Berea, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns named their captains for the 2019 season Friday morning.
“It was a team vote,” head coach Freddie Kitchens said.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was voted to represent the offense, linebacker Christian Kirksey the defense and long snapper Charley Hughlett the special teams unit. There will be three additional captains named each week for every game as well.
Mayfield, who enters his second season after setting the rookie franchise record for passing with 3,725 yards and breaking the NFL rookie record for touchdown passes with 27 despite starting just 13 games, has taken on a leadership role this year.
“That is kind of a prerequisite for that position,” Kitchens said. “Now, whenever you start talking about what actually happens, sometimes it is not always the case, but it is good to see the quantity of votes.”
Center JC Tretter wasn’t surprised to see Mayfield get the nod.
“That’s the one thing about Baker, he’s got that magnetic personality where guys are kind of attracted to him and [like to] be around him,” Tretter said. “He just has that ability to rally a locker room. That’s been since the first day he stepped foot in here and the Jets game and kind of the whole story. I think it was a pretty easy vote and more credit to him for coming in as a second-year player to earn team captain is quite an accomplishment.”
The veteran linebacker, selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft, was the team’s Walter Payton ‘Man of the Year’ nominee in 2018 and it marks the third consecutive year he was named a team captain.
“It’s an honor to be able to be named captain by your teammates, but we’re all leaders,” Kirksey said. “Each and every person can lead in their own way, they just designated me captain. It’s definitely an honor, though.”
You can hear Kirksey yell “Dawg Check” every time the Browns break the huddle for practice.
“The Dawg Check brings the city together,” Kirksey said. “It’s something that we all can relate to, something we all can be a part of. That’s just a chant that you can be walking down the street and just a random person, ‘Dawg Check’ and then they bark. It’s cool.”
Hughlett has handled long snapping duties for the Browns for the last 64 games dating back to the 2015 season.
“That is special to be named a captain because that tells you what your peers think of you,” Kitchens said. “We had a lot of guys who had a lot of votes. When you have a lot of guys who get a lot of votes, that means a lot of guys are affecting other people. That is a good thing.”
OBJ good to go – If there was any doubt whether Odell Beckham Jr. would play Sunday against the Titans, it was eliminated Friday.
“Odell’s ready to go,” Kitchens said.
Although Beckham said Thursday, he’s not been able to open up and run full speed, he won’t be on a snap count.
“No. He's going,” Kitchens said.
Still bringing it – The suspension of Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan for four games will deprive us of one of the more intriguing matchups Sunday – Lewan v. Myles Garrett.
Which means, advantage Browns, right? Not according to Garrett.
“You can’t sleep on them just because Taylor [is out],” Garrett said. “They have guys who have experience, are physical and are going to try and get after you. They’re going to try and make room for Henry to make that one cut, get up field and throw that stiff-arm at everybody so you gotta play them like anybody else.”
Dennis Kelly, a six-year pro out of Purdue, is expected to step in for Lewan. He’s played in 43 games at both tackle spots since being acquired from the Eagles in a 2016 trade so there is some experience there.
“I’m not going to lower my intensity or my effort or my expectations just because Taylor’s not there,” Garrett said. “I mean he’s the guy, he’s their left tackle. I don’t have the pleasure of going against him, but I don’t get that chance, so I gotta go against somebody else and make their day hell.”
Decision made – As expected, Eric Kush will start at right guard Sunday.
“We’ve gotten a lot of reps together, so we’re really comfortable as a group,” Tretter said. “He’s a vet, he’s seen a lot of things, so the communication and understanding of what’s coming, it’s easy to talk to him about, what we’re seeing and how we’re interpreting blitzes and stuff like that.”
Notable quotable – “The guy is built like a Greek god, so I’m sure they turned out well.” – center JC Tretter on Myles Garrett’s ESPN Body photo shoot.
Injury report – Questionable: LB Sione Takitaki (hamstring); Expected to play: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (hip), DT Devaroe Lawrence (shoulder).
