Cleveland Browns Safety Eric Hagg: With T.J. Ward Out, All Eyes on Former Nebraska Cornhusker

Sunday, November 13, 2011

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By Daniel Wolf 
Senior Writer

A seventh-round draft pick doesn't usually get much press, or playing time in the NFL. This is not the case with Cleveland Browns rookie safety Eric Hagg, who will see playing time against the St. Louis Rams, due to injuries.

Not too many know about Hagg, unless you live in Nebraska, but the former Cornhusker was the MVP of Nebraska's defensive unit in 2010. This was the same defense that produced a first-round draft pick, cornerback Prince Amukamara now playing for the New York Giants.

Just to be able to say the Browns have a former team MVP, who was not a first-round pick is really something to think about—is he that good and a late round steal? Perhaps.

As a senior, Hagg finished his 2010 college season with 49 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, five interceptions and nine passes defended.

Since Browns starting strong safety, T.J. Ward, is out—and could miss 4-6 weeks—Hagg will have his chance to make plays and potentially make an impact early in his NFL career on Sunday. But he will have to do it as a backup still, since Mike Adams will start at free safety and Usama Young at strong safety.

Defensive coordinator Dick Jauron knows Hagg's versatility is one of his biggest assets.

"He’s played both. He’s worked at both," Jauron said at a press conference. "He played a lot of the nickel position in college."

Head coach Pat Shurmur likes what he sees from Hagg on the practice field, too.

"Eric’s done a nice job," Shurmur said at a press conference. "I think he’s a physical tackler and at least the practices and competitive situations I’ve seen him in in training camp, we felt really good about the progress he was making in those competitive situations, which is pretty much the last time we saw him do that. We’re anticipating he’ll play well."

Shurmur has high expectations for Hagg, due to his ballhawk-like instincts seen in college.

"He got his hands on a lot of balls in training camp when we were competing against one another," Shurmur said. "In fact, I’m remembering back to when he hurt his knee in practice, it was a red zone drill where he made a play on the ball and then he kind of just fell on his knee. We [the coaches] had remarked just in the personnel meeting the night before how well he was doing because he had gotten his hand on a lot of balls."

"We’re hopeful and that’s really an important skill for a safety and we’re hoping that he’ll [make some plays on] Sunday."

Whether or not Hagg will make plays on the field remains to be seen, but he was the guy who recovered the ball after defensive tackle Phil Taylor recovered a fumble, then fumbled it himself, last week against the Houston Texans.

It seems like Hagg does have a knack for being around the football and the defense could use a turnover or two against the Rams on Sunday.


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