Best play of day two -- On a day when good plays seemed elusive, a late throw from Brock Osweiler down the field to Corey Coleman caught everyone's eye, including coach Hue Jackson. The throw knifed through a strong wind to Coleman. Aside from that and a few other plays, though, this was a day of checkdowns and too many balls on the ground. The pads go on on Saturday.
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RB Isaiah Crowell said his agent Drew Rosenhaus is "in heavy communication" with the Browns about a contract extension, but Crowell is not sure where talks stand. "This is where I want to be. I am comfortable with my teammates, love my teammates, love my coaches and just love the city of Cleveland," said Crowell, who can be a free agent after the season.
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Best play on day one -- A deep pump-and-go from Cody Kessler to Kenny Britt for a 40-yard TD past Joe Haden got the fans pumped up, but Brock Osweiler had the best day throwing the ball. Among his passes was a thread-the-needle throw to J.P. Hotlz on a deep cross that would have been a gain of about 20. There wasn't much room to put the ball, as Holtz was well covered.
It was on TV and it was also stated by QB Coach Lee which is how I think it was quoted on TV from. When Lee was describing his adjustment for Kessler to narrow his step on his throw. Sorry no link would take me the better part of the day and I got a game in 4 hours...
Defense wins championships. Watson play your butt off! Go Browns! CHRIST HAS RISEN! GM Strong! & Stay safe everyone!
Just from what I had seen at draft breakdown during last year there was never a question in my mind about his talent.
He has the physical skill set to be a great quarterback.
The problem was inconsistency which I attributed to inexperience.
Kizer 's challenge will be like any rookie. Adjusting to the NFL. Speed, sophistication, technique, etc. It is all about the professional level.
Kizer seems like a bright young man. Hopefully his learning curve will be short. However, people will need patience because there will be a learning curve.
Kizer has an incredibly strong arm ... he makes it look so easy and effortless at times ... u guys are going to be AWED at some of the things this kid can do .... theres going to be a lot of WOW's .... when he's on its a thing of buety ....
He's still a 21 year old rookie .... with some flaws ... its going to take some time .... i hope he doesn't get rushed .... u guys are gonna think I'm crazy after he makes a few jaw dropping deep throws ... just warning u ... *L* ...
lol, this is why we drafted him. You make it sound like it's been some well kept secret.
On another note, some good social media camp video here:
Owner Jimmy Haslam preaches patience, shares vision for Browns
By: Jeff Risdon | 2 hours ago
Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam met with the gathered media before the first padded practice of 2017 training camp on Saturday. The owner seemed relaxed and eager to see some football as he laid out his de facto “state of the Browns” and his expectations for the season and years to come.
After an odd opening where he led a twangy rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’, Haslam got down to business.
“Feel good about the offseason,” the owner declared. “I think when you accomplish what we said we would accomplish in terms of signing almost all of our existing players, adding some really good free agents and having hopefully what was not only a really good draft in ’17 but position ourselves for ’18.”
Before he opened it up for questions, Haslam addressed the losing culture and the path he and the front office have envisioned to escape it.
“I understand we’ve only won four games in the last two years and only won one last year, so we are very realistic about where we are. At the same time, we’re gonna be patient. We’re gonna do it right. We’re gonna build through the draft, selectively use free agency, not take shortcuts and try to produce a team that will consistently win games.”
In addition, Haslam noted what he really wants,
“We haven’t done it yet but have said many times, provide the fans of Northeast Ohio with the kind of team they deserve in the Cleveland Browns.”
He noted he is “an extremely impatient person” but “have (sic) learned the hard way” that NFL success does not come easy and cannot be rushed. Haslam reiterated the desire to remain patient and get the right people in place to build a winner several more times over the 15-minute Q&A period.
You can watch the full interview here, courtesy of the Cleveland Browns.
Our take These are important lessons for Haslam to learn and they’ve been incredibly painful for Browns fans to suffer through. It’s great the owner is acknowledging his learning curve and admitting that what he’s tried so far has not worked.
He is smart to talk up the bright future and the clear path the team has towards achieving it. Acquiring all those draft picks and investing so heavily in a lot of high-end young talents is the smart way to go, but it might take more time for the overhaul to translate into wins.
For many in Cleveland, that sure sounds a lot like “wait ’til next year”. The thing is, for the first time in a very long time that might actually be a legitimate claim for the Browns. Enjoy the building process this year as the likes of Myles Garrett, Jamie Collins, Jabrill Peppers, Corey Coleman, Duke Johnson and others grow together into a team that should viably contend for a playoff berth in 2018 and beyond.
I like it. He sends the right message and doesn't whitewash it. Of course, he sells the upside, but there's nothing wrong with that.
It's refreshing to have ownership own up. Now, he just needs to keep walkin' the walk. Otherwise, he just needs to divert a couple of his tankers to the stadium and start pumping.... burn that thing to the ground.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
Browns training camp snapshot (Day 3): Hue Jackson reprimands players after Danny Shelton jumps into fight By Nate Ulrich Beacon Journal sports writer 0 Shares 0 Comment(s) Published: July 29, 2017 - 06:28 PM
Saturday’s developments Defensive tackle Danny Shelton delivered a warning before the Browns practiced in pads for the first time this summer. “It is going to be really heated,” Shelton said in the morning. “I know it is going to get crazy.” When a fight broke out in the afternoon during team drills, Shelton escalated the skirmish by literally jumping into the fray and throwing punches. “He almost got two minutes [in the penalty box] from me,” coach Hue Jackson quipped after the third practice of training camp. After the fight had been broken up -- it’s unclear how it started -- Jackson called the entire team together and reprimanded his players. “We’re all men and tempers are going to flare from time to time, but we’ve got to take care of each other,” Jackson said. “I know there are going to be some scuffles, but I want them to be the right kind of scuffles. We’re teammates.” Jackson thought Shelton crossed a line by leaping into the pile. “Danny’s like my son,” Jackson said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Danny, but Danny knows there’s a way we’re going to do things. And he gets it, and we’ll get all that stuff corrected.”
• Rookie tight end David Njoku continued to struggle, letting one DeShone Kizer pass go through his hands and dropping another a day after defensive backs stripped him of the ball twice.
• Is Njoku pressing? “He’s just trying to work as hard as he can,” Jackson replied. “We’ve got to get through that phase. I’ve seen this before, and there’s no question in my mind he’s going to come out the other side of it. He also made a really good play later [when he caught a pass from Kevin Hogan], so I know it’s there. He’s just got to do it consistently, and that’s what I’m going to push him to do. I think he’ll do it.”
• Speaking before practice, Njoku said fumbling is uncharacteristic for him. “I’m not concerned,” said Njoku, the 29th overall pick in this year’s draft. “I’m just going to work that much harder to hold onto the ball after every catch, tuck it and finish every play.”
• The running backs gained big chunks of yardage during the first live action of camp, with recent waiver pick-up Brandon Wilds and rookie seventh-round pick Matthew Dayes catching Jackson’s eye. Wilds ran for a 22-yard touchdown off the side occupied by rookie defensive end Myles Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick. “We brought a young man in here today that looked pretty impressive to me running the football. I want to find out more about him,” Jackson said of Wilds. “And Dayes, both those guys, they flashed.”
• The quarterback rotation remained the same, with Cody Kessler and Kizer splitting first-team repetitions. Kessler lofted a pass along the sideline to wide receiver Kenny Britt, but Britt dropped it. He also was nearly intercepted by middle linebacker Tank Carder on another pass to Britt. Kizer threw to receiver Rannell Hall, but cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun broke it up, and undrafted rookie safety Kai Nacua dived to intercept. Kizer completed two nice passes in his final series: a comeback to Hall into a tight window and a slant to Britt.
• Kickers Zane Gonzalez and Cody Parkey took lumps on a windy day. They both went 3-for-5 on field goals. Gonzalez missed from 45 and 55 yards. His longest make was from 50 yards. Parkey missed from 45 and 50 yards. His longest make was from 55. “Let’s get the ball in the upright,” Jackson said. “Too many times it’s going on the other side. That kind of puts a little damper on everything.”
• Linebacker James Burgess had the first big hit of camp when he popped Dayes.
• Receiver Corey Coleman ran a fade along the sideline and caught a pass from Hogan against cornerback Jason McCourty, who Jackson said could still experiment at free safety at some point.
• Right guard John Greco (Lisfranc surgery in December) and center Austin Reiter (ACL surgery in October) returned to team drills and worked with the No. 2 offense. “That tells you they really want to be out there,” Jackson said. “... We’ve got a lot of [roster] decisions to make down the road. It’s way too early to talk about those, but there are some really good football players that are playing up front for us.”
• Free safety Ed Reynolds (left knee) and offensive lineman Chris Barker (left ankle) left practice with injuries and will be further evaluated.
• Free safety Derrick Kindred returned to practice after sitting out Friday with heat-related cramps. He forced tight end Seth DeValve to fumble.
• Left tackle Joe Thomas appeared in team drills for the first time this summer, but he still hasn’t lined up against Garrett, who’s been working with the second unit.
• Center Gabe Ikard (undisclosed) missed practice for the second consecutive day.
Browns' heralded defense gashed by Hue Jackson's invigorated run game 6:29 PM ET Tony Grossi ESPN Cleveland
Editor's note: Tony Grossi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN 850 WKNR.
More takeaways from Day 3 of Browns training camp …
1. A mauling: Can’t even imagine the tone of defensive meetings Saturday night with coordinator Gregg Williams. Ever since Williams joined Hue Jackson’s staff on Jan.7, defense has dominated the Browns. But on the first practice in full pads, Williams’ defense: A. Was gashed for 80 yards and a touchdown in 11 plays of a live tackling drill, surrendering chunk runs of 13 yards and 7 to Isaiah Crowell, 11 to Duke Johnson, 27 to rookie Matthew Dayes, 7 to Terrance Magee, and 7 and 22 for a TD to newly arrived Brandon Wilds; B. Allowed the TD scamper on a run over left tackle right at prized right end Myles Garrett; C. Saw second-team free safety Ed Reynolds go down with an injury to his left knee on the TD run; D. Received admonishment for a brawl escalated when tackle Danny Shelton leaped “over the rope” and did a Tongan Smash on a pile of combatants. Shelton, who would have earned a 10-minute misconduct in a hockey game for leaving the sideline in a fight, drew a strong rebuke from Jackson. “He almost got two minutes from me,” Jackson said, after a cooling-off period. “We will continue to work. Danny is like my son. I have a lot of respect for Danny, but Danny knows that there is a way we are going to do things. He gets it, and we will get all of that stuff corrected.” Shelton practically foretold what was to come when he said in an interview session earlier in the day, “It’s gonna be really heated. I know it’s gonna get crazy in there.”
2. Setting a tone: Jackson has preached a renewed commitment to the running game, and it seemed as if he were setting that tone starting with the first live tackling period. In that series, Jackson called 10 run plays in 11 snaps. The only pass was a short misfire from DeShone Kizer behind receiver Jordan Leslie. Each of the three offensive line units enjoyed success smashing holes for the backs. When asked if he intended to set the tone for a smash-mouth offensive philosophy this year, Jackson said with a laugh, “Come on, you are giving them too much information out there. No, there are just some things we were trying to get accomplished in practice today, that’s all.”
3. Not all bad: The defense was not without a few highlights. In the live tackling drill, linebacker James Burgess de-cleated Dayes for a loss. (Dayes bounced right up and would rip off an 18-yard gain four plays later.) In a regular team drill, cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun popped receiver Ranell Hall’s helmet off with a hit, deflecting a Kizer pass on the money that was intercepted by safety Kai Nacua.
4. Get used to it: The kickers had a rough day navigating an unusually windy day in late July. Each missed 2 of 5 field-goal tries. Incumbent Cody Parkey banged the left upright from 45 yards and was wide right from 50. Rookie Zane Gonzalez was wide left from 45 and also nailed the left post from 55 yards. Parkey made the last try from 55 yards and Gonzalez made one from 50. Asked for his reaction, Jackson said, “Just get the ball in the upright. Too many times it is going on the other side. That kind of puts a little damper on everything. I know those guys are working hard, but we do have to play the elements. We play in the elements. We are going to deal with that wind and all of that down at our stadium, and that is what I said to them. We have some work to do there.” It was enough for Jackson to blow the whistle and call off the day after about 90 minutes of work. “I saw what I needed to see for today, and let’s get back out here tomorrow and do some work,” he said.
5. Quarterback update: On a light day of throwing, Kizer threw best. A pair of throws stood out – one laser to David Njoku, which the rookie tight end bobbled; and another to Kenny Britt on a slant on which cornerback Jamar Taylor lost his footing reacting to the ball whizzing by. The numbers in team drills, courtesy of ESPN Cleveland’s Jason Gibbs: Kessler, 3 of 6; Osweiler, 2 of 6; Kizer 3 of 7 (INT); Hogan, 5 of 7. Overall through three days: Kessler, 13 of 20; Osweiler, 15 of 24; Kizer, 11 of 20 (INT); Hogan, 12 of 19.
[quote=jacksondawg]thank you for the update live reports are always good [/quote x2 thanks guys
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
I wish we had a reporter who really knew football. Instead of just telling us the qbs attempts and completions and the RBs yardage, I wish they could tell us things like how long the qbs were holding the ball, the distance of the throws, if they are going through progressions, etc and if an o-lineman made a key block of if a DT got blown up, etc. I wish they would be able to speak to route running and if the FS is reading what the offense is doing. Things like that.
Sportswriters tend to be guys who never were good enough to play. They give us a bunch of generic information that really doesn't add up to much.
I remember years ago when some of us went up to TC and gave our reports on what was happening. Of course, some of those reports were very slanted, but there was also a lot of good information in some of the reports. That was kinda cool.
Haslam reiterated the desire to remain patient and get the right people in place to build a winner several more times over the 15-minute Q&A period.
Sounds like vague backwards talk that allows him to still fire people whenever he wants because they weren't "the right people" obviously because we "only won 5 games in 2017"
"But these next guys..."
(I'll believe he's patient when I see it)
Am I the only one that pronounces hyperbole "Hyper-bowl" instead of "hy-per-bo-le"?
Hmmmm..........I don't know what to think. Can anyone really be that dumb? Dumb isn't the right word, but he has to have heard all of the backlash from all the firings and how it hasn't worked. It would seem that he would have learned from those mistakes.
I think the best thing some of us fans can do is defend the coaches this year. Our record will most certainly be terrible and the high expectations will turn into assigning blame for some folks. If the majority of fans keep preaching patience and to stay the course, perhaps we can avoid more firings.
The best thing for us to do as Browns fans this season is to stick together and support this team. I feel we may only win 4-5 games but I really believe we are on the right track, building a solid foundation and have the best FO and coaching staff since we've come back. It's my opinion I don't know if I'm right but I feel it's the best course at this time. It's hard for Browns fans to be patient and positive but that's what this team needs right now.
Can’t even imagine the tone of defensive meetings Saturday night with coordinator Gregg Williams. Ever since Williams joined Hue Jackson’s staff on Jan.7, defense has dominated the Browns. But on the first practice in full pads, Williams’ defense: A. Was gashed for 80 yards and a touchdown in 11 plays of a live tackling drill, surrendering chunk runs of 13 yards and 7 to Isaiah Crowell, 11 to Duke Johnson, 27 to rookie Matthew Dayes, 7 to Terrance Magee, and 7 and 22 for a TD to newly arrived Brandon Wilds; B. Allowed the TD scamper on a run over left tackle right at prized right end Myles Garrett;
Well on one hand this really sucks. Defense is supposed to be ahead of the offense, we have a new coach, and a supposed beat of a D-line but we still can't stop the run. On the other hand, we may have a decent O-line and an actual run game.
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C. Saw second-team free safety Ed Reynolds go down with an injury to his left knee on the TD run
Hope it's not serious. I think we'll need him.
Also, doesn't sound like it was a very good day for the QBs and/or the WRs & TEs.
Yes, I know it's early. Still, you'd like to start seeing some success instead of reading about all the freaking miscues.
"I am undeterred and I am undaunted." --Kevin Stefanski
"Big hairy American winning machines." --Baker Mayfield
I like it. He sends the right message and doesn't whitewash it. Of course, he sells the upside, but there's nothing wrong with that.
It's refreshing to have ownership own up. Now, he just needs to keep walkin' the walk. Otherwise, he just needs to divert a couple of his tankers to the stadium and start pumping.... burn that thing to the ground.
This is a great post regarding Haslam (Dee and Jimmy included.)
Keep walking the walk, have patience and let this ride keep building. I haven't had this much confidence going into a season for a long time actually, and I'm not saying we're going to the playoffs, I'm just indicating I feel we have a team that should be showing a great deal of improvement.
IMO, the 2017 season should be the focus of ownership and management. I'm not sure what kind of message you send to the locker room when owner portrays the present season as complete unknown, but in the same breath, publicly proclaim the Browns will be a better team in 2018.
I know darn well the coaching staff is not preaching that kind of outlook to their players for this season. The correct message imo, be the best you can be with the goal of winning as many games as they can, this season.
To me, Haslam's comments are on track with his 1/3/16 statements when he fired Farmer/Pettine and promoted Sashi. He may sound more encouraged by the way the plan has worked out in the meantime, but the overall message remains the same, we're building through the draft, we're not taking shortcuts, we're not expecting overnight success but long-term, fundamental improvement. A lot of folks dismissed his comments then as saying what he was supposed to say, but what I see is him recognizing, understanding, and sticking with a long-term plan.
1. #GMstrong 2. "I'm just trying to be the best Nick I can be." ~ Nick Chubb 3. Forgive me Elf, I didn’t have faith. ~ Tulsa 4. ClemenZa #1
IMO, the 2017 season should be the focus of ownership and management. I'm not sure what kind of message you send to the locker room when owner portrays the present season as complete unknown, but in the same breath, publicly proclaim the Browns will be a better team in 2018.
I think he's being realistic to the fact we have a ton of young men on the team, many going into their first or second year - and they need time to develop.
Even Jimmy himself said it's rare to find rookies that will year one "tear it up" I believe is what he said, so I think the message would be clear:
Work hard and get better, we're counting on you for that and for our future.
A) 273 lbs, 4.63 40, 35.5" vert, 10'1" broad B) 272 lbs, 4.64 40, 41" vert, 10'8" broad
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
Too many are forgetting how well Ogbah played at times last season. Best rook among the '16 draft class to pair with Garrett.
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
I'm not sure what kind of message you send to the locker room when owner portrays the present season as complete unknown, but in the same breath, publicly proclaim the Browns will be a better team in 2018.
I doubt the players are too worried, or will even see/hear, about a cursory comment by the owner in late July.
At DT, context and meaning are a scarecrow kicking at moving goalposts.
Mary Kay Cabot‏Verified account @MaryKayCabot 13m13 minutes ago More Some other #Browns not practicing today: Kenny Britt, Corey Coleman, Joe Thomas, Bitonio, Greco
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Corey Coleman hurt again?
being a browns fan is like taking your dog to vet every week to be put down...
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
Rookie watch — Seventh-round pick Matthew Dayes has opened some eyes, including those of Hue Jackson, who said Dayes uses being picked in the seventh round as motivation. His day included taking an inside handoff during a goal-line drill, running left, planting and spinning to the right before burrowing his way into three players to score. share
36m Pat McManamon ESPN Staff Writer
Best play on day four — The offense had a rough go protecting the quarterback early, but in red zone and goal-line work did some nice things. Cody Kessler and DeShone Kizer both had lovely corner throws for touchdowns, and Brock Osweiler put a pass to a diving Duke Johnson in the only place it could be. All were excellent throws. Hue Jackson conceded there were "some" good plays. "I think we left some others out there," Jackson said. share
41m Pat McManamon ESPN Staff Writer
Hue Jackson said that safety Ed Reynolds II will miss significant time with an undisclosed knee injury. The injury is not a torn ACL. The team does not yet know if Reynolds will need surgery. Tough break for a guy who contributed in 2016 after being promoted from the practice squad in October. share
Browns defense rebounds with six sacks after humbling performance against the run 6:51 PM ET
Tony GrossiESPN Cleveland
Editor's note: Tony Grossi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN 850 WKNR.
More takeaways from Day 4 of Browns training camp …
1. Defense strikes back: After allowing 80 yards on 11 runs the day before, coordinator Gregg Williams chewed out his defense. “It was intense,” said end Emmanuel Ogbah. “He just said that we can’t let that happen to us and we are better than that. He got on us for doing that stuff, but it is all good. We are going to fix it for sure.” So, with the offensive script changed to situational passing and several prominent offensive starters sitting out, the defense had a better day. In 17 plays in the live tackling period, the offense failed to make it into the end zone. DeShone Kizer found tight end David Njoku open in the end zone, but linebacker Dominque Alexander closed that window fast and tipped the ball off Njoku’s breadbasket. In a two-minute drill – with no tackling – the defense had three touch sacks in a four-play sequence as Cody Kessler froze each time with the ball in his hand. That was not good. Then Brock Osweiler suffered one called sack and got away with a faux TD to receiver Jordan Leslie after linebacker Joe Schobert quit on his pass rush, thinking the whistle should have been blown. End Nate Orchard rejected a Kizer pass and safety Ibraheim Campbell scored a sack on a blitz of Kizer. There were a few nice throws made by each of the quarterbacks, but, overall, this was a day the defense struck back. “Obviously, we don’t want the sacks,” coach Hue Jackson said. “I want the defense to get more turnovers. I want the offense not to give up the sacks and take care of the ball better and all that.”
2. The Duke: The running backs have had an early resurgence at this camp, but none of the talk surrounding the position has focused on Duke Johnson -- until Sunday. With Isaiah Crowell getting the day off, Johnson prominently showed his versatility in the offense. In the live tackling period, Johnson lined up in the backfield on fourth-and-1, took Osweiler’s handoff and scooted around the right edge for a 6-yard gain. At the end of the hot day, Johnson scored on consecutive plays in a red zone drill. First, he dived for a low Osweiler pass to beat safety Calvin Pryor. Then he took an Osweiler pass in the left flat and fought his way through a few defenders to the end zone. While rookie seventh-round draft choice Matthew Dayes has been impressive early, make no mistake that Johnson’s place as a running and receiving back is secure. “Duke’s doing sensational,” Jackson said. “We ask a lot of Duke. He’s very valuable.” There has been talk of Johnson perhaps transitioning to the role of slot receiver. Jackson wouldn’t go that far, but said, “He’s just doing everything. I think he’s a weapon for us, so we’re trying to use him as much as we can.”
3. Quarterback update: From the eagle eyes of ESPN Cleveland’s Jason Gibbs, Sunday’s passing numbers in team drills: Kessler, 6 of 10; Osweiler, 7 of 14; Kizer, 6 of 13; Kevin Hogan, 2 of 5. Totals through four days: Kessler, 19 of 30; Osweiler, 22 of 38; Kizer, 17 of 33; Hogan, 7 of 12.
4. Brownie bits: Jackson confirmed the knee injury to safety Ed Reynolds will cause him to miss “significant time.” Jackson wouldn’t give any more details ... The right tackle battled between Shon Coleman and Cam Erving has been a little choppy because Coleman has received a lot of reps at left tackle when Joe Thomas is off. But Jackson said he is not concerned because “we have to find out if one of those guys can play left tackle for the future, too.” Overall: “I feel good about them both.” … The Browns waived offensive tackle Chris Barker with an injury designation and signed tackle Kitt O’Brien.
tough news for Reynolds. he stepped in admirably last year
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
Browns Camp Notes: Sacks And Red Zone TDs Highlight Day 4 July 30, 2017 6:46 PM By Daryl Ruiter | 92.3 The Fan
BEREA (92.3 The Fan) – Sacks and touchdowns in the red zone highlighted the fourth practice of training camp.
Gregg Williams’ defense got after the quarterbacks during team 11-on-11 drills dropping QBs for sacks 6 times in the span of 11 plays.
“Obviously, we don’t want the sacks,” head coach Hue Jackson said of his offense. “I want the defense to get more turnovers. I want the offense not to give up the sacks and take care of the ball better.”
It should be noted that Joel Bitonio and Joe Thomas were not on the field Sunday when Cody Kessler was virtually sacked three times over a 4-snap stretch that also included a false start by tight end Seth DeValve. DeShone Kizer was bagged twice and Brock Osweiler once over 4 team 11-on-11 periods: siren, 2-minute drill, red zone and goal to go.
Ibraheim Campbell, Christian Kirksey, Cam Johnson, Desmond Bryant, Joe Schobert and Xavier Cooper tallied the sacks while Nate Orchard batted down a ball from Kizer. Schobert’s sack actually came before Kizer found receiver Jordan Leslie deep on a double move. Leslie celebrated the score but Jackson blew the play dead and said that Kizer was in the grass.
“We understand that it is just four days,” Jackson said. “We just have to keep working. I’m just trying not to make too big of where we are. We just have a lot of work to do as a football team.”
Osweiler ended the day with a hot hand in the red zone throwing 3 consecutive touchdown passes – 2 to running back Duke Johnson and the other to receiver Rashard Higgins – before misfiring on his final throw and the final whistle of the day blew.
Johnson figures to be even more of a multi-purpose weapon running and catching for Jackson this year.
“He is doing sensationally. We ask a lot of Duke,” Jackson said. “Duke is doing a lot of things for us. He is a terrific football player. Glad he is a part of our organization and team. He is very valuable to what we do.”
QB Derby – The quarterbacks aren’t exactly lighting it up early in camp.
Unofficially Kessler went 3-7 with a touchdown and 3 sacks and Kizer 5-10 with a touchdown and sack during the 4 team periods mentioned earlier. Osweiler had the best day statistically going 6-12 with 3 touchdowns and 2 sacks.
Although Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman weren’t on the field, Jackson still expects plays to be made.
“You still have to be able to put the ball in the end zone and find a way to get your offense executed,” Jackson said. “We will evaluate this tape just as hard as we would if those other guys were there.”
Early Surprise – Running back Matt Dayes, selected in the seventh round continues to turn heads early in camp.
Dayes scored during a goal-to-go drill late when he started left, spun right and pushed through three defenders to score late in practice.
“He has a chip on his shoulder,” Jackson said. “I don’t [feed into that]. I think the kid does. I think he is disappointed in that way that he didn’t get picked earlier, but he is demonstrating out here on the field the talent that he has. He has had a great camp so far.”
Saturday afternoon Dayes had a 25-yard burst up the middle that drew ohhs and ahhhs from the crowd.
Cold Tubs – A row of tubs and inflatable pools lined the east end of the practice fields Sunday for players to take a dip after practice.
It’s all part of the team’s strategy to prevent the rash of soft tissue injuries that have plagued the team in the past during camp
“There have been reports and data and all that stuff that three days of running like this, all of the sudden, that is when all the pulls and all the soft tissue injuries happen,” Jackson said. “Making them get in these ice tubs as a football team, hopefully, that will help with recovery better so that we can miss some of the soft tissue issues.”
As part of that program Jackson continues to limit practice time as well.
Sunday WRs Britt and Coleman, CBs Joe Haden and Jason McCourty, RB Isaiah Crowell, C Austin Reiter, LT Thomas, LG Bitonio, OL John Greco and TE Randall Telfer worked on the side.
Injury Report – Safety Ed Reynolds will miss “significant time” according to Jackson with the knee injury suffered Saturday. It is not a torn ACL according to the team but no timetable is set for his return.
Roster Move – The Browns signed OL Kitt O’Brien and waived OL Chris Barker with an injury designation. Barker was carted off during Saturday’s practice with a left Achilles injury. O’Brown, who spent 2 seasons with the Colts practice squad, played 2 years (2013-14) with the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League.
sounds to me like Hue loves what Duke brings to the table. like he's going to be the focal point of our offense
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
IMO, the 2017 season should be the focus of ownership and management. I'm not sure what kind of message you send to the locker room when owner portrays the present season as complete unknown, but in the same breath, publicly proclaim the Browns will be a better team in 2018.
I know darn well the coaching staff is not preaching that kind of outlook to their players for this season. The correct message imo, be the best you can be with the goal of winning as many games as they can, this season.
There should be no mention of 2018...imo.
Are you suggesting he "KNOWS" what the future holds?
That was one of the most honest News conferences I've seen from Haslam. He wasn't bragging or beating his chest at all. Nice change.
He said he thinks we'll be better and frankly, On paper, I think so also. But any thought for a playoff run is probably very premature.
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
I don't think anyone will be. I think Hue will want to spread the ball around. I think of the word "diversity" when I think of Hue's plan for the offense this year.
I guess it would be Crow if I had to pick one guy, but I think both he and Duke will get a lot of touches.
I think he'll want to use as many WRs and TEs as he can because we don't have that one "go-to" guy, but that will depend on who is--or isn't--performing. And I can't even guess who will do what at this point.
My theory is the reason we haven't seen Duke take more hand offs (because he seems productive each time he runs, even if our running game isn't clicking he finds a way to get yards) is because he doesn't have the frame/body to take the constant punishment.
Crow's the biggest back we have at 225+ lbs. Duke was 210 last time I checked.
In theory with our new line on paper, we could gas out a defense completely with Crow and then finish them up with Duke, all while controlling the clock/time.
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