his heart was clearly not in the game by the end of the season.