DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Training Camp Stuff 2017

That is a good theory, but you have to have an effective passing game in order to run the ball in today's NFL. This is not the 1980s.

I know some people don't like to hear it, but teams figured out how to stop the Browns when Cody was the qb last year. They did everything they could to stop the running game and some of the teams [like NE] bracketed Pryor. The bad part is that Pryor is gone and I don't think we have a WR that will demand that type of attention.

In order to effectively run the ball, we are going to need a more complete and viable passing game.

If our line is a bunch of bullies like on paper they seem to be, they will move people out the way regardless of what defense is thrown at them, how many people are in the box, etc.

We have guards that can pull very well for stretch plays, we have the interior people to run inside... if our line holds up and stays healthy, it won't heavily matter how effective the passing game is when we're able to move bodies out of the rb's way. If anything, our run will setup the pass.

All JMO, of course.

I think people are overrating the OL.

We'll see.

I think defense and score differentials were the limiting factors in the amount of carries Crow got.

I agree that they were contributing factors.

I agree to a degree. I do think it takes much less time to gel a running game then it does to gel in the passing game.

When running, you are attacking a specific spot. I am not going to say it isn't important on what happens on the other side of the line, it's just not as important.

In the passing game you are having to defend the pocket that can be attacked from any number of positions or directions, thus the lines of communication and understand who is doing what with all the players is more important.

I think it was those + a bunch more ....

Our qb play .. not only from CK but any of them ..

Our OL SUCKED ...

Our recievers SUCKED ...

Hue admitted he didn't call enough of them ..

There's a laundry list of why we struggled running the ball ... we STUNK at aloof of things last year ...

We didn't have one group other than RB that didn't STINK and wasn't bottom 10 if not bottom 5 or 3 in the NFL ... on O or D ...

We STUNK talent wise last year ... plenty of SUCK to go around ...

Tony Grossi‏Verified account @TonyGrossi 10m10 minutes ago
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Here we go again: Trainer stretching Corey Coleman's hamstrings.

Well, at least they're getting stretched out this time...

Tony Grossi‏Verified account @TonyGrossi 7m7 minutes ago

The water boy has delivered water to the field.


(I've never seen a camp season with so little real information. On the positive side, they seem to be excelling at time off, ice baths, and stretching.)

lets hope

It would seem to me that a good stretching regimen would be a help for someone with hamstring issues.

#Browns Jackson said Caleb Brantley has broken finger, had surgery, out a week or so

https://twitter.com/MaryKayCabot/status/892130267950874624

Lol. A trainer stretching a receiver's hamstring during a hot summer practice isn't news.

So...are you saying that we simply weren't any good last year?

\purple

Perhaps.

But, a professional athlete, with complete and total access to the best hydration/trainer techniques, etc............that has a history of this, well, maybe it IS news.

Based on his history its definetly news ... what exactly it means is an entirely different story ... hopefully its preventive and pre-cautionary and not addressing anything like tightness ...

Who knows ... as usual, time will tell ...

Coleman was one of four players who stayed after practice to run.

Along with Kessler, Kizer, and some wide receiver from Alabama that I've never heard of.

I didn't know of Mullaney either.

Cramps could have been the issue ... who knows ...

Thanks for the update on him running after practice ... hopefully he's not on a bike tomorrow ... *L* ...

I agree. We don't know what that means. Was this in pre-practice warm up's or after he was running a play?

I have said it before, if I was in charge, I would have stylized Yoga instruction for all of the position groups.

Receivers and DSBs, mostly leg work. Lineman, mostly arms and upper body. Runningbacks, a combination of the two.

All this weightlifting has their muscles as taut as piano strings. Strength without flexibility isn't a good combination.

Maybe it works for weightlifters, but that's about it in the sports world.

He won't be.... No practice.

BO prolly ran with the two's ... ...

The door was just too wide open ... someone had to say it ... *L* ...

Hue Jackson will review quarterback rotation after team scrimmage on Friday
7:05 PM ET
Tony Grossi
ESPN Cleveland


Editor's note: Tony Grossi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN 850 WKNR.

More takeaways from Day 5 of Browns training camp …

1. No change in order: Through five days, none of the quarterbacks has separated from the competition, and that’s not surprising. So Hue Jackson doesn’t find the need to change the batting order of Cody Kessler with the first team, Brock Osweiler second and DeShone Kizer third. They will head that way into the team scrimmage in FirstEnergy Stadium on Friday. “Obviously, we are closer to making decisions than we are not as you keep going every day,” Jackson said. “I have seen some good things from our guys. I have seen some things we have to keep improving at. Once we can get a whole unit out there playing, I will feel much better.” Jackson indicated he would consider a change in rotation after reviewing the scrimmage. Kessler has been hesitant in releasing the ball, drawing five sacks the past two days and improvising to a deflating fourth-down dump-off to tight end Randall Telfer in a two-minute drill on Monday. But it sounds as if Kessler’s ball security and short-range accuracy are what continues to attract him to the coach. He was 11 of 13 overall in all team drills on Tuesday. “The thing I’m most pleased about is the ball isn’t going to the other team a lot,” Jackson said. “If we play good defense, are able to run the football, take care of the ball and get turnovers on defense, then good things can happen.” With those words, Jackson pretty much laid out his path to winning a few games this season.

2. Take that: Gregg Williams’ defense again had the upper hand in the live tackling “siren” drill. In the first part – short-yardage situations – the offense was successful on two of eight snaps. Brandon Wilds converted a third-and-1 run with a prolonged push by the line on one, and Osweiler passed to fullback Dan Vitale for 3 yards on another. Then everyone moved down to the goal line for snaps originating from the 3-yard line. Here are the results of the nine plays: Isaiah Crowell stuffed for no game, Crowell 2-yard gain, Matthew Dayes 1-yard gain, Wilds tripped up by tackle Xavier Cooper for a 3-yard loss, Osweiler missing tight end J.P. Holtz on a play-fake pass, Crowell for no gain, Kessler off a play-fake dropping in a corner fade to tight end David Njoku over linebacker Kenneth Olugbode, Terrence Magee lit up for a 2-yard loss by safety Ibraheim Campbell, and Magee stuffed for no gain by end Cam Johnson. Nine plays, seven run fails and one TD on a pass.

3. The rest of the story: Unlike on Saturday, when the offensive line’s dominated, the offense did not employ four starters – Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, JC Tretter and Kevin Zeitler. Perhaps Jackson was throwing the defense a bone. “Anytime you play Gregg Williams at the goal line and you try to run it every play, it is not good for your health,” Jackson said. “I have had all my offensive line before going against Gregg, and that situation is different because of the style we play. Obviously, they play a little different style than most down there. Sometimes running the ball may not be the best, whether those guys were in there or not. Our defense did a good job.”

4. Quarterback update: According to ESPN Cleveland’s Jason Gibbs, these were the passing numbers in team drills for the day: Kessler, 11 of 13 and three TDs; Osweiler, 9 of 16; DeShone Kizer, 6 of 10; and Kevin Hogan, 3 of 3 and a TD. Through five days: Kessler, 30 of 43; Osweiler, 22 of 38; Kizer, 23 of 43; Hogan, 10 of 15.

5. Brownie bits: The good news on the knee injury to Ed Reynolds suffered on Saturday is it is believed to be a sprained medial collateral ligament (not the ACL). The bad news is he could be out six weeks … Defensive tackle Caleb Brantley had surgery to fix a broken finger. Jackson said he could miss up to two weeks … Receiver Corey Coleman needed trainer’s assistance stretching his hamstrings, but he finished the day on the field. That’s four practices in the first five days for him … Players receive their first CBA-mandated day off on Tuesday. There is no practice.

http://www.espn.com/blog/cleveland/post/...mmage-on-friday

Being a SEC fan, and a closet Bama fan.....my mom was born in Alabama and I sent a lot of summers there as a youth visiting Grandparents, Mullaney is a pretty good receicer. Actually a really good receiver.

I don't think his odds of making the team are all that good because he won't be given much of a chance, but if so, he is good enough to stick.

Browns training camp snapshot (Day 5): Hue Jackson plans to keep QB order same at least through Friday’s scrimmage

Monday’s developments

• Cody Kessler continued to struggle, raising questions about how long he’ll hang onto the lead position in the quarterback rotation. Instead of making a change Tuesday when the players are off, coach Hue Jackson said he intends to keep the same QB order through Friday’s Orange and Brown scrimmage at FirstEnergy Stadium before reevaluating the position and deciding whether a shake-up is necessary. As it stands, Kessler has taken repetitions with the starters first, followed by Brock Osweiler working with the No. 2 offense, then rookie DeShone Kizer often taking his turn with the top unit.

• A day after Kessler took three virtual sacks in one series, he took two sacks and then checked down to tight end Randall Telfer in the flat on fourth-and-24 in a two-minute drill. “The dump is not what bothered me,” Jackson said. “Telfer understands you have to try to get all that you can. You can run around and all of a sudden fumble the ball and get hit. Cody understood, ‘I’m going to try to buy as much time as I can, but I see an open guy.’ Randall has to understand we are going to catch it and get everything we can. You don’t know. You might break a tackle. Good things can happen. Yes, it was fourth down. We will grow from all of those different things that happened.”

• Osweiler survived cornerback Marcus Burley’s dropped interception during the two-minute drill and led a drive to the 14-yard line, where rookie defensive end Myles Garrett earned a virtual sack. Kizer set up a 59-yard field goal in the two-minute drill, but Cody Parkey missed.

• Kessler’s best pass went for a touchdown to wide receiver Kenny Britt in the back left corner of the end zone during a red-zone drill.

• Kizer ran for two touchdowns in the red-zone period. “He has the skill set,” Jackson said. “We try to showcase all of those guys’ talents and abilities. There are some things that he can do that may be a little different, and we will give him an opportunity to do those things.”

• Jackson said “it’s still too early” to know whether Kizer is ready to start.

• The defense dominated a live goal-line drill and stopped all seven runs short of the end zone, albeit against a makeshift offensive line. Defensive tackle Xavier Cooper had a tackle for loss on one play. Later, defensive tackle Danny Shelton and strong safety Ibraheim Campbell combined for another TFL. The lone highlight for the offense was Kessler’s touchdown pass to rookie tight end David Njoku in the back right corner of the end zone over linebacker James Burgess. “Our defense did a great job at the goal line, and anytime you play [defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams at the goal line and you try to run it every play, it is not good for your health,” Jackson said.

• Although Njoku has rebounded a bit after being stripped of the ball twice and dropping a few passes last week, the first-round pick (No. 29 overall) still needs to be more consistent. For instance, he dropped a pass from Kizer in the middle of the end zone. “The good thing is that he is getting open in those situations,” Jackson said. “Now he has to finish the play. We will keep working on that.”

• Parkey made 5-of-5 field goals, with an asterisk. He actually missed from 54 yards, but the coaches gave him a mulligan because the snap was low. Either way, he outperformed rookie Zane Gonzalez, who made 3-of-5 field goals, missing from 46 and 50 yards.

• Rookie defensive tackle Caleb Brantley had surgery to repair a broken finger and will be sidelined a week or two, Jackson said.

• The Browns scheduled rest for the following players: receiver James Wright, cornerback Jamar Taylor, running back Duke Johnson, linebackers Jamie Collins and Tank Carder, center JC Tretter, right guard Kevin Zeitler, right tackle Matt McCants, tight end Seth DeValve and defensive lineman Desmond Bryant.

• With Brantley out and Bryant resting, Trevon Coley supplanted Cooper as the first-team defensive tackle opposite Shelton. “[Coley] is one of those guys with a big lower center of gravity,” Jackson said. “He can push. He knows how to knock people back.”

• Center Gabe Ikard remained idle with a concussion.
Schedule: Players are off. The next practice is set for 3:25-5:55 p.m. Wednesday.

http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/browns...immage-1.784364

Shakeup in depth or just a looksee?

From Nathan Zegura's twitter. He is a writer for the Browns




Trevon Coley, Matt Dayes and Kai Nacua



Definitely progressing...prob 3rd on depth chart. Looked great on the crossing routes today



He has been good too...I'd say he and Leslie from the lesser know WRs have had strong showings


https://twitter.com/NathanZegura

rannell hall looks like he's on the track to make the team ... and Leslie as well IMO

Notes: OL John Greco determined to stick around despite uncertain status on roster

BEREA — John Greco’s starting spot at right guard was given to free agent Kevin Zeitler in the offseason. His spot on the roster is in jeopardy, with only two or three jobs available for backup offensive linemen.

Greco isn’t conceding anything.

“I’m going to do everything I can to be here,” he said Monday. “My goal is to come out each day and just leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that I should still be a part of the solution.”

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Greco, 32, was still in the early stages of rehabilitation from Lisfranc surgery on his right foot when the ground shifted beneath him.

In the first hours of free agency, the Browns devoted $124.25 million to the interior of the line with the signings of Zeitler and center JC Tretter and the extension of left guard Joel Bitonio. Greco had been a full-time starter for the Browns the last five years, playing across those three spots.

Greco understood the “uncertainty” that comes with a major injury and said he has no “ill will” toward the organization.

“I try not to let it bother me and it really didn’t,” he said. “I understand things.”


That doesn’t mean he won’t fight for what he wants.

“I’m trying to do everything I can to either make their decision that much harder or to just solidify their decision,” he said. “Bottom line, I’m either going to be around or not. I’m in my 10th year, I have my second baby coming next month, I’m excited about that. It’s an exciting time in my life.

“I want to be in Cleveland. I love it here. I love the fans. I love the team. I want to be around when it turns around and I think we’re close, so I’m trying to do everything I can to be a part of that.”

Greco suffered the Lisfranc injury Nov. 27 against the Giants. Eight months later he was back on the field, in pads, doing full-contact 11-on-11 drills.

He worked with the starters Monday at right guard as Zeitler got the day off. The goal is to be 100 percent when the season opens, and he expects to be.

“We’re right on track, right where I think I need to be,” he said.

Greco’s versatility is valuable and could keep him around. The Browns have stocked up on centers — Tretter, Austin Reiter, Gabe Ikard, Anthony Fabiano — but none has the experience at both guard spots.

“They know that I can play anywhere,” Greco said. “If you’re not a starter, versatility is everything.”

Greco is a native of Youngstown and married an Ohio girl, Jodi. He has a 16-month-old daughter, Giavanna, and a boy on the way. He knows he could be traded before the season for a draft pick, which would disrupt life at home.

“I’ll worry about it then,” he said. “There’s guys that have been on five different teams in four years. I’d like to think I was pretty fortunate to be with two teams and play basically in my home city for six years. I have no regrets. Injuries happen, I’m doing everything I can to be here.

“It would be an adjustment that anyone can handle. I’m not even thinking about it.”

TOO SOON

The Browns have been trying to fast-track rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, but coach Hue Jackson said it’s premature to say if he’s ready to be the starter for Week 1 against Pittsburgh.

“It is still too early,” he said. “We will know. We still have a lot of football we are putting in.”

Jackson said he’ll wait until after the Orange and Brown Scrimmage on Friday to fully reassess the quarterback competition. He won’t tweak the depth chart or repetitions until then.

“I will know more about the whole group,” he said. “Guys are battling and competing. They are doing some good things. The thing I’m most pleased about is the ball isn’t going to the other team a lot.”

Kizer threw for a touchdown Monday and ran in two, including a 15-yarder when he kept the ball on a read option.

“He has the skill set,” Jackson said of Kizer’s ability to run. “We try to showcase all of those guys’ talents and abilities. There are some things that he can do that may be a little different, and we will give him an opportunity to do those things.”

SURGERY CENTER

Rookie defensive lineman Caleb Brantley, a sixth-round pick, had surgery to repair a broken finger and will miss a week or two.

** Safety Ed Reynolds has a sprained medial collateral ligament and is expected to miss six weeks, ESPN reported. That opens the door for Derrick Kindred to nail down the starting job.

** Ikard remained sidelined with a concussion.

UNKNOWN STARTER

Defensive tackle Trevon Coley (6-foot-1, 310 pounds) is making a name for himself. He was undrafted in 2016 out of Florida Atlantic, signed by the Ravens, then spent time on Washington’s practice squad. He finished the season on Cleveland’s practice squad.

Danny Shelton called him one of the most productive linemen since OTAs, then Monday he replaced Xavier Cooper next to Shelton with the first-team defense.

“He knows how to knock people back,” Jackson said. “He is playing well. If you demonstrate on our football team that you have the skill and you can help us win, we are going to give you an opportunity to be out there.”

EXTRA POINTS

Cody Parkey won the kicking contest, going 5-for-5, excluding a miss from 54 yards after a low snap. He made the retry.

Rookie Zane Gonzalez was 3-for-5, missing wide left from 46 and 50. He was good from 54.

** Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine attended practice.

https://www.brownszone.com/?p=2384

Duke Johnson receiving increased role in Browns' offense

By BRIAN DULIK
1 hour ago

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Undersized running back Duke Johnson has never backed down from a challenge.

That mindset is serving him well in his third training camp with the Browns.

Johnson, who has 114 receptions for 1,048 yards in two NFL seasons, is the top candidate to serve as Cleveland’s slot receiver.

Browns coach Hue Jackson believes the 5-foot-9 speedster can be a dual threat catching passes over the middle, as well as out of the backfield.

“If coach says, ‘Go,’ I go,” Johnson said Monday following the team’s walkthrough practice. “I asked for more opportunities and they’ve been given, so now I have to make the best of them. That’s my job to do it.”


Cleveland envisioned Johnson as a featured back when it picked him in the third round of the 2015 draft. He rushed for a school-record 3,519 yards at Miami (Fla.) after being the consensus No. 1 prep prospect at the position.

Isaiah Crowell, however, established himself as the starter, making Johnson the change-of-pace back. He has been limited to 291 total offensive touches and 737 rushing yards.

Jackson plans on increasing the former figure by using Johnson in the slot, which had been Andrew Hawkins’ role before his February release.

“Duke is going to do everything, honestly,” Jackson said. “He is a weapon for us, and we’ll line him up in different places where we can get an advantage with him. He has to bounce around to a lot of different (position) rooms. That’s why I said we ask a lot of him, but he has responded well.”

Johnson admitted being frustrated at times last season — he also returned 17 punts for a modest 6.6-yard average — but saw things differently after watching game films. He spent the spring analyzing every play from the Browns’ franchise-worst 1-15 season.

“I saw that I didn’t make enough plays for the team, just not being mentally ready,” said Johnson, who has one lost fumble in 32 games. “I kind of knew what (the defense) was going to do, but I didn’t do enough when it came to game-planning for myself.

“This year, I want to be more productive, and I believe I will be, granted that I just continue to do what I am asked from the coaches.”



Jackson has been pleased with the early results, expressing optimism that the quick-witted Johnson can handle whatever responsibilities he is given.

“He is doing sensationally,” Jackson said. “Duke is a terrific football player. Glad he is a part of our organization and team. He is very valuable to what we do. Hopefully, we can give him a chance to be what he can be.”


NOTES: Jackson said he will use the Browns’ intrasquad scrimmage Friday to determine the quarterback depth chart entering the preseason. Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler and rookie DeShone Kizer have been taking practice snaps, in order, during camp. “It is Day 5 into this situation, and we’re going to just keep working,” Jackson said. “I want to go through the scrimmage and see where we are from there.” ... Tight end David Njoku, who was the No. 29 overall selection from Miami (Fla.), caught a touchdown and dropped another potential score during a goal-line drill. ... Defensive lineman Caleb Brantley — a sixth-round pick from Florida — will miss two weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured finger.

___

https://apnews.com/8faa77a42893415cbaaf019068a0c812

greco is probably the only good thing shurmur did for us ... hes been a great player for us, especially considering the aqcuisition

I really like Greco. I think if he is healthy we will keep him since he plays all three interior positions well.

Wow guys. Listening to all of Garrett's interviews and etc, this kid seriously was a #1 overall pick? He's so humble and mature when he speaks. It's like this kid already "gets it" and like the defensive line coach said, isn't complacent of himself or where he was selected.

I can't wait to see him in preseason and then when the real bullets start flying. What a great sight to see with our top draft pick.

The completion numbers have varied between different reporters.

I noticed his humility as well.. Good kid.