DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Training Camp 2021

Denzel Ward is a talent and a good person but he is injury prone. We need to keep an extra CB just for that reason.

Don't read too much into this. Gustin and Malveaux were the starters with Clowney and Garrett out.

Some guy named "Blake?"

I know to not read into it, but it's hard to not try to read into it a bit when you see JOK as 3rd String. Looks like he may be a bit of a project.

Takk is still on sabbatical, and I guess it *may* be a little telling in where Weaver stands.

He did miss the first week of camp with covid. He was being eased back at first.

The real surprise is Wilson. He has been lighting it up by all accounts. It will be an interesting position to watch this preseason.

I am definitely looking forward to seeing how he does in Jacksonville.

Like... is it hype, or is it real? Is he the #1 because he's earning it, or because nobody else is?

Higgins get so little love around the league.. I don't understand it. I get he's not the fastest guy... But he always seems to get himself in a position to be where he needs to be to make a play.

He makes plays.. He's a guy you can count on..

But lets be fair, if teams weren't worried About Beckham or Landry, would Higgins be that open? I don't know the answer. I'm not sure it's even a fair question.

Forgot all about Weaver until my brother brought him up the other night. He seems to be having a quiet camp. Is he fully recovered from that toe injury?

Nice lead block by Conklin.

BrownsZone with Scott Petrak
BrownsZone with Scott Petrak


Strong, smart and studious, Tommy Togiai has chance to be big part of defensive lineby Scott PetrakAugust 10, 2021

Tommy Togiai has spent much of his life lifting weights. He started when he was in the fifth grade, bench pressed 225 pounds three years later, routinely headed back to the gym after football practice and did 40 reps at 225 during the Ohio State pro day before the draft.

So the only surprising thing about a July trip to his hometown gym in Idaho during the break before training camp was how much iron was on the bar. With his brothers and an old friend watching, he set a personal record of 545 pounds on the bench, doing two reps.

“I’m talking to strength coaches (with the Browns), it’s just kind of like if you really want to push yourself, you’ve got to push yourself those days when you really feel good,” said Togiai, whose previous best was 520. “So I wanted to push myself.”

The hustling, humble 6-foot-2, 296-pound defensive tackle was a fourth-round pick by the Browns on May 1. He’s competing for playing time in the crowded interior and is expected to be part of the rotation behind starters Malik Jackson and Andrew Billings.

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The staggering bench press numbers are noteworthy for a couple of reasons. They reflect his upbringing and work ethic and provide insight into the Browns’ belief that he can be part of their future.

“The weight room aspect of things and training and all that, it transfers over to the football field,” Togiai told The Chronicle-Telegram on Saturday. “All the things you can do in the weight room you can use out on the field. So getting stronger, getting faster, explosiveness, all those things can correlate to football.

“So that’s why I love lifting because it helps me on the field.”

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Togiai is doing everything the coaches ask. The work has led to improvement, and the strength to on-field success.

“You see it when the pads are on and those guys come off of the ball and can extend their arms versus the offensive line,” Stefanski said. “You can definitely see that power.”

Start ’em young
The fire was lit by his dad, Talalelei, who grew up in American Samoa and played rugby.

“His dad is a brick house, he really is,” Ohio State associate head coach/defensive line coach Larry Johnson recently told The Chronicle. “(Tommy is) big and strong and he’s lifted all of his life. His dad would tell stories how he’d get them to run around the house for hours, just part of their regimen.”

Togiai confirmed the training tales. Starting when he was 10, he joined his siblings for laps around the house, estimating the circuit at a couple of miles. Talalelei worked long days at a food packaging company and when he got home would ask everyone if they had completed them.

“It definitely instilled kind of a mental toughness and also a physical toughness,” Togiai said. “And how to set a routine.”

Humility was another trait stressed by Talalelei.

“My dad and my mom grew up on that, especially in Polynesian culture,” Togiai said. “Respecting your elders is a big thing in our culture. Always respecting my elders and always just trying to learn.”

He doesn’t have to look far to see how rare strength translates to success in the NFL. Billings was the high school power-lifting state champion in Texas after dead-lifting 705 pounds, squatting 805 and benching 500, and line coach Chris Kiffin called him the strongest guy he’s ever seen.

“Just seeing him hit the sleds and do that stuff and see him do some stuff in the weight room, it’s crazy,” Togiai said. “Shoot, we’re going to push each other just to get better and keep getting stronger, keep training and working to get better.”

Hustle and show
Togiai’s game is more than strength. He’s 30 pounds lighter than Billings and has the quickness and stamina to finish plays on the sideline.

He pressured Baker Mayfield into an incompletion Sunday during the two-minute drill at FirstEnergy Stadium, a play consistent with his film at Ohio State. He was second-team All-Big Ten in 2020 after 23 tackles, 4½ for loss.

“He’s got a great mindset such that he understands how to work hard. That’s why you see a lot of great hustle from him,” Johnson said. “I think that’s his key to success. And I saw him in high school play middle linebacker in practice and I remember walking out, wow, that is impressive for a guy that big.”

Togiai credits his family and high school coaches.

“I carried that with me, and then especially when I was at Ohio State, Coach Johnson, that was one of his things that he lived upon,” he said. “D-line, run to the ball, show 110 percent effort every play. That was one thing I bought into and, shoot, I think it’s helping me now.”

Togiai was a four-star recruit despite coming out of Idaho. Buzz like that carries the expectation of making plays, not just clogging the middle. Togiai had all three of his career sacks against Penn State last year, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and added two passes defensed and a forced fumble in his third and final season in Columbus.

“Tommy for us is a really good scheme fit,” Browns director of player personnel Dan Saganey said during the draft. “We look for penetrating guys up front. We think he is a strong, disruptive player with high upside.”

Johnson declared Togiai a playmaker with the ability to be a third-down pass rusher.

“He can change a game in a heartbeat, and you don’t know when he’s going to change it,” Johnson said. “He runs around, flies to the football. He’s been doing this for a while. It’s in his DNA.

“I think Tommy’s got a chance to be really special, I really do. I’m not just saying that because I coached him.”

Fitting in
Togiai will likely begin the year as a rotational player on early downs. The Browns have Jackson, Billings and Jordan Elliott at tackle, and ends Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney can rush from the inside in passing situations.

Togiai said he’s trying to figure out his role.

“What really can I bring to the team, stay on this team and really try to bring something new to the table that can help this team win,” he said.

He believes his football IQ gives him an edge as he transitions to the NFL. He developed film-watching skills at Ohio State that allow him to identify keys shown by the offense.

“I think it’s helped me so far,” Togiai said. “I’m still gonna try to apply it for more.”

His ability to learn quickly was evident when he abandoned his roots upon hearing his name called in the draft. He became a Steelers fan as a kid because of Samoan safety Troy Polamalu, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend.

“I threw that out the window as soon as I got drafted here,” Togiai said.

Mack with the PBU

Nathan Zegura talks with Browns Line Backer Sione Takitaki about his performance throughout Training Camp, highlights from todays practice, and more!

Thanks for posting

Probably due to the time away from the field for covid. I think he will play game 1, maybe not as a starter, but he will play.

I forgot he had The Rona. That's a lot of time lost at a critical time; definitely a setback in development.

I think he didn't actually have it.

Wasn't working

He had it, but no symptoms...

I believe Teller is gone after this season. I'm glad we have Callahan to train his replacement.

if we really want we will be able to tag him for a year

All these guys want to be here and stay here. There is a fair chance he will resign at a reasonable rate. Heard a few talking heads allude to it and I think the players may be pitching it amongst themselves. I think Chubb doing that was huge.

We can’t pay everybody. It’s a nice problem to have in some respects, but we are not likely to tag him (roughly 18 million, says one site, to franchise a guard).

Love Teller, but he’s probably gone after this season and we will have to groom/sign his replacement. Let’s hope our final image of him is at the parade, but after that, Callahan knows how to develop O-linemen. Therefore I’m not too worried.

Based on what Teller said I think he is going to a be a guy who goes for the money. I agree that we have a lot of guys here who came here or have stayed here because they love everything about the team and are very comfortable with being here and that is really very important to them. They took less to be a part of something bigger then them.

For Teller it sure sounds like dollars for him. I wish him well but we won't be breaking the bank for him. In the end he may have a huge change of heart once we bring home the Lombardi. Based on what he said I don't see us re-signing him. He will get his dollars but not here is my bet. It's disappointing but I feel good about our ability to replace him.

Landry is due 15 mil next year with a 1 mil cap hit. I think I would cut him and keep Teller.

SMH, wow

Why??

I think keeping Teller is more important to the long term health of the team.

I don't want to cut Landry, but he is paid a ton and his role looks to be diminishing if DPJ is breaking out.

I have been with Direct TV for over a decade and what do you know, I also seem to be getting the NFL Ticket free. I was going to cancel my service and go with streaming services, but my wife axed that. She wants to watch Dexter when it comes back on Showtime.

Try Apollo TV Group for all your viewing wants and needs for a fraction of the cost, no BS. I pay $12.53 a month for everything and when I say everything I mean everything. People don't believe me when I tell them. They have a free trial and the price is in the $20 now but still an unbelievable bargain. You pay by the year BTW. Oh and I highly recommend you get a VPN which will set you back @80 for 4-5 years.

You owe me a drink to BTW.

As I understand it, we're running the same blocking scheme that Denver used to run back in the day when they manufactured RB's annually. I believe it is Callahan's specialty/signature.

If need be, I believe we can train up a replacement for Teller that will be more than adequate. It's all about scouting for a type, which this FO does very well.

That said, I'd prefer it if Teller makes himself some money, but remains affordable for the bigger picture.

Depends on how you look at it.. That is also 1.5 million we can't use to bring in another player. OBJ and Landry will be pretty much done after 2022. Which, feels like is our window to win a Superbowl.