Besides all the individual position threads, is there a Training Camp thread for news, updates, analysis from the people who have attended? If so, please delete this one.
FEATURESBaker Mayfield returns for Year 2 married, comfortable and excited to see what season holdsby Scott Petrak July 25, 2019
BEREA — The list of significant changes for Baker Mayfield since last year at this time is staggering. A debate could last for hours at a bar on which is most important.
A new wife. He tied the knot a couple of weeks ago.
A new coach. Freddie Kitchens stands where Hue Jackson once did, and Mayfield is grateful for the switch.
A superstar wideout. Odell Beckham Jr. brings the type of talent that can transform a receiving corps and multiply a quarterback’s stats.
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A starting role. When camp opened for him as a rookie, Mayfield was handcuffed to a backup spot with no chance of supplanting veteran Tyrod Taylor atop the depth chart.
“I can tell you what, I am definitely more excited and more comfortable now than I was last year — a lot more anxiety not knowing what was coming,” Mayfield said Thursday after the first practice of training camp. “I still don’t know how the season is going to go, but I know how I am going to work and how I am going to handle it. It is just being comfortable and knowing I have a place that I can call home and know that.”
Mayfield deferred to Taylor during camp last year but took ownership of the offense after assuming the starting role in Week 4 and throwing an NFL rookie-record 27 touchdown passes. The Browns are his team in Year 2, which was obvious as he stalked the field on the sunny summer day, delivering messages and drawing laughs from teammates and staff.
“Everything is not moving as fast. Just trying to get settled in a little more, handling the little things and getting the team together because that is what is important is making sure we are on the same page and fine-tuning things,” Mayfield said. “We are not going to be perfect, but as long as we communicate and we get on the same page, we will be able to work on that moving forward.”
Kitchens has watched the No. 1 pick become a better leader.
“It is his second year in the league. Some of that is just out of knowing what to expect,” he said. “He is doing his role in holding guys accountable.”
General manager John Dorsey said Wednesday that Mayfield is more mature than the average 24-year-old.
“I will take that because he is not as mature as his age,” Mayfield joked. “I think I had to grow up fast, just being in the spotlight, having to play early in college and then also just having to deal with media early on. I think you learn how you need to conduct yourself — not that I have been perfect by any means, I am definitely not saying that — having to deal with it early on.”
Before the Browns drafted Mayfield he said he was the right man to turn around a franchise that had just completed an 0-16 season. The process began last year — he went 6-7 as the starter, including 5-2 down the stretch — and he feels a different confidence level a year later.
“Absolutely, I think just the extra pieces we added, but also the guys who we had last year, we built a little bit in the second half of the year and just knowing what we are capable of,” he said. “We added more talent. We added some great coaches. Everybody can kind of feel that within the building. It is a good atmosphere.”
The screaming fans Thursday contributed.
“There are more people who are excited to watch us play. It is good to have that energy,” Mayfield said. “It makes it all the more exciting for us feeling the energy. It is like I said last year when we won the first couple of games — everybody was so excited — that we need to set the standard. This is a tradition-rich franchise that needs to have that standard every year. It is just getting back to that baseline, setting that foundation for everybody else and just for them to realize this is what they should expect every year. That is how you build a great culture and a great winning culture. They do deserve that, and that is how it needs to be.”
So he’s in complete agreement when Kitchens says the Super Bowl will be the goal every year.
“That absolutely should be the goal every year,” Mayfield said. “We want guys who want to win. We want guys who want to be here to work with each other. The goals should absolutely be that high.”
The Incredible Wisdom of Freddie Kitchens, the NFL's Most Quotable Coach Updated: July 25, 2019
I am a Cleveland Browns fan, and I believe this year will be different.
Because after 11 consecutive losing seasons, this team is different. From quarterback Baker Mayfield to pass rush specialist Myles Garrett to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the Browns roster is stockpiled with talent. General manager John Dorsey has proven to be one of the best decision-makers in pro football. The rabid fanbase is re-energized in a way they haven't been since the franchise returned to Cleveland two decades ago. But something else is also different—the coach.
Before taking over as the Browns' offensive coordinator in Week 9 of the 2018 NFL season, Freddie Kitchens was a longtime position coach—and a beloved one, at that—but a guy who'd mostly flown under the radar. The 44-year-old with a northern Alabama drawl invigorated the Browns' offense and helped the team win five of their final seven games. He was formally named head coach shortly thereafter.
I'm naturally biased, but there's just something so refreshingly sensible about Kitchens' coaching style. With that, here are some nuggets of wisdom from the former University of Alabama quarterback.
Coach Dan Casey @CoachDanCasey 🔊 Some of the Worst Football Coaches are the Loudest
💬 “If you’ve ever been around a loud coach, one that just screams & yells, listen to what he’s saying & see if he’s even teaching.”
💬 “We have players that need to be taught & we need teachers.”
- Freddie Kitchens Embedded video
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Brian Kennedy @Coach_BKennedy “There aren’t any bad days, only hard days” -Freddie Kitchens
Love that quote
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Keith Britton ✔ @KeithBritton86 One more quote from #Browns HC Freddie Kitchens on @BullandFox earlier: "One of the greatest signs of bravery is asking for help. To me, that's probably the biggest form of being selfish is not asking for help when you won't even admit it to yourself that you need the help."
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AB @CoachABen Favorite quote from Freddie Kitchens today:
“As coaches, we’re teachers. I’m sure you’ve all had a teacher in your life who’s made you a better person. As a coach and a teacher, I’m invested in people. Not players. People.”
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Life Lesson #Quotes @MGWVhaiku "It costs absolutely nothing to be nice" -Freddie Kitchens #quote
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Alabama Crimson Tide | BamaInsider.com @bamainsider WATCH: Freddie Kitchens, head coach of the Cleveland Browns, made an interesting statement to this weekend's Alabama coaching clinic that Coach Saban shared with his team...
Insider scrimmage notes:https://alabama.rivals.com/ Embedded video
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Roe Frazer @RoeFrazer new @Browns HC Freddie Kitchens: “I grew up the son of a tire maker at Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant in Gadsden, Alabama. Benjamin E. Mays said ‘Those who start behind in the game of life must run faster to catch up,’ and I feel like I’ve been running fast my whole life.” WSJ
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92.3 The Fan ✔ @923TheFan #Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens: "Our team looks good on paper. Whoopty hell."
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Daryl Ruiter ✔ @RuiterWrongFAN "Right now we're just a bunch of good players, a bunch of good individual players....until we do something, that's all we are" - #Browns HC Freddie Kitchens
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And finally, an anecdote on Kitchens. When he was elevated to offensive coordinator mid-way through what had been a disastrous 2018 season for the Browns, he had a novel idea—ask the players what they like to run, then run it.
"In (Kitchens') first meeting with the offense, he said, 'We're gonna be as good as everyone in this room is.' He wanted ideas. He asked the offensive linemen, 'What runs do you guys like?' I'd never seen that before," Browns back-up quarterback Drew Stanton told Pro Football Talk. If a guy who's been in the NFL for nearly a decade and who's spent time with four different pro teams has never seen it, it's uncommon.
When it comes to coaching, common sense isn't always as common as we'd like to believe. Few personify that better than Kitchens.
Don't blame the clown for acting like a clown. Ask yourself why you keep going to the circus.
That’s a good quote about coaches who yell vs teach (or both)
"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 don't think it is, but I couldn't help but wonder if that was a dig at Williams.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
Did the media have access to yesterday's practice? It seems there is less news available than in year's past.
They did.
There are a ton of clips out there. Lots of interviews. Tons of live tweets. The OBR keeps a running thread of live tweets. Great for keeping you updated in as close to real-time as possible.
I thought there was quite a bit out there. One thing I did not see alot of though is a general how did guys perform type of observation. other than OBJ.
I like reading articles about how guys performed during practice. The on-the-field stuff.
I prefer that to videos and tweets. I like videos that break down plays, such as the ones that Jake Burns or Baldy do, but that's about it.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to some actual articles that talk about how the players are performing, which guys are getting the most reps, timing between qb and receivers, pace of practice, etc
I was thinking the same thing. I come on here to read them and thought...now I know every year I read the articles of the camp battles and such especially the first few days. Oh well.
You dont have to win every game just the next one!
BEREA, Ohio – Scribbles in my Browns notebook from the first day of training camp:
1. It feels as if Browns fans have been waiting for this day for decades ... and that’s because it’s the truth. Every first day of training camp has a certain sense of emotional sunshine. But it doesn’t take long for the storm clouds of doubt to appear.
2. Not this year. Fans screamed when Odell Beckham Jr. and Baker Mayfield appeared on the practice field. Then the two players gave the fans something to cheer about. Beckham makes playing receiver look ridiculously easy. He made a leaping catch near the sideline, and a sensational diving catch later. A third pass was thrown about 6 inches off the ground and he snared it with seemingly no effort.
3. Beckham obviously is in a good shape. For all his celebrity status, the main point about Odell Beckham is the main point ... he is an elite receiver. And it’s clear Mayfield and Beckham developed some chemistry when they worked out together in Los Angeles during the summer. You don’t see any plays where the ball went one way and Beckham ran in the other direction.
4. Then there’s Jarvis Landry, who ran some short routes -- making knee-level catches for first downs. The Landry/Beckham combination is going to be so much fun to watch. As Mayfield said, “They make it easy.”
5. It’s hard not to stare at Beckham on the field, but there is so much more to see. When Landry lined up on the right side in the slot and Beckham was lined up wide to the left, you can imagine that will keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night.
6. That’s especially true because the Browns have Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson in the backfield. Chubb caught a couple of short passes and turned them into long gains. Johnson looked focused. Both guys are also effective running the ball.
7. When the Browns used a third receiver with Landry and Beckham, it usually was Rashard Higgins. He and tight end David Njoku should have chances to make big plays. You can’t cover everybody.
8. What also impressed was the speed on the defensive line. As the practice went along, the pass rush was stronger. Mayfield had less time to throw. Keep in mind, players were not in full pads. The means there is an asterisk next to these quick judgments. But speed is speed, and you can see how the Browns have upgraded it.
9. Defensive ends Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon moved to different spots on the line. Garrett wanted to do that last season, but former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams kept Garrett rushing from the same basic area on the line.
10. Larry Ogunjobi and newcomer Sheldon Richardson have power at the tackle spots. If the Browns can sign defensive tackle Mike Daniels (recently cut by Green Bay), the interior defense become a major strength of the team.
11. Mayfield had two passes tipped – one by Garrett, the other by Ogunjobi. He also had to run the ball a few times because he was flushed out of the pocket. The Browns wanted to upgrade the pass rush, and they appear to have done so.
12. New defensive coordinator Steve Wilks usually played two linebackers, as opposed to the usual three in a 4-3 defense. Wilks likes to use a third safety near the line of scrimmage, and that could be Jermaine Whitehead.
13. One way to improve the tackling is to have better tacklers on the field. Whitehead could help defend the run. That would allow linebacker Joe Schobert to play to his strength – pass coverage. Veteran Morgan Burnett can also play that role as a run-stopping safety.
14. Coach Freddie Kitchens said he gave equal time to defensive backs Terrance Mitchell, T.J. Carrie and Greedy Williams. Mitchell and Carrie were usually with the starters, one of them playing on the opposite side from fellow cornerback Denzel Ward.
15. Kitchens on rookie Williams: “He’s not going to get handed the job. Mitchell and Carrie aren’t going away.”
16. Someone low on the depth chart who impressed: Blake Jackson, a former QB at Division III powerhouse Mary Hardin-Baylor. He is trying to make the Browns as a receiver, and he made some nice catches.
Love hearing about the speed of the DL ... something that we need.
Now, if we could add that to the LB corps as well
"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’ve been out of my mind excited since last year ended and this off season was much better than even I could have dreamed ... my head pops when i read stuff like this in regards to OBJ/VG .... i still can’t believe VG is our #2 ... WOOOOHOOOOOO ....
"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."
It looks like we have a crazy person on our team. We haven't had one of those in awhile. I read a story about Brian Russell putting guys to sleep on The Athletic, he might our last crazy person.
(Having one crazy person is probably a good thing.)
Cleveland Browns Camp Scribbles: A wonderful first day, talent everywhere! -- Terry Pluto
I know Terry gets a bad rap and has been branded a troll by some - I've always taken him at face value, as much a disenfranchised fan as a journalist. I like him a lot more than Mary K ....
Anyway - wanted to highlight how good that headline makes me feel.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Cleveland Browns Camp Scribbles: A wonderful first day, talent everywhere! -- Terry Pluto
I know Terry gets a bad rap and has been branded a troll by some - I've always taken him at face value, as much a disenfranchised fan as a journalist. I like him a lot more than Mary K ....
Anyway - wanted to highlight how good that headline makes me feel.
I think you are mistaking Terry Pluto for Tony Grossi.
There's only one problem. The Browns main site is a promotion tool of the Browns. It's hard for anyone to imagine they're getting a non bias viewpoint.
That's why it's so much better to get the opinions and views from other sources.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
With our WR’s, I can see us utilizing that option ... we have SO SO SO MANY OPTIONS ...
Start out with 3 wide and Chubb and duke in the backfield .... u can split one or both of them out from that formation ..... lets see who has the LBer on him ... *L* ...
Dawg ... we got so many options ... crap ... when we get hunt back we can line up in the wishbone and then split hunt and duke out wide and have 4 wides with Chubb to worry about ...
Fred/Todd and the rest of the coaches on O must have overload with all they can do with this O ...
Were NOT RESTRICTED AT ALL ON O ... we can do whatever the heck we want .... although we may need a “TE” needing to stay in to help with pass pro ...
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