DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Mandatory Minicamp Thread (not to be confused w/ voluntary workouts)

Duke Johnson, Odell Beckham Jr. report to Browns on eve of mandatory minicamp

The Browns are getting what they expected: Attendance this week from running back Duke Johnson and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Johnson and Beckham reported to Browns headquarters Monday on the eve of the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp, a person familiar with the situation said.

Johnson had been absent from the team’s entire voluntary offseason workout program that began April 1. In the aftermath of the Browns signing running back Kareem Hunt in February, Johnson’s agent requested a trade. However, General Manager John Dorsey has made it clear he’s in no rush to deal Johnson.

Traded from the New York Giants in March, Beckham had spent just three days with the Browns in Berea throughout the course of the voluntary conditioning program and participated in only one of nine organized team activity practices. There was never really any question whether Beckham would attend mandatory minicamp, though he set the record straight over the weekend by writing on Instagram that he would reunite with the Browns on Monday.

Dorsey and coach Freddie Kitchens have repeatedly stated they expected Johnson to show up to mandatory minicamp.

According to the collective bargaining agreement between NFL owners and the NFL Players Association, a player who skips all three days of mandatory minicamp this year would be subject to a fine of $88,650.

Kitchens defended Beckham’s lack of participation in the voluntary workouts for weeks, yet his tone changed as OTAs wrapped up.

Asked Thursday what Beckham missed during OTAs, Kitchens said, “A lot — the offense.” Asked what he wants to see from Beckham during mandatory minicamp, Kitchens replied, “I just want to see him.”

Mandatory minicamp practices will run Tuesday through Thursday with all of the sessions open to media.

https://www.ohio.com/sports/20190603/duk...datory-minicamp

Ok reporters, do your job and give us the details we crave....

Taking a shot in the thread title ..... nice work .... way to cease the opportunity ...

I am the forum police. Please seize and desist the facts.

Okay. This is honestly not meant as a slam Diam. Please take it in that manner. With your known spelling and grammar issues I’m trying to figure out if you used a word here as a turn of phrase or if you just spelled the wrong word and I’m reading more into it.

Did you mean to ‘seize’ the opportunity? Meaning the poster grabbed a chance to turn the screws.
Or
Did you intentionally, cleverly, use the word ‘cease’? Meaning you were digging at the poster for further inciting controversy, instead of letting it go.

Either way it works. Oddly enough.

That's an interesting perspective, though I'm sure not everyone cease it the way.

I'd like to know witch word he was intending to use as well.

Ok,, That was funny

*L*... u never know with me ...

This one was my lack of understanding of the english language ... i was going for “sieze” the opportunity ... that’s embarrassing to admit but its true ... just one of my many weaknesses ...

I was actually paying him a compliment ... i’m jealous ... *L* ...

After our go rounds in the cess pool u think u could offend me over here ... ...

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo .....

...

I see its on ... this should be funny ...

Can i play too ... *L* ..

5 storylines to watch at Browns minicamp

https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/5-s...medium=referral

Mandatory minicamp begins in Berea on Tuesday, and with it comes a fresh batch of key points of focus.

We already know the value of who with this team, but there are plenty of how, what, where and why questions to answer. Let's dive into five storylines to watch as the Browns gather as one to finish up offseason activities.

1. New man in town

Odell Beckham Jr. will be in attendance for the start of mandatory minicamp, giving us our first chance to see the full-strength offense at work.

Well, almost full strength.

Teammate and best friend Jarvis Landry's participation is still to be determined, and it sounds as if it's more likely he'll watch from the sideline as a precaution. The offense won't be at 100 percent strength, then, but there's still plenty of opportunity to see what Cleveland's ball-moving group might look like. It should be promising, and more importantly, it will afford Beckham his first lengthy time working with quarterback Baker Mayfield since the team completed the installs of its base offense in the last three weeks.

Last week, head coach Freddie Kitchens said Beckham missed "a lot" while absent. Three days is not three weeks, but it's a very basic start on establishing a rapport within the team's intended offense, even if players aren't going at full speed.


2. Bullish on the backfield

Even in jerseys and shorts, Kareem Hunt looks tantalizingly good. He's the new guy, along with Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson. This will be the first time all three are in the building and on the field together, and we should get the slightest peek at how the three will sort out during this brief period.

Will Hunt see more carries or catches? The same question applies to Johnson. And where in this does Chubb, the presumed lead back, fit in? Running backs coach Stump Mitchell talked last week about how much work Chubb has completed on improving as a pass-catcher, since he simply didn't receive targets out of the backfield much at Georgia. Might we be seeing the beginning of the NFL's most dangerous backfield?

The Browns also have to prepare for life without Hunt for eight weeks, and Johnson hasn't been in Berea before this week, so there's plenty to accomplish with this incredibly talented group.

3. How do the defensive pieces fit together?

Greedy Williams is a rookie, Eric Murray and Morgan Burnett are new arrivals at safety, and Jermaine Whitehead has been receiving plenty of first-team snaps. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks gave positive reviews of Whitehead, whom he called smart and excellent at communicating. It's June, but it seems like this could be Whitehead's breakout campaign -- that is, if he can find a place for himself in the secondary.

Murray and Burnett also need to further settle into where they might be playing, while Williams continues his acclimation process as the new corner in town opposite second-year defender Denzel Ward, who spoke of he and Williams as a future tandem. They've gotten time together, but it seems there's slightly more importance with mandatory minicamp. The word "mandatory" just carries more weight.

Might they be running back some things from the last three weeks? Sure, but now the full roster is in town -- which means Damarious Randall's trash talking vocal cords should be rested and ready to go for this week.


4. Assembly of the offensive line

We don't get much insight during this period because offensive line positions are won with the pads on. Everyone can look good in shorts and jerseys because it's half-speed and more about technique and footwork than anything. The removal of pads also removes the physical battle that reveals the strength of personal will and desire. That's what often decides a close competition along the offensive line.

In the meantime, we'll continue to get looks at a variety of linemen in different spots. Austin Corbett, the projected starter at right guard, has been getting reps at center because there's no better time than now to practice his technique in case of emergency. Kyle Kalis has gotten reps at right guard as a result.

We've also seen Drew Forbes split time between tackle and guard. Forbes told me last week he's had to spend a lot of time on learning how to properly vertical pass drop (in simple terms, drop back to pass block). In college, his Southeast Missouri Redhawks largely just slide protected (shuffling left or right as a group with little depth surrendered) or 45-degree stepped on the edge at best. For someone who just slide protected, a vertical pass drop requires learning new movement -- and then perfecting that movement -- all at an NFL speed. Now is the perfect time to do it for Forbes.


5. Kitchens at the controls -- and Baker in Year 2

Kitchens will have the whole squad in town by mandate for the first time as head coach, and so far, he's looking much more comfortable at the helm of the Browns. He was asked last week to self-scout and declined, saying he doesn't constantly analyze himself in the moment. That's wise because there are plenty of other more important things to deal with right now.

But if he had to, he should be fairly pleased with what he's seeing in the mirror. Special teams has become a focal point of practice, with field goal and kickoff unit work coming in the middle of the day, not just tacked on at the end. He's concise and firm with his corrections and won't let practice continue until the team accomplishes what he wants accomplished correctly. And by all accounts, his players like him and are buying in (in fact, a couple even picked him as their choice for biggest prankster in the building). These are all good signs for a first-time head coach.

Kitchens and quarterbacks coach Ryan Lindley both said it last week: Baker Mayfield's time with receivers expected to slot below Beckham and Landry on the depth chart was a bit of a blessing in disguise because it helped Mayfield learn how to get through his progressions better. He couldn't rely on option A (Beckham, perhaps) being open because he's that skilled at getting open; he instead had to read properly before deciding to throw.

Those are good mental reps for a quarterback who is going to have a ton of expectations on his shoulders in Year 2, even as he's working in an offense coached by the same person who teamed with him to transform the offense at the end of 2018. Now you sprinkle in Beckham, and perhaps Landry, and you'll start to see the very preliminary fruits of your labor.

Again, though, this is June. There are no pads. This is the basic stuff. But boy, it sure feels good to see these guys at (near) full strength back on the field. The season can't get here soon enough.

What is Juice's injury? The first I heard of it.

No one seams to know

I really shouldn’t but what the heck .....

Rumor has it he tweaked a bicep muscle working out with OBJ and his personal trainer .... ...

That's just a rumor. We want to know the facts so we can make cents of it all.

Witch fax can wee trust?

Freddie eluded to it last week but didn't reveal the nature of the issue.

I guess it's not really self inflicted, I mean, Dorsey did go out and get Kareem and he's probowler. Can't blame Dorsey for doing that.

But Mayfield always says what's on his mind thats for sure.,.,

Yes he does. So do others which will remain nameless. That's not always a good thing.

He might get his wish during July or August.

Injuries happen across the league.

Here's to Hilliard stepping up!

J/C:

Jabrill Peppers lining up halfway to Toledo was a topic throughout 2017.Damarious Randall was asked to do that far too often for his taste in 2018.Says he'll play closer to ball this year; promises you'll see a difference.

https://twitter.com/sdoerschukREP/status/1135965448091197441

wHaT wHoUlD gReGg wIlLiAmS dO?

#WWGD

The awkwardness comes from the demand to be traded.

Dorsey's job is to make the team better. Getting Hunt does make us better. As you say, can't blame him for that.

When Hunt is activated, Duke goes from being a distant #2 (from Chubb) to a distant #3. He wants traded, can't blame him for that.

He is in an awkward position because he went public with his desire to be traded. His awkward position is self-inflicted.

Until that happens, he does need to just do his job.

Since MKC loves to editorialize, here's a more accurate picture of what he said.

Lol....

Freddie has a knack for saying the exact right thing when asked a touchy question.

Kudos.

Like others have said, can't blame Duke his feelings, but the focus is clearer this season: Browns (people who WANT to be here and get it).

If not, oh well.

Just look at that separation!!!

You mean Corbett still has a shot!?

Man, OBJ could have caught that ball w/just one hand had he attended more of the OTA sessions.

Nah man. He is a bust. OTAs proved that.

After selfishly missing voluntary OTAs, OBJ and Baker, clearly, are not on the same page. Season ruined.

Sincerely,
Tony Grossi......

Wow, cant believe he missed a few days of reps like that! He must have missed so much during voluntary workouts......

He already can catch with one hand. If he had been at OTAs he would have caught it with no hands.

If that DB was at the OTAs it did not do him any good.