There are times in professional sports when everything seems cursed. Not entire organizations, though Cleveland Browns supporters understand that sentiment, but sometimes a specific position or picking a guy from a specific school simply does not work. For the Browns, the free safety position has taken on that feeling recently, with two free agent additions, John Johnson III and Juan Thornhill, arriving with great expectations, excellent reputations, and proven track records… only to fail. Thornhill and JJ3 were released after June 1st to spread out their cap hits from the free-agent signing that gave Cleveland hope for the free safety position. Johnson never regained his old form after two seasons with the Browns, but Thornhill hopes to do so with Cleveland’s AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers:

Thornhill appeared in only 22 games for Cleveland after four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, recording 103 tackles, four passes defended, three quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. Fans frequently questioned his effort on the field, and the absence of major plays (zero turnovers or sacks) indicated that the Browns’ salary was not worth keeping him. Minkah Fitzpatrick, one of the NFL’s top safeties, leads the Steelers’ secondary, which also includes veteran DeShon Elliott at strong safety. Thornhill may play as a third safety or provide injury insurance for Pittsburgh.