Woods would love to have Wilson back Sunday if he's ready. Wilson's speed provided a big boost in the defense's overall tackling abilities last year, and he has helped fill some of the leadership gap the group felt with the departures of longtime LBs Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey, who both left Cleveland in free agency last offseason.
"Mack's a highly competitive player," Woods said. "He brings that toughness to the defense. When he's out there, he's going 100 miles per hour, and I think guys feed off that energy. I think getting him back in the fold will be critical for us defensively just because of what he brings to the entire team."
Johnson's return comes after much uncertainty in the weeks after he suffered a liver laceration during a collision to the ground midway through training camp.
The scary injury briefly put Johnson in the hospital before he was released and made his way back to the team. He's watched practices from the sidelines since he rejoined the Browns, but coaches have been eager to see Johnson participate again after he became an early standout player in training camp.
Johnson, who is one of the most versatile players in the secondary, made most of his big plays in camp from the slot CB position. He'll likely be asked to help in that role again when he returns to in-game action.
"I feel blessed that I'm able to be back out there and practice," Johnson said Monday. "I'm so excited to be a part of this team and getting to work, continuing to work."
When Williams makes his season debut, the Browns starting CBs will be at full strength for the first time all season. Williams was expected to play alongside Denzel Ward as the top two corners on the roster, but he missed the final half of training camp with a shoulder injury.
Williams was a formidable starting CB last season and made 47 tackles and two pass deflections. At 22 years old, Williams has plenty of growth left in his game, and his and Johnson's return should provide a much needed spark to a secondary that has allowed 555 passing yards through two games.
"It's definitely a big boost," Woods said. "Both of those guys, they're young guys, but they're guys that have been starters in the league who have proved they can play at a high level. Kevin has the ability to play in multiple positions. We just have to be smart moving forward with those guys, not putting anything hard on them in the beginning and easing them back into it."
It's too soon to tell if all three players will be available for Sunday's Week 3 matchup at FirstEnergy Stadium, but their returns alone are great news for the Browns after they entered the season with an injury-depleted defense.
When everyone is back to full health, Woods is confident the defense will only get better.
"We can be more versatile and create some different packages," he said. "I think that's the biggest boost. For the guys who have been playing, now they're gaining confidence. They're out on the game field making some plays, so I think the thing overall for the whole defense is to give us more depth and confidence at each position."
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