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

Just look how slow he is; he could have gone harder if he was here doing generic workouts with the team....

I bet if he made OTAs he could catch the ball with his feet by now. All that extra practice, ya know.....

Tomorrows Headlines:

OBJ and Baker looked at each other after an incompletion, clearly they don't like each other.

Duke stumbled once and missed a pass protection assignment, clearly he hates Mayfield and hopes he gets hurt

Richardson, Garrett, and Vernon stood close to each in between drills and didn't talk, clearly contempt is brewing with the new DL.

What’s a reduced split?

The wide receiver is lined up tighter to the core of the formation then he normally would be.

https://twitter.com/All22ChalkTalk/status/1136004285584596993

I just had butterflies...

Carrie stay getting worked.

I think this is the real reason people were upset about OTAs.

The anticipation of seeing the magic happen has been too much.

WE NEEDED TO SEE OUR DREAM TEAM IN ACTION!!!

(Also, that cut is sick!)

Observations from Browns 2019 minicamp, Day 1

Day 1 of minicamp is complete, and with it came the first practice of the full team on a mandatory basis. It's a nice little preview of what's to come, but there's so much more left to learn once the pads come on.

In the meantime, we gleaned enough information to collect five takeaways from Day 1, starting with the arrival of the ever-important No. 13.

1. The infinite possibilities of Odell Beckham Jr.
It's evident when you watch him go through drills, and especially when he runs his routes. His footwork is fantastic, his cuts are crisp and his leaping ability is kangaroo-like springy. His individual training did him well.

Odell Beckham Jr.'s first practice in front of the media was just a small sample of what's possible with he and Baker Mayfield. And it was the stuff of which dreams are made.

There isn't much T.J. Carrie -- or any defender -- could do in that situation.

The two's timing isn't perfect, but that's to be expected of new teammates and should improve with more reps together. In the meantime, Beckham used his incredible natural ability to correct throws that weren't perfect, and occasionally the two's individual talent shined in unison, like on that touchdown pass from inside the red zone.

Add in Jarvis Landry and two month's worth of practice and well...whew.

2. Sloppy play ruled the day
As was the case with the aforementioned timing issue, things just seemed to be a beat or two off during Tuesday's session, which was more intense than last week's OTAs. Simply, June made itself apparent.

Duke Johnson dropped a couple of passes, including one off his facemask, as he found his footing (he later bounced back to finish off a nice touchdown run through moderate traffic). Mayfield underthrew Beckham on a flag route along the sideline, where Greedy Williams dropped what should have been an easy interception. Other players dropped passes and missed assignments as well.

The heightened pace and increased media presence (packs of reporters shadowed Beckham around the fields) amplified the missed throws and dropped passes. It was prevalent throughout the practice. Even an assistant coach whiffed while trying to throw Beckham a pass during a position drill.

But again, it's June. There's plenty of work to be done. One incompletion isn't cause for concern.

3. Gimme the boot
Jamie Gillan had a nice afternoon punting, dropping a couple of punts inside the 5 with ideal bounces for downing. He also launched a few rockets into the stratosphere with his left foot, drawing soft "wow" reactions from media members.

Britton Colquitt is a veteran punter with an excellent knack for directional kicking (and spent most of his time Tuesday holding for kicks), while Gillan brings the big leg that provides the sky-high punts we saw Tuesday. It'll be interesting to see how Gillan, equipped with a knuckleball-style punt, pushes the veteran during camp. It definitely made for some entertaining kicks Tuesday.

Perhaps more importantly is the kicking competition between Greg Joseph and Austin Seibert. Each got a chance to hit a hurry-up field goal from considerable distance, and each put it through. Joseph scraped his against the inside of the left post, while Seibert jogged out and quickly drilled a 48-yarder with the help of a light breeze. Nothing but positives to report here as the Browns attempt to solidify their kicking situation.

4. Defense will shine in August
It's difficult to get a great read on how this defense will play, because without pads, they're naturally required to slow up near points of contact. Physical play can't flourish anywhere in these instances, and a couple of times, they'd have shined had the pads been on. This also extends to the offensive and defensive lines, a point we've already made.

But in the meantime, we can start to see how things might work. Mayfield was afforded time at least once to dance around before throwing a pass well after the famed "internal clock" would have expired. Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon don't get to do much other than basic hand fighting when rushing, but the secondary got plenty of work. Jermaine Whitehead is still running with the ones, and Williams stood out more Tuesday than he did in OTAs. Eric Murray also did a nice job of closing off any space for a receiver running to the back corner pylon, resulting in an incompletion.


Above all, the hunger and fire are there in this defense. Training camp is going to be heated.

5. Unheralded standouts
Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi, whose unlikely story got a fresh run on the media circuit in the last week or so, made a few nice grabs Tuesday. He caught a pass on the goal line and squeaked into the end zone early in the practice, then caught another red zone touchdown on the final play of practice, eliciting cheers of "SHEEHY!" from his teammates.

In between, he got reps at kick and punt returner as he continues to battle for the job with D'Ernest Johnson, Dontrell Hilliard and Antonio Callaway. His speed remains his strongest attribute, but his continued work at receiver is starting to pay off in small doses.

Tight end Stephen Carlson also made two really nice contested catches Tuesday, one coming in a one-on-one drill and another during a red zone period. Carlson's body type is much like fellow former Princeton Tiger Seth DeValve -- sometimes it's difficult to tell them entirely apart from afar -- and he worked well at finding space near the goal line in red zone drills. The tight end room is jam packed with talent -- David Njoku, Demetrius Harris, DeValve, Orson Charles, Pharaoh Brown and Carlson -- so it's going to be tough to make this roster. But mostly everyone is looking promising at the position.

I know a lot of people love big receivers. I do, too. However, what separates OBJ and AB from everyone else is how fast they are in and out of breaks. They create instant separation. That's huge!

#3 and #5:

A first step in getting our Special Teams up to par.

Add to that, we should have an improved ST coverage unit. I wonder how serious our coaches are when they said some starters would be playing STs this season.

And, as another poster stated, we didn't draft this new kicker for camp fodder. (But, you never know - trades due to injuries around the league in July and August.)

Hilliard as a KR/PR? Maybe - but I hope that only happens conditionally or if he's not taking multiple reps as our #2 back.

13 observations from Day 1 of Browns minicamp

Berea, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The first day of the Browns’ mandatory minicamp is in the books.

In honor of Odell Beckham’s first practice in front of reporters, here are 13 observations from Day 1 of minicamp.

1. Let’s start with the star receiver. Beckham didn’t look like he missed a moment of OTA’s Tuesday despite all the consternation from reporters over his absence. He’s fast, can still stretch mid-air to snag footballs, his hands are like glue and his footwork is impeccable. Once he and Baker Mayfield get the timing and chemistry just right, the possibilities appear endless, and as explosive as we thought they’d be when the blockbuster trade was made.

2. While we can dream of the magic Mayfield will be able to create with Beckham and Jarvis Landry, it will have to remain a dream until training camp. Landry is being held out this week with an unspecified injury that sidelined him during OTA’s last month, but Landry said Tuesday that he will be ready to go for training camp and that it is not serious enough to require surgery.

3. Mayfield has emerged as the leader of the team without declaring that he is, and he’s embraced it. From the way he carries himself on the field with his teammates to how they respond to him, the high proficiency of his play along with how he handles himself off the field and represents the franchise in the community is nothing short of stellar. Leading up to the draft in 2018 all the talk was how he was not mature enough for such responsibility and boy has he proven that narrative to be a bunch of baloney since.

4. Freddie Kitchens would like us to get as excited with his defense as we have been about his offense, unfortunately that’s hard to do until the pads go on in late July/early August. Myles Garrett, Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi and Olivier Vernon are relegated to hand fighting with the offensive line and virtual sacks for now. When camp and the preseason get here, watching those four should be a lot of fun.

5. The size at tight end is hard to miss – David Njoku (6-4, 246), Seth DeValve (6-3, 245). Pharoh Brown (6-6, 258), Demetrious Harris (6-7, 230), Stephen Carlson (6-4, 240) and Orson Charles (6-3, 257). They should be a lot of fun to watch in training camp and the preseason compete.

6. The kicking competition is going to be the Maalox moment of training camp this year. Greg Joseph and Austin Seibert got a chance at a hurry-up field goal as time expired during a situational drill Tuesday. Both kickers made them, but Joseph got a friendly clank off the left post on his.

7. ‘The Scottish Hammer’ has a canon for a foot and it’s easy to see why the Browns added him to compete with veteran Britton Colquitt. Jamie Gillan’s showed off his leg as well as unique punting style in which he drops the football vertically on to his left foot. Gillan also kicks conventionally with the ball meeting his foot horizontally, but the booming hangtime and distance on his punts were hard to miss.

8. Anytime a quarterback not named Baker Mayfield throws a football, it feels like a cringeworthy experience. Overthrows, underthrows, miscommunications, interceptions. Take all 29 quarterbacks that preceded Mayfield and throw them into a blender and that encapsulates the horrifying experience of watching Drew Stanton, David Blough and Garrett Gilbert. The Eagles were still able to win a Super Bowl with backup Nick Foles. If anything happens to Mayfield, we may have 0-16 season nightmares in the offing.

9. We can take a deep breath – for now – about Austin Corbett and his bid for the right guard spot. Last year’s No. 33 overall pick was in there working with the first-team offensive line Tuesday. Until players put on pads in training camp, we’ll hold off any evaluations of his performance.

10. Duke Johnson made it clear Tuesday that he wants out, so it’s time for John Dorsey to do everyone a favor and get him out of here unless he’s willing to change his attitude. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that’s about to happen anytime soon based on his comments Tuesday. Johnson’s ego became damaged upon hearing that Dorsey had the audacity to explore trading him, and he said “no” when asked if fences could be mended going forward. Mayfield, Kitchens and others have made it clear they have no time for those that don’t want to be here, and Johnson doesn’t despite the Browns being poised to have their best season in three decades.

11. Jermaine Whitehead continues to run with the first-team defense, and it appears the safety has not only done enough to keep his reps but, even though it is early June, we may have to pencil him into the starting 11.

12. Greedy Williams got his hands on a couple of footballs during seven-on-seven and team drills – and even should’ve had an interception that he dropped. The second-round pick has had a good showing so far this spring.

13. The returner spots are up for grabs with Dontrell Hilliard and Antonio Callaway appearing to be the top two contestants. With Johnson disgruntled, if Hilliard can pick up the return game, the running back might just earn his way into the rotation out of the backfield this fall. D'Ernest Johnson and Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi are also getting looks.

https://923thefan.radio.com/articles/observations-day-1-cleveland-browns-minicamp-2019

Browns minicamp notes: Baker Mayfield upset with Duke Johnson Jr.’s trade request

Berea, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Duke Johnson Jr. still wants to be traded and there’s not much any of his teammates or the team can do to change his mind.

Understandably, quarterback Baker Mayfield is less than thrilled with Johnson’s stance which was made abundantly clear prior to Tuesday’s first practice of the three-day minicamp.

“Obviously, he’s going to handle his stuff how he wants but you’re either on this train or you’re not,” Mayfield said. “It’s moving. You can either get out of the way or you can join us.”

Mayfield was asked about the situation being awkward for Johnson, who participated in a practice for the first time this offseason, but only because it was mandatory.

“It’s not awkward,” Mayfield said. “It’s self-inflicted. It is what it is. It’s not awkward for anybody in this building.”

Johnson remains a Brown – for now – and Mayfield’s expectations remain unchanged while the disgruntled back remains with the team.

“He’s got to do his job,” Mayfield said. “He said he’s a professional. I hope he does his job.”

No reservations – Gerald McCoy chose to sign with Carolina Monday, passing on a chance to join the up-and-coming Browns which didn’t draw much of a reaction Tuesday.

“You’re either with us or against us,” Mayfield said. “Wish him the best.”

Had McCoy signed he would’ve become the fourth Pro Bowl defensive linemen on the roster joining Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson.

“I’m fine with the guys we have here,” Garrett said. “I’m definitely confident about the men we have in our room right now. Gerald McCoy of course would have been a good addition to the team, but I like the chemistry we built over this time. It doesn’t bother me at all.”

McCoy was released by Tampa Bay on May 20 and he visited the Browns four days later.

“We want people that want to be here, we want people that want to be here for the right reasons,” head coach Freddie Kitchens said. “Gerald made the best decision that he felt was best for him and his family and I wish Gerald nothing but the best. But if there’s any reservation at all, we don’t want anybody to be here.

“We don’t want any reservation, alright, about trying to convince somebody to come here because what we’re about to do it’s not for everybody. What we’re gonna attempt to do is not for everybody. It’s gonna take a lot of hard work and then we’ll see where we’re at.”

Held back – Even with Odell Beckham Jr. on the field Tuesday, Mayfield has yet to have his top two targets to throw to consistently this spring and it will remain that way until training camp.

Receiver Jarvis Landry did not practice Tuesday and it doesn’t look like he’ll be on the field this week due to an undisclosed injury.

“I'm not going to disclose what's going on, but something that we're all on top of,” Landry said Tuesday. “I can be able to participate, but something that we thought we'll take a little bit of time and not participate.”

Landry said surgery is not required for whatever is ailing him and he will be ready for training camp.

No love for the defense – Kitchens playfully lamented the lack of questions this spring concerning the defense with most of reporters’ questions focused on offensive players – Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and, on Tuesday, Duke Johnson Jr.

“Nobody wants to talk about our defense,” Kitchens said, “but do we want to talk about Myles Garrett? Want to talk about Larry Ogunjobi? Want to talk about Olivier Vernon? What about Sheldon Richardson? What about our two [linebackers] we drafted [Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson]. What about our two corners and our safety? Let’s talk about our defense a little bit because they are pretty damn good, too, or they are going to be.”

Late arrival – Tackle Desmond Harrison did not practice Tuesday but watched part of the session on the side.

“I have not got to the bottom of it yet. Missed a flight,” Kitchens said. “I know he missed a flight. I do not know what time he got here so it is hard to tell how he got here.”

Bike brigade – Defensive tackle Devaroe Lawrence, safety Morgan Burnett, receivers Damion Ratley, Derrick Willies and Blake Jackson as well as cornerback Justin Burris worked on the side with trainers.

https://923thefan.radio.com/articles/baker-mayfield-upset-duke-johnson-jr%E2%80%99s-trade-request

Harrison missed his fight and did not participate, but it is interesting to see us try him on the left.

re: 92.3 Observations -

#5 - I'm not sure what defenses are going to do if Njoku truly pans out this year and if we really have productive 2 TE sets.

#8 - One of my bigger worries. One hit away......

#7 - I wonder if the Scottish Hammer is sort of like that cat we entertained years ago as QB who could make ridiculous trick throws through moving train windows. A novelty? I hope not.

Misc - Go Hilliard.

Misc - Won't feel right until the front seven is able to abuse folks a little bit in training camp.

I only want a scottish hammer if he comes with a hulk hogan mustache and suicide bar helmet.

"Perhaps more importantly is the kicking competition between Greg Joseph and Austin Seibert. Each got a chance to hit a hurry-up field goal from considerable distance, and each put it through. Joseph scraped his against the inside of the left post, while Seibert jogged out and quickly drilled a 48-yarder with the help of a light breeze. Nothing but positives to report here as the Browns attempt to solidify their kicking situation."

I stated in another thread that I've never been comfortable with Joseph as our kicker, and the bolded part above is a large reason why. So many of his 'good' kicks are barely good, or knuckleball their way through the uprights. It seems like more luck than skill.

Maybe baker should not comment on roster issues, in early June.

lol, great look playa

I agree.

If the new punter works out that would be pretty nice. Getting a few extra million from a cheap punter would be huge when all the contracts come up in a few years. If he doesn't work out, no big deal, we have Britton Colquitt who is pretty good.

Agree 100%

Maybe Baker should say this to Duke's face instead of telling it to the media. I'm not saying that he hasn't talked to Duke man-to-man, but there is no need for him to call out a teammate in the media.

To add on to my previous post, I will say that I agree w/Baker's sentiment. Duke could very well become a distraction that this team does not need.

We have been discussing trading Duke ever since we signed Hunt. There has been a lot of debate on what we should do w/Duke. My point has always been that this young team w/a brand new coaching staff does not need the type of distraction that Duke's situation could create.

We've just completed Day 1 of Mandatory Minicanp and it's already a bit of a distraction. Maybe we tried to trade him and couldn't find a suitable deal, but I still think it would have been a prudent move to trade Duke during the off-season.

This was good to hear.

i'd say theres about a 10% chance duke is with us game 1. Right now he's probably just a camp body and Dorsey is biding his time waiting for an injury on a team. On the flip side, I'd bet other teams don't think Johnson is anywhere as good as some on this board do..He's really JAG. I think with the talent elevated around him we'd see that this year

Agreed. Remember that Philly got a pro bowl RB in Jordan Howard for a future 6th round pick. Not a current 6th round pick but a 6th round pick that was a year out.

I think for Duke we get better value trading him for a player.

There is a new side to this that I wasn't aware of. Apparently Dorsey put it out there that Duke was on the Trading Block prior to getting Kareem Hunt? That seems to be a wrinkle that Duke didn't like. Then Kareem Hunt is picked up and of course, Duke felt like he was the odd man out. Can't say I blame him.

But I think he should have just had the conversation with John and Freddie and left it at that..

He said that he understands the nature of the business side of things and he's ok with it, but he isn't acting like it.

Agreed,, All this kind of stuff should happen in house so to speak.. But then again, Duke complaining probably should have been as well.

I saw a video showing OBJ running routes,,, man that young man is smooth.

No one but the players and coaches get to say if Duke Johnson is a distraction. Everything else is just noise.

All I see out of this is Duke damaging his own trade value. The last thing you do when you're selling a used car is start posting on social media how much you want it out of your life. He's killing any perception of value by appearing to be a locker room problem. Not very appealing behavior for a player who wasn't a first string RB last season. Sure he's a good player and all that but Running Backs are kind of a dime a dozen in the NFL these days. Someone will call about his soon enough and he'll be gone.

Agreed. I don't really think he needed to say that. I love Baker, but Duke's been in the league for four years (on this team).

The free agent RB market went right down the toilet again this year.

LeVeon Bell signed for far less than he was offered in Pittsburgh. (4 years, $52.5 million) He only had a couple of suitors.

The next biggest free agent RB contracts? Mark Ingram. (3 years, $15 million) Then comes Latavius Murray, at 4 years, $14 million.

A total of 5 guys got more than $3 million. Most free agent RBs got 1 year deals for less than $2 million.

2019 NFL Free Agents Tracker | Spotrac
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/running-back/

Unless another team thinks that Duke is a premium starter, what are they going to offer, when his deal exceeds all but the very top free agent RBs signed this off-season?

I like Duke. I am happy we re-signed him. I think that he's a useful piece in the offense. I believe he can help us win games, and he is very valuable if someone else were to get hurt. (knocking furiously on my solid wooded skull as I type this) However, he's not going to be what he was when he was the only weapon on the team, and he was the security blanket for a lot of bad QBs. Now he is one of a whole holster full of weapons. He is, at best, our 2nd best RB, and when Hunt returns, he probably slips to 3rd. (depending on how Hilliard develops)

So, if he's not going to be a top RB, we have to look at him as a receiver. He would be, at best, the 5th best receiver on the team, behind Jarvis, OBJ, Calaway, and Higgins.

His best opportunity is in the role he had last year ...... change of pace, get a few runs/game .... block and catch passes out of the backfield. He also has to accept that there may well be better options when he is in the pass pattern. If OBJ (or any of the other WRs) gets open 25 yards downfield, and Duke is the safety valve, we all know that Duke isn't going to see that pass. Duke has to understand his role, and the importance of his role, and accept it.

I do think that he'll be professional, as he has always been, for as long as he's been here. I would be surprised to see him finish the season in orange and brown though.

j/c: