DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Camp Stuff 2015 (cont'd)

I believe it doesn't start until 6pm EST.

nm, replied before seeing this page.

I believe today's practice is an evening practice.

So none of our guys got beat this afternoon!

That explains why I can't find anything out about how Pryor did today....I really hope he shows enough to make the team.....only if he helps...like others have stated Benji and Hawk seem to be lighting it up.....GO Browns!!

I think Pryor retweaked his hammy early today and hardly practiced. I believe he is doubtful for the game on Thursday.

So the rhetoric from Pet, O'Neil, and Farmer about players having to earn their spots no matter how they were obtained and playing like a Brown is pure BS?

I'm okay w/them wanting to deceive the public and their players because that is typically what management does. I'm just glad to know that is how they will operate and I can tune them out when they make false statements.

Say it isn't so....damn...it is what it is...GO Browns!!!

Thanks for the sharing.

Your observations ring true. I can pretty much tell when some posters are pulling our legs w/their reports, but yours sounded pretty legit.

The fact that football coaches lie should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Guy is fifth on the depth chart and vers is bitching because he is getting a free ride. Sounds like someone is just wanting to bitch and moan for the sake of bitching and moaning.

Do you really think I was surprised?

No, but as Mourgrym pointed out, it is not like they are handing Gilbert a starting spot either. I would say he is firmly behind Haden, Williams, Williams, and Desir. No matter how bad Gilbert is, he is definitely better than most other teams fifth corner and should be kept for his potential along.

Tab thats what ticked me off so bad. Was Erving given a starting job over Grecco just for showing up? We have Gipson undrafted from previous regime starting at FS. We have Williams undrafted in the slot. We have Solomon guy cut by 3 or 4 teams at OLB. Gabriel may be our #1 this year another undrafted. Kirksey is playing behind Robertson. Johnny is still stuck behind McCown and Gilbert is our 5th corner.

Pet is a damn good coach and has made people earn their way. Ask Ben Tate and Nate Burrelson about earning your keep.

END OF THE DAY - You don't invest a first and cut the guy without trying to develop him. He'll be on the 53 this year... but the lights better be on next year.

I'll add to that the following:

Gilbert is absolutely a stud athlete and physical specimen. Now...that might not mean diddly as it comes to being an NFL CB...so there's that.

I doubt that many UDFA or late-round guys - who absolutely would be on the cut list if they performed as Gilbert has thus far - have the same unique physical traits that this guy has.

So...there's another reason why he'll get more chances than another player might get. He is simply a special athlete.

I think those same reasons will apply to Pryor who may make the 53 over a guy like Lenz or Jennings or Wynn who have performed better on the field. If you are taking a flyer on the last spot on the depth chart I think the physically special athlete gets the nod.
JMO

5 quick-hitters from Browns coach Mike Pettine’s Friday teleconference

Kevin Jones

Link


Browns coach provides updates after loss to Buffalo

After watching film of the Browns’ 11-10 preseason loss to the Bills, coach Mike Pettine fielded questions for 15 minutes Friday with local reporters.

Let’s dive right in.

Browns being vanilla on offense

The Browns first-team offense scored just three points against the Bills and turned the ball over twice by the way of Josh McCown’s right arm. Buffalo’s defensive line had some to do with the disruption, but Pettine didn’t hide that Cleveland is being secretive with its playbook during the 2015 preseason.

“With a new offensive coordinator, teams really haven’t built a book on you yet over the past year,” Pettine said. “The natural tendency is, you don’t want to show a lot. You stay pretty vanilla with concepts and the things that we do. There was not a lot of heavy game-planning done for these first two.”

Under Pettine, the Browns use early games in the preseason more as individual teaching drills rather than throwing the kitchen sink to try and win. The NFL moves so quickly it’s easy to forget about McCown and the first-team offense punching the football down the field on their opening possession one week earlier against the Redskins.

“When we get to the season and we’re not scoring points? Then I’ll worry about it,” Pettine said.

Browns have a plan for Johnny Manziel

The Browns are planning on McCown quarterbacking the team for the 2015 season. Pettine couldn’t have made that more clear on Friday.

“We feel good about where Johnny is as the No. 2 and we feel good about where Josh is with the No. 1’s,” Pettine said.

Manziel’s growth in the preseason has been repeatedly acknowledged by Pettine. Cleveland’s head coach argued it’s the focus of his young quarterback that has changed the most – he lives, eats and breathes football. He’s football obsessed again. That was the first step for Manziel to show the coaching staff he was committed to becoming a leader.

But the Browns have built firm strategies around a scrappy, relentless bully on defense and having a veteran quarterback guide the offense. Two interceptions aren’t going to wipe out the months of credibility and stability McCown has brought the Browns offense in practice and in the meeting room.

“We have a pretty good plan, we feel, for Johnny’s development and I think we’re on schedule with it,” Pettine said. “He’s shown great improvement from the day he set foot back in the building … We don’t want to get too wrapped up in kind of the big picture stuff. Those meetings are down the road.”

Injury updates

Safety Jordan Poyer is going through the NFL’s concussion protocol and may miss some time. Ibraheim Campbell filled in for Poyer with the first team, while Tashaun Gipson remained out with a calf injury.

Offensive lineman Michael Bowie had been playing mostly second-team right tackle. He injured his shoulder on the final play of the game.

Tight end Gary Barnidge was cleared to return to the game after passing the NFL’s concussion protocol but Cleveland held him out to get a closer look at E.J. Bibbs and Rob Housler.

Saturday will be a lower tempo practice for the Browns, and Pettine said many of the players who missed Thursday’s game have a chance of returning. WR Marlon Moore (ribs), DB Justin Gilbert (hip), DB Joe Haden (hamstring), DB Pierre Desir (hamstring), RB Duke Johnson Jr., (hamstring),DB K’Waun Williams (abdominal), Gipson (calf), DB De’Ante Saunders (calf), FB Malcolm Johnson (shoulder), WR Dwayne Bowe (hamstring) and WR Terrelle Pryor (hamstring) are among them.

Shane Wynn and Darius Jennings making decisions tough at WR position

We wrote about Wynn’s big night as a returner and his touchdown snag. Jennings is a player general manager Ray Farmer mentioned to Cleveland Browns Daily’s Nathan Zegura during the pregame radio show as someone who is doing everything in his power to stand out.

Ala Taylor Gabriel a season ago, the pair of undrafted free agents are showing potential as deep threats down the field and elusive return men.

“We put a lot of stock of what happens in games,” Pettine said. “Both of these guys have demonstrated that it’s not too big for them when they get out there on a big stage.”

Browns running game still sorting itself out

Cleveland running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery has openly told reporters he wants a No. 1 running back to emerge. In turn, Terrance West carried the football 11 times for 42 yards, while Isaiah Crowell saw just five touches for 14 yards. Pettine mentioned a 13-yard run and stiff-arm Crowell threw on Bills linebacker Preston Bradford in the second quarter as a top play from the game.

“I thought Terrance ran well,” Pettine said. “There were a couple of 2- or 3-yard runs out there that were as good-looking as 2- or 3-yard runs you’ll see. There were some holes there. I thought we did some good things. Wanted to make sure we got some core runs on tape.”

The Browns don’t fly to Tampa Bay until Aug.28, giving them ample preparation time. The next few days will be spent more in “training camp mode” than practice situations.

weather its old vs young or not...gilb isnt beating out ufa`s. so its time to say it was a bad pic and move on....its not like he is competing with joe for the first slot...he is competing to just make the team

I don't think that Gilbert should start, or even be one of the top 4 CB .... but we should not just throw him out quite yet. He is a very physically talented kid, and hopefully the light comes on for him. If not, well,we have to pay him his entire contract anyway, (unless someone claimed him which is unlikely because them they would inherit his complete guarantee) so why not see if the light comes on for him?

Wynn and Jennings are making a strong case to make the roster. We have so many small WRs that it will be interesting to see what happens.

Disappointing comments. Get ready for excuses to follow.

All the buzz on him before camp has surely dissipated. Unless it's knocking off the rust from the injury beforehand, Bowie has looked incredibly bad. He gets dusted and beat way too often. Now a shoulder? Not too promising as all the offseason hype had lead on with him.

Yet look at last year. The preseason was futile, yet when we got into the regular season, the offense was much better than it had been in the preseason.

I do think that there is some support for this position, given Pettine's limited time as head coach.

I think what Vers was refering to wasnt the not game planning but the excuses for McCowns play. The picks didnt bother me as much as the stuff i was watching in the pocket with him. He was throwing off his back foot when he didnt need to. he would step up and then start looking around to see where the defense was coming from instead of delivering the ball. The throwing up for grabs was just another sign of looking for a way out.

Assuming you are replying to me, (I really hate quick reply!) I assumed that he replied about the article he quoted.

McCown had one excellent game, and one in which he struggled, playing against the best front in the NFL, with Thomas just back from injury. (and even if Thomas did not have to adjust, the other guys did)

We also have players who missed weeks of practice. Then we also had numerous injuries on top of that.

I will say that there was one encouraging thing .... that being that the defense held the Bills to 3 points until the very, very end, when a lot of really deep backups were on the field.

The Bills were down to something like their fifth running back and top three wide receivers didn't play.

McCown is terrible, but he is an NFL QB. He had one good drive, not one good game. We know what he is.

Fixed it

left out where he threw it up for grabs and lucked into a PI call lol.

5 Browns observations from Sunday’s practice

Link

Browns using RBs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson together
For the first time since last Tuesday in Rochester against the Bills, the Browns strapped on the pads for a physical, late August practice.

Here’s what we saw.

1) Browns using Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell together?

Johnson’s return in pads brought life to the Browns offense, and the team was not shying away from throwing him right into the fire with exotic formations. On more than one occasion, Johnson lined up in the backfield together with Isaiah Crowell.

“It’s tough on a defense when you have both tailbacks out there,” coach Mike Pettine said. “You can use Duke as a wideout. It just gives you a little more flexibility from a formation standpoint, which then lends itself to a possible mismatch when you use Duke as a wideout. You can react to what a defense puts out there and call your play accordingly. That is something I am sure we will use.”

Cleveland had a pitch count on Johnson after he missed most of training camp with a lingering hamstring injury. But despite the altered workload, it’s already looking like he could see a heavy dosage of playing time Saturday in Tampa Bay.

“His legs look fresh,” Pettine said. “He looks explosive.”

2) Browns using Danny Shelton and Phil Taylor together?

In a 9-on-9 running drill, Shelton and Randy Starks lined up as the defensive ends while Phil Taylor plugged the middle at nose tackle. It was arguably Taylor’s most productive practice of the summer.

The 27-year-old was even giving Alex Mack trouble in one-on-one situations, consistently pushing back the Pro Bowl center. The Browns are hopeful to see Taylor tough it out and suit up against the Buccaneers for some real game repetitions. His last game action came in a decisive win at Cincinnati, where he was a force up front.

Pettine said using Shelton and Taylor together will be more for goal-line situations. Combined, the two weigh 674 pounds.

“We will get them out to make it difficult to run inside and force the ball to the edges,” Pettine said.

3) Offense wins 2-minute drill to end practice

With less than a minute marked on the scoreboard and the ball close to midfield, Pettine pitted his offense against his defense in the camouflage jersey competition.

Quarterback Josh McCown shook off Thursday night’s two interceptions by guiding the offense into the end zone. After a big completion down the field to Gary Barnidge, McCown and the offense rushed down the field to spike the ball. With two seconds remaining on the clock, the veteran quarterback hurled a pass to a diving Andrew Hawkins.

Touchdown, Browns.

“It was a good lesson on both sides,” Pettine said. “Not giving up on offense and executing. The spike at the end to get the extra play. Defensively, that is the NFL. You could play well for the vast majority of the game, but you have to finish.

“That will swing the season one way or another – how we perform in those crunch time situations. We will over practice them and simulate as many as we can out here.”

4) Xavier Cooper says Donte Whitner has been giving him confidence

It may only be the preseason, but Cooper is tied for the NFL’s lead with three sacks. The sacks have come against the second-team offensive lines of Washington and Buffalo, but the quarterback takedowns could propel Cooper higher up in the defensive line rotation by the time the regular season begins.

“I am just trying to build my resume day-by-day,” the third-round pick from Washington State said.

Where has Cooper been getting all of this confidence to go out there and make plays? The locker room, actually.

Safety Donte Whitner has approached Cooper and told the rookie he’s doing everything right on the practice field. Now, just go out and do it in the games.

“Whitner can stay to himself, but he’s a leader – when he speaks up, guys listen,” Cooper said. “He’s been in the game a long time. He’s been in a Super Bowl. And that’s what we’re trying to build.”

So far, so good, X-Man.

5) Other news and notes


Travis Benjamin continues to be one of the most consistent performers on the entire roster during practice. On Sunday, he had two more deep catches. We wrote earlier in the summer Benjamin was thriving with a fully healthy knee and more competition. He hasn’t tapered off as a receiver at all.
Rookie wide receiver Vince Mayle caught an acrobatic touchdown in the back left corner of the end zone from quarterback Thaddeus Lewis. Mayle has three catches for 35 yards in two preseason games.
Wide receiver Darius Jennings, the recipient of Johnny Manziel’s 37-yard pass on Thursday, said that play was not improvised from the quarterback. Jennings just happened to be the last read.
“It was a naked play,” Jennings said. “I was on the backside, just had the deep post. It was a great throw by him, he was running toward his left and he was throwing with his right arm. Just for him to even get it out there, I just tried to make a play for him and tried to track it down and we got the conversion.”
Joe Haden (hamstring), Terrelle Pryor (hamstring), Tashaun Gipson (calf) and Justin Gilbert (hip) were the notable Browns missing from practice.

I love when team mates encourage each other... I love even more when the experienced player teaches the newer player tips on how to be better at the position..

tired of pryor's injury

It might be the plan.

Not a bad plan, really. He's probably not ready for prime time and it's painfully obvious his physical condition won't carry him through a season.

I wonder if they'd put him on the PUP list for six games

I doubt the PUP. He still has a long way to go. He goes IR or is cut and then we resign him to the PS.

Mary Kay Cabot
✔
@MaryKayCabot

#Browns Terrelle Pryor, idle with hamstring as WR today, is lending his arm to WR/DB drills today with Manziel resting his sore elbow