Cleveland Browns training camp starts to heat up as players fight for positions
The Cleveland Browns held their fifth day of training camp (the third in a row that fans were allowed to watch) as sunny skies prevailed in Berea, Ohio for Tuesday afternoon.
The practice held the same amount of high energy with players taking hard hits on each other throughout the afternoon. The team focused more on scrimmage type drills with just a little one-on-one work with individual players except when a glaring mistake was made.
The team is off tomorrow and will resume practice on Thursday, August 4, 2016. Friday’s sold out practice promises to be exciting as full contact scrimmages are planned for much of the early evening practice (6 to 8:30 p.m.) before traveling to Ohio Stadium on Saturday for the annual Orange and Brown Scrimmage on Saturday, August 6, 2016 at 3 p.m. There are still a limited number of tickets for the Saturday event.
Prior to practice Inside Linebacker Coach Johnny Holland, Tight Ends Coach Greg Seamon and Outside Linebacker Coach Ryan Slowik met with the media at the Cleveland Browns Training Complex in Berea, Ohio.
First up was Coach Holland.
On LB Demario Davis’ impact on the defense and inside linebackers:
“Demario has a huge impact with our group and on our defense. Overall, Demario’s a natural leader. He leads by his example of his hard work and his dedication to learn what we’re trying to do on defense. He’s a relentless leader. We’re glad to have him.”
On LB Christian Kirksey and what he needs to do to reach the next level:
“Chris is blessed with a lot of athletic ability, for sure. Just what I’ve seen of Chris from last year, he didn’t get a lot of playing time, and they say he wasn’t as physical as what they like. I’d say Chris is a physical player. He’s got a lot of ability to come downhill and thump. He doesn’t shy away from contact. He can cover tight ends, running backs, a great athlete. He will be a great asset to our group and our defense.”
On Kirksey taking a leadership role as a younger player at ILB:
“Yeah, Chris and Demario make a great tandem of two linebackers. They communicate great together. They feed off of each other, play off of each other. Chris plays with a lot of energy and he brings a lot of energy to the group and to the defense. That’s what you need to play great defense. The sky is the limit for him. I’m expecting him to have a lot of accolades as a person, as a player.”
On the younger inside linebackers:
“(LBs) Scooby (Wright III) and Dominique Alexander are great pickups for us. Those two are very hard workers for one, and they are learning our defense and are athletic guys, physical guys that can run. Scooby is a guy that’s very instinctive. He had a lot of production in college, and it’s showing up on the practice field now. He has a natural knack to get to the ball. Dominque, he’s a guy that has speed and quickness and can run and change direction and a smart guy. They’re going to be great additions to what we’re trying to do here.”
On ILBs needing to be leaders due to the position, specifically as it relates to Davis:
“The inside linebackers run the defense. He’s the guy that makes all the calls and does the talking. Demario, he’s a natural leader. One thing that Demario does is he leads by example. He knows how to motivate guys and bring guys along. He’s not a leader that beats guys down, but when he stands up and make a point, he can get his point across. Like I said, we’re very excited about Demario. I think he has potential to be one of the top linebackers in the NFL.”
Next up was Tight Ends Coach Greg Seamon:
On TE Gary Barnidge’s progress from sports hernia injury:
“He’s on schedule, maybe a little bit ahead. He is such a diligent worker. I don’t worry too much about doing the things he should do in rehab. We’ve got a plan for him that will get him to opening day. We have to accomplish two things: we have to make sure that he’s healthy and make sure that he gets enough work that he’s ready to go. His work ethic is so good that I don’t sweat that much. We feel good about it. He’ll be ready to go when the season starts, and he’ll get some time here in the preseason.”
On Barnidge’s playing time prior to the regular season:
“I think you’ll probably see it gradually increase a little bit. I don’t know what we’ll do in the first game yet. He’ll get some time certainly.”
On TE Connor Hamlett and the TE group as a whole:
“What we have at my position really is Gary and the kids. There are five or six of them and none of them have really played. Some haven’t played at all. We are giving everybody an opportunity to play different positions within the tight end group through camp here. It’ll play itself out as we go through the preseason. There are jobs available. I’m lucky in this regard, they’re all bright kids, they’re all hard workers and they all certainly have unique skills to themselves. Connor is a long, tall, spidery guy with excellent hands. He’s very smart. We’ll see how it plays out. Right now, those jobs are available. What we’re attempting to do in practice is give everybody enough repetitions at all the various spots so that when we get to the games, they can go in and show what they can do. So far so good. I’m lucky to have a guy like Gary in the room as a veteran because he’s a great resource for those guys on his own experience because He wasn’t a star right away. He worked up through the system and then became a Pro Bowl talent. Connor is doing well.”
On if he is worried that TE Seth DeValve may fall behind due to injury and when he’ll return to the field:
“If he hadn’t gone to Princeton, then I’d be worried if he would fall behind the rest of the pack, from an assignment standpoint, but certainly, you have to practice to earn your spot on the field. He wants to get out there as badly as anybody. He’s making progress. We’re kind of in a day-to-day mode right now. It’s a fine line. If we put him out there too soon and he reinjures it, then we lose him for more time. I want him to be well and then I want him to be available. He wants that, too, and he’s working hard at it. Hopefully, within the next few days, we get to see him out there more.
On how prominent the second TE’s role is in the Browns offense:
“It’s very prominent. If you look at (Head Coach) Hue’s (Jackson) offenses in the past, multiple tight ends are a big part of what we do. We have some flexibility in that there’s flexibility with what Gary does. He can be a point of attack guy. He can be a slot guy. He can be out on the edge. We can put Gary anywhere. That helps because we can then play off of that with how we structure the rest of the depth chart. We’ve got a good spread of other kids in the room in terms of their abilities. They’re all a little bit different. We just have to see how they perform here in the preseason, and then we’ll match them up.”
Last up was Outside Linebackers Coach Ryan Slowik:
On if LB Emmanuel Ogbah is still working on drills as an OLB:
“Yes, everything he did in the spring is still part of his game and that’s kind of the beauty of having someone like that is the versatility they bring to your team. What he can do from a rush perspective, from a drop perspective, that will always be part of his game.”
On if Ogbah could get legitimate reps during the season at OLB and during games:
“I could see him continuing to present enough of an issue to where he can do anything like that. Anything a D-lineman is asked to do, anything an outside linebacker is asked to do, he can do.”
On LB Barkevious Mingo’s role and where he stands:
“His role right now is the same as the other outside linebackers. That is know what the significance of training camp is – compete, play hard and you have to hit, you have to tackle and let it fall where it may.”
On if Mingo participated in the live tackling period yesterday because he didn’t receive reps during that portion the previous day:
“It’s not really so much where he’s out there, who he’s out there with. We do it a little bit different ways as far as we don’t read too much of where you think you’re placed or who’s out there with you. You have to go out there and your reps might be different. There might be a different reason why you’re out there on a certain play and somebody else isn’t so you just have to compete on every play.”
On defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s comment during minicamp to move Mingo around and determining the best position for him to play:
“I think Mingo brings a very unique skill set that not many outside linebackers have. He can run, he is athletic and he has a great get off. We’re just trying to help him figure out where he feels the best, most comfortable and get the best out of those skills.”
On how Mingo’s weight gain is helping him during camp:
“I think it’s translated well. When you put weight on, you have to learn to use it and kind of still use the skills that you have. Like for him, obviously, speed, athleticism so he kind of has to learn how to play with that weight. Whether it’s five pounds or 25 pounds, he’s kind of learning what is most comfortable.”
On if LB Nate Orchard’s progress has continued since his rookie season:
“Yes, Nate is doing very well with the leap from year one to year two from year two mini-camp to year two training camp, your vision starts increasing. You start learning to how to play with different techniques, different assignments. He’s kind of expanding it, seeing those things and kind of trying to take advantage of his vision and things he can see and feel.”
On if he reviewed LB Paul Kruger’s 2015 season frame by frame to learn about his production and what he’ll have to adjust to fit in the new system:
“I can’t really speak [to last year]. I wasn’t here last year so it’s hard to really speak on what he was asked to do. You study, basically if you run a 3-4, you can kind of get a feel for what guys are. Obviously, they ran a 3-4 here last year. Without the specifics of it, you don’t know what they were trained and coached to do, but you know what each guy probably does well and things they’ve done well most of their career. You just try to kind of hone in on those and make sure he’s doing those to the best of his ability.”
On where Kruger is at this point in his career:
“So far, he’s been great for us. He’s been doing everything we’ve asked him to do. He’s been doing it well and he’s taken to coaching. He’s taken to trying to take command of that room and help guys and still kind of be the best he can be.”
Following practice and the autograph session with the fans Cleveland Browns players QB Robert Griffin III, LB Barkevious Mingo, LB Nate Orchard and LB Joe Schobert were interviewed.
QB Robert Griffin III:
On how he feels after completing a few padded practices and what the offense has shown so far:
“It’s good to see the guys come out and be physical. I know Coach (Head Coach Hue Jackson) really preaches physicality, and the offensive line is being physical up front. It’s fun to watch. When you go back and you watch the tape, of course you watch yourself – you learn what you can do better, what you can fix – but then you get to see guys go out and excel and play well. I think that’s really fun, and I think the guys are having fun. It is training camp. You put the pads on. There are going to be bumps and bruises, but everyone is fighting through it and it’s good to see us come out here and continue to get better.”
On if the Browns install feels heavier or more complex than other installs he’s experienced:
“It doesn’t. Drawing on experience from my career, the past four years in the league being in a couple different offenses, it is a heavy install, but everything plays off of other plays so you can kind of – ‘Hey if they do this, we’re going to do this. If they do this, we’re going to do that.’ I think the guys realize that. The advantage of putting it all in is that the rest of training camp you can just keep working on the same things that you already put in instead of dragging it out. Guys have been out there and we’ve had to be like we’re at the airport, directing traffic getting guys to line up in the right spots, but I think the hustle and the effort is always there.”
On what WRs have formed impressions in his mind during training camp:
“I think all of them. They’ve all done a great job. There is no shortage of speed for us at wide receiver and there won’t be. These guys are like a track team out here running up and down the field, but we have to take care of them and make sure that these guys stay healthy. They’re doing a good job of taking care of their bodies and making sure they’re available every single day. I think all of us have been really impressed with our receiving corps and what they’ve been doing.”
On WR Corey Coleman’s progress:
“I think Corey is doing well. His speed flashes every day. He’s a dynamic player. That’s why he was a first round pick. And he went to Baylor so (laughter)…”
On working out with Coleman during the offseason and what he learned about Coleman:
“I know Corey. I was leaving Baylor when he was a recruit coming in and I went back to Baylor a bunch, so I know Corey really well. I know what he’s about. I know what drives him. The same with (WR) Josh (Gordon). It’s been fun, the experience of getting to know the rest of the receivers in the same exact way, what drives them, what they do well, what motivates them. Corey coming out and a couple other guys came out, as well, to work with me in the offseason. It builds trust. It builds comradery to know when he’s going to be coming out of his breaks. He made the effort to come out, to come workout when he could be off. He could be in the Bahamas or something, sipping on piña coladas or whatever he wanted to do. He came out to work. I think that’s important for him, for us as a team. When you have examples like (OL) Joe Thomas and (DB) Joe Haden out here, it’s easy to fall in line and make sure you’re doing everything the right way.”
On if it would be cool to have an offense comprised of so many Baylor players:
“We try not to look at it that way. Obviously, myself, Josh, Corey, and (OL Spencer) Drango all went to Baylor. We enjoy the fact that we all get to play together again or play together for the first time. It is fun, but it’s not our main focus. We’re Cleveland Browns now and we’re here to help resurrect this team and make it a consistent winner.”
On what it means that he is receiving first team reps:
“Every day you have to show up ready to go, show up and come out and prove it so you just focus on what you can control. If Coach tells me to go, I go. If he tells me he wants me to go play on the concrete with the first offense, that’s what we’re going to go do. It doesn’t matter where we’re at. We’re ready to play.”
On trick plays in the Browns offense and potentially catching passes this year:
“I don’t know what you’re talking about (laughter).”
On the potential for the Browns offense when everyone is healthy and available:
“We have the potential to be great. I think every team, all 32 teams right now look at their roster and say, ‘Man, we got them.’ It’s about the ones who grow together the best, come through training camp and get the best out of their season and become great and win close games – when it’s winning time, we do the right things. It’s really exciting to see our roster, to see the guys and know that we do have some guys that aren’t completely healthy and when they do get out here and start rolling, it can be even more fun. It’s my job to get them the ball, and I promise you I’m going to do my best.”
On where he stands as a leader after joining a new team:
“I’ve said this before – when you come into a new locker room, a new team, a new organization and a new coach – everybody wants to see what you do and how you respond. What I’ve tried to do is go in and work hard, show up every day and prove it to them that they can trust me. Now, have I done that? You have to ask them. I can’t tell you, but I know what they’ve told me. You just come in, put your best foot forward, show them that they can trust you, work hard every day and like I said a thousand times, when you have guys like Joe Thomas, Joe Haden, (WR) Andrew Hawkins, guys that have been in the league for a long time, when they show up every day ready to work, it’s easy to fall in line and do that.”
On WR Terrelle Pryor’s transition from QB to WR:
“TP’s transition from quarterback to wide receiver has been phenomenal. It’s really hard to do. Not many guys have ever done it. As you guys have seen out here at practice, he’s doing a great job. I talk to him and laugh with him about when he was at Ohio State in a bowl game back in the day a couple of years ago, he caught a fade for a touchdown over a safety. I was watching. I remember watching it, and I was like, ‘Man, that guy can play receiver.’ Obviously, he played quarterback in the league, and now, he’s got an opportunity to do big things at wide receiver if he keeps working. I think we’re all proud of him. It’s good to see him come out here and play the way he has.”
On what he wants to accomplish during the Browns’ live scrimmage Friday night:
“Offensively, we want to move the ball and score points. End of the day, that’s all we can do. That’s all we can control. It’s not about me. It’s not about any individual. It’s about us as a unit. Just get the unit moving and have positive plays.”
On if he ever played in full-speed scrimmages with Washington:
“Not with the ones, I would say. This is Coach Jackson’s team, and if he tells us we’re hitting, the siren goes off and we’re hitting, we’re hitting. If he wants me to hit somebody, I’ll hit somebody, too. That’s just the way it goes. We all trust Coach and that he’s going to take care of us and do the right things.”
On if he’s eager for Jackson to name a starting QB so the team can move forward with that player:
“No, you just have to focus on what you can control. There’s no eagerness to it. You come out every day with the same mindset to get better, continue to prove yourself out here on the field every day and that’s all you can control. You can’t control when Coach makes a decision, how he makes a decision. One thing we all know is we’re all going to have each other’s back. No matter what happens, we’re all going to be there for each other, we’re all going to have each other’s back and we’re all Cleveland Browns. We’re all here to do one job, and that’s win.”
On his experience last year playing on Washington’s scout team and if that gave him a different perspective:
“I think all of my experiences from the past four years in the league have helped me get to this point where I am in Cleveland and with the coaching staff and with the team – just how to manage everything and control you’re process and focus on what you can control. I don’t think there’s any one thing that’s done that, but all those experiences have helped me.”
On if he watched last year’s Browns film when signing with the team to get an idea of the team’s offensive personnel:
“I did not. I did look at the roster and see who was here. When management talked to me, it was more about having the opportunity to come somewhere and help a team be successful than it was about who was on the roster.”
On if RBs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson Jr. have been ‘pleasant surprises’ with their play:
“I really wanted to come out and practice with guys and get to know them first before I ever judged them as football players because what you see on tape from one year can be totally different from the next. When we came out in OTAs, it was awesome to see those guys run as hard as they were running. When a new coach comes in, everybody is starting at ground zero and everyone has to prove why they should be here and why they should be on this team. I think all those guys have come in in great shape, ready to go and it’s going to give us a competitive advantage.”
On how OL Cameron Erving has performed in his first year focusing specifically on playing center:
“Yeah, his first year playing full-time center. Cam has done a great job. There are always going to be growing pains here and there, but he’s being physical. He’s calling out his points and making all of his checks. Just like Cam, like myself and like everybody on the roster, we all have to continue to get better. We have a long way to go before the season starts to get to where we want to be, but Cam has done a great job.”
LB Barkevious Mingo:
On how it feels working for a coaching staff that seems to have full confidence in him:
“It feels great. It feels great to have a coaching staff come in and know that they can get the most out of this team and out of this defense in particular. We have got (defensive coordinator) Coach (Ray) Horton back. He’s looking to build on what he did his first go-round here. The guys here are really taking to it and buying in and ready to give their all and produce some good defensive performances.”
On lining up in different positions within the Browns defense:
“Yeah, the way this defense is built, guys move around. We have linebackers on some plays that they’re playing corner. We have corners on some plays are playing inside linebacker. It’s just the way he built this defense and you never know where guys are going to line up and where they’re coming from.”
On how he feels his NFL career has progressed thus far:
“It’s getting better. It’s a long journey. It’s not a sprint. Just learning and focusing on how to be a pro and how to grow in this league and learning the playbook, learning how to play. That part is going good.”
On adding weight this offseason, how he feels physically and if has he noticed a difference:
“I feel good. I feel like everything has helped in the offseason. Like I said, that goal is to get bigger, faster, stronger. Like you said, I definitely feel like that’s helped me in these first couple of days.”
On if it’s hard to maintain weight when he’s sweating a lot during practice:
“Whatever you use, you just have to put it back in. That’s the main thing. If I’m burning 5,000 calories out here in practice, I have to put it back in somehow someway during the day and I’ll be fine.”
On his weight:
“I’m at a good weight. I feel great and I’m good.”
On how getting bigger is going to affect the way he performs:
“Got to get more physical. Stronger at the point of attack.”
On how he felt about the Browns not exercising the one-year option in his contract:
“It was their right, but now it’s my job to put it on the field and let them see that they should have done it.”
On if he’s feels like he’s auditioning for a new contract this year:
“Every year you play, you’re playing for a new contract. Fortunately, this is mine.”
On if he is rejuvenated by the new coaching staff, similar to other players:
“This is a brand new year. We have a brand new staff in here, a staff that I feel is putting everything in the right direction from top to bottom. From the cafeteria workers to our training staff, our equipment staff, coaching staff, all those guys, I feel they have us going in the right direction. This year, we’re just looking forward to having a clean start and playing the best we can.”
LB Nate Orchard:
On if he’s picked up right where he left off last season:
“Yeah, definitely picked up right where I left off, and with this new staff, it’s just taken us to a whole other level, another jump. To be back here, especially in pads, you really have to get back to the fundamentals. OTAs, minicamps, it’s a lot different from when you’re having training camp and you finally put the pads on, but all is well and it’s fun to be back.”
On what he hopes to accomplish in his second season:
“Like you said, just pick up where I left off. I have high expectations for myself. I’ve really set my goals high and there is a lot that I want to achieve, but at the same time, you’ve got to take baby steps out here, have to get to know your teammates, understand the defense. From there, as a unit we can grow to do good things.”
On if he can be the complement to LB Paul Kruger:
“I believe I can. With his mentorship and (outside linebackers Coach Ryan) Slowik as a coach and (defensive coordinator) Ray Horton with his defense and the past success he’s had, I’m really excited. This defense, the outside linebackers are a crucial position of the defense, and here at training camp, it all starts here. We just need to grow and develop each and every day.”
On if he’s studied Horton’s Browns 2013 defense or the Titans recent defenses:
“Yes, definitely studied the Titans last year to get familiarized with the defense, especially during OTAs. I saw the success they’ve had on the outside, different opportunity just for different position groups. I feel like every position had a sack and that’s what he harps on. That’s what we’re excited for is for everyone to get these opportunities.”
On LB Emmanuel Ogbah playing some DL and if that means other LBs need to step up more:
“If anything, it’s a huge relief for him because he gets to go back to what he’s done to in college – having his hand down, not having too much on his plate as far as drops and stuff like that. He’ll drop down every now and then, but he definitely can just put his head down and go.”
On his relationship with DL Xavier Cooper and what they talk about going into this season:
“We both had a lot of great success in college. The next big thing is why they brought us here. We need to continue that here, especially with (DL) Danny (Shelton). We want to do some great things up front and really set the tone and make a statement and be the great defense we know can be.”
On if it is a lot of pressure asking second-year players to lead the defense:
“You either sit back and wait or you go up and accept the challenge. We’re up for the challenge and we need to come out here and prove ourselves every day why we deserve that starting spot. At the end of the day, it’s going to be a battle and that’s something we’re looking forward to.”
LB Joe Schobert:
On the first few days of Browns training camp:
“Well, I’m glad I’m not in Houston or Florida or something with the heat. I can only imagine how it’s been down there. It hasn’t been too bad with the cloud cover. The heat has been alright. Definitely putting the pads on was fun. It’s good to get back to real football after going through the minicamps and stuff with no pads on, kind of learning the schemes but not being able to execute it as well as you can with pads on.”
On how his time is divided between ILB and OLB:
“So far, I’m mainly at outside backer. I’m learning things about inside, but I haven’t really done any reps in practice. I can watch them. We’re in the same meeting room a lot so I watch what they do and know a lot of the things they do, but I’ve been spending most of my time outside.”
On if he thinks about the ability to play early OLB:
“Obviously, you think about it. You want to do your best to push your teammates to do their best. If I ended up playing all the time, that would be great for me. Hopefully, that would mean that I’m the best option for the team. If I’m pushing myself, I’m pushing the other guys. If I don’t end up in there, hopefully, that means that the other guy is playing his best. I’m just going to contribute any way I can.”
On his biggest strength:
“I think it is versatility. In coverage, I can cover guys pretty well in open space. I can rush the passer. Having (strength and conditioning assistant/skills development) Joe Kim as one of the strength coaches is very helpful with that with his hand fighting that he does, with his karate background and definitely making strides in that area. Just getting more reps at it is what’s going to be important for me.”
On if there is any guess work with what his role will be:
“No, I don’t think so. I think everybody is just doing what the coaches ask at this point in time. You can think to yourself what you might imagine your role being, but nobody really knows until everything shakes out. When the season starts, you just have got to every day come to work and put your best foot forward, do everything and when the coaches put you in situations in practice, do what they’re asking to do to the best of your abilities and see what happens.”
On where he stands with understanding the intellectual side of the game:
“I think I’ve gotten a lot better than since when we started in rookie minicamp. We’ve been over, from start to finish, the playbook about four times now with the defensive staff and all of the defensive guys. I’m definitely getting more towards being able to see and react. I think our offense also does a great job of shifting every play into exotic formations and from exotic formations. It always causes a little stress on you mentally when you have to think about, ‘OK, they went from this to this,’ so like what’s my job now. Kind of think about that. Still, sometimes you get caught up in it when you see something new, but I think I’m definitely improving.”
