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BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns open their three-day mandatory minicamp Tuesday morning with good news for the players whose heads are spinning from cramming in the new offense and defense during 10 days of organized team activities.

"We won't be installing anything new for the minicamp," coach Rob Chudzinski said last week at OTAs. "We've thrown a lot at them. That's been by design that we've put a lot on their plates in teaching and throwing a lot at them and seeing how they apply on the field in the OTA setting. We will just be working through the minicamp with the same things that we've done. We'll give those guys a chance to go out and execute, play fast and see how they can do that."

The minicamp will largely be an extension of OTAs -- with no pads and no live contact -- but with a chance to practice for about 15 minutes more each day, from about 10:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

"Then the next step would be training camp," said Chudzinski. "That's where we really get a chance to work the physical part of football, the techniques and the fundamentals that we want to work on. I'm looking forward to minicamp and really looking forward to when we can put the pads on in training camp."

Here are some questions facing the Browns on the eve of minicamp:

1. Will Trent Richardson be healthy and ready to go for training camp?

Richardson will most likely sit out the minicamp with the strained muscle in his lower right leg, but the Browns -- and Richardson -- insist it's just precautionary and that they're trying to get him to training camp and the regular season healthy.

In the meantime, Richardson's absence from OTAs the past two weeks has meant more quality reps for Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya, Dion Lewis and Brandon Jackson.

"It's been good that those guys have had a chance to be able to work with the first group," said Chudzinski. "Montario (Hardesty) really is a different style than Trent. He's a good companion-type guy to him. He's a slasher and has really good vision. Again, it's hard to tell when you are not in pads and it's a very controlled tempo. (But) Dion this last week has really stepped it up and done well catching the ball and doing some things in the passing game. I think those guys are getting more comfortable with the offense."

2. Is first-rounder Barkevious Mingo ready to step up into a starting role?

Mingo received some first-team reps last week in OTAs, but largely because Paul Kruger was absent while dealing with a family obligation. The Browns are making Mingo earn his starting job, but he's made a smooth early transition from defensive end to linebacker, dropping back with ease and being in position to make plays.

The Browns have tried Jabaal Sheard and Kruger at both the left and right outside linebacker spots, so it will be interesting to see how the three will be used this season. Most likely, they'll rotate and all be used a lot in multiple spots.

"I'm feeling good," Mingo said last week. "I got a lot thrown at me early, but I've picked up the playbook and I'm progressing and getting the hang of it."

As for the switch to linebacker, he said: "I'm liking it. I like being on my feet, I like being able to move in space, I think it's natural to me and I'm picking it up."

3. Do the Browns have what they need in the defensive backfield?

Chudzinski doesn't see any urgency to add to the DB stockpile despite openings in the starting lineup at cornerback and free safety. the front-runner for the starting free safety job is second-year pro Tashaun Gipson, who was signed as an undrafted rookie last year out Wyoming. Rookie safety Jamoris Slaugher, the sixth-rounder of Notre Dame, is still recovering from his Achilles injury and hopes to be ready for camp. Rookie Leon McFadden is penciled in at cornerback, but as of last week, he was toiling on the second team behind Chris Owens, signed as an unrestricted free agent from Atlanta.

"There are guys there that have ability," Chudzinski said. "It's just a matter of really honing in on techniques. Those are the guys that are our guys and I feel good about them."

4. Will Brandon Weeden continue to keep Jason Campbell at bay?

During OTAs, it's clearly been Weeden's job to lose. He's receiving all of the first-team reps and has gotten better with each passing week. He's been connecting well with guys like Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron on the deep pass and he's getting rid of the ball quickly.

"I feel like I've thrown it well and I'm getting to the line of scrimmage and not having to think about what everybody is doing," said Weeden last week. "The ball is coming out nice and my feet feel pretty good. I've just got to keep grinding on it and keep getting better."

5. Will John Greco nail down a starting guard spot?

The staff really likes Greco, who started 10 games in place of Jason Pinkston (blood clot in lung) last season and didn't miss an offensive snap over his first nine starts. Greco has worked at both right and left guard in OTAs, while Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston have alternated between the first and second teams. Last week, Greco started at right guard and Lauvao on the left side, with Pinkston serving as the second-team left guard.

"John has done a nice job out here," said Chudzinski. "John is a solid guy. He really stepped up last year and played well in the games that he came in and started. Again, that really is going to play itself out when we get into pads in camp."

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2013/06/cleveland_browns_facing_questi.html#incart_river

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1. Will Trent Richardson be healthy and ready to go for training camp?

Richardson will most likely sit out the minicamp with the strained muscle in his lower right leg, but the Browns -- and Richardson -- insist it's just precautionary and that they're trying to get him to training camp and the regular season healthy.

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I'm sorry and I know a lot of people will get upset, but this bugs me. The guy is always nicked up and has missed practice time in the past. He needs to stud out. It's a new offense. Whatever.....

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The Browns have tried Jabaal Sheard and Kruger at both the left and right outside linebacker spots, so it will be interesting to see how the three will be used this season. Most likely, they'll rotate and all be used a lot in multiple spots.

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I agree w/this. I think all three have talent and I think all three will play in multiple positions this year and be utilized in various ways. I like this group.

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During OTAs, it's clearly been Weeden's job to lose. He's receiving all of the first-team reps and has gotten better with each passing week. He's been connecting well with guys like Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron on the deep pass and he's getting rid of the ball quickly.

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I have a serious question. Are the QBs actually being rushed? Are the defenses mixing up coverages in OTA's? If those two things are true, then there is something to him getting rid of the ball quicker. If they are not..........it means absolutely zero.

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The staff really likes Greco, who started 10 games in place of Jason Pinkston (blood clot in lung) last season and didn't miss an offensive snap over his first nine starts. Greco has worked at both right and left guard in OTAs, while Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston have alternated between the first and second teams.

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Those guys must not know football, either.

Like I have said before, I was not a fan of Greco coming in, but the guy proved to be a very solid player and our best OG---at least in my eyes.

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Now that I see he is being moved around(although expected) I think it only increases the probability Kruger is our failsafe. i like the plan of action if so. Lock up the proven solid entity and hope at least one project succeeds. Set up the contract so if both succeed he can be jettisoned and money spent elsewhere. I think it's very possible Kruger winds up the situational passrusher by the end of 2014. If Sheard can improve his rushing skills to that of Kruger he becomes very expendable with his high contract.

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Perhaps, but I would just as soon keep all three for awhile. All three guys are dynamic and will really help bringing pressure.

The lack of pressure by our front seven has been a problem for years and years. I can't remember the last time we had a really good pass rush. The lack of a pass rush has been a huge problem.

Think about all the times over the years where the Browns were either leading late, or more than likely trailing and needing the ball back and they couldn't get off the field. Think about all the 3rd down pass completions that kept drives alive. Another set of downs. Another right cross to the jaw. And what was the biggest reason for those painful completions? Yeah, the front seven could not generate a pass rush and the opposing qb had all day to survey the field.

I'm glad the the new regime addressed the pass rush. I think it will be great to utilize all three of those guys. Move them around so teams don't know where they will line and where they will rush from. It adds confusion to the mix and a confused qb is not very good.

Personally, I'm excited to see this defense play. Very excited. I think we will give up a lot of big plays and that will be frustrating. I believe that for the following reasons:
--it will take some time to learn the new system
--the system itself inherently is risky and will be torched by big plays
--there are still holes in the overall talent.

However, I do think this defense will be exciting. I think they will make big plays. I think they will play w/a passion that many Brown's fans can identify with. I think there will be a lot of energy and we will begin to dictate the flow of the game w/our defense. I think we will continue to improve and that sometime soon, this defense will be a real force.

I'm all for keeping the talent and bringing in more. I understand it is three guys for two positions in the traditional setting, but I truly think Horton is going to have guys lining up all over the place. That is huge, man. Guys are going to be moving around. You don't know where they will be coming from. They will play multiple positions in multiple formations. I wanna see us smack some other qbs around for once. And I believe all three of those guys will be effective--and perhaps destructive--pass rushers in Horton's defense.

I always enjoy watching things like this.

link

I have always enjoyed snapper.

It has felt like on 3rd and a foot we have a pretty good chance to stop it. Now when it is 3rd and 8 plus, it has felt like we have had a 10% success rate in those situations.

We can blame a lot of it on lack of pass rushers but more of it has been a series of coaches that held the play it safe mentality. Butch lacked a killer instinct and always went safe when the D was getting pressure. Romeo was identical. Mangini and Rob wanted to blitz but didnt have the players so we would end up with 9 men in a zone with 2 rushing about as often as really getting after it. Jauron is a super conservative coach as well.

I get the feeling that Ray would rather chop something off than go conservative. Like I have said, I prefer the 4-3 but Horton's 3-4 is just pretty damn fun to watch.

BTW, I know everyone talks about how brutal our schedule is this year but I tell yea what, we play a lot of teams with really bad offensive lines. Thats not to say that if we dont get there in a hurry those QBs can light us up for 50 but think about this.

Miami moving Jonathon Martin to LT.
Vikings OL is built to run block not pass protect, run blitz to the QB in this one
Bills OL changing schemes and were rather poor last year
Lions OL sucks
Packers OL sucks
Steelers OL sucks
Jags OL sucks
Bears OL sucks
Jets OL sucks

These 2 I see as decent to pretty good but nothing special.
Ravens OL Boldin helped Flacco a ton by being that emergency valve.
Pats OL has been protected by Wes Welker imho. This one will be interesting.

Chiefs should have a pretty good OL but this line sucked last year.

Bengals have a good OL and a slew of emergency safety valves.