Browns Camp Notes: Big 3 on O and the D doesn’t disappoint on Day 1

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Berea, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The first day of the Browns’ new big three on offense – Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry did not disappoint.

Beckham made a pair of sensational sideline catches working against cornerback Terrance Mitchell, who stuck with No. 13 like glue, right out of the gate in 11-on-11 work and Beckham later caught a touchdown in a red-zone drill from Mayfield on a post route.

Landry had a quality day catching the ball and welcomed his good friend to the team during practice.

“I'm seeing [Landry] run around and him making catches and he comes back and he's like ‘it's gotta be real for you now' and I'm like 'I can feel it,’” Beckham said after practice.

But there are 87 other players on the field so here’s a look at some of the other notable highlights from Day 1 of camp.

Bringing the heat – Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi got his hands on a pair of passes, batting them down during 11-on-11 work Thursday.

Defensive end Myles Garrett bounced back from the right and left side and applied pressure multiple times. By our count he picked up at least a par of virtual sacks.

“Defense wins championships,” Garrett said. “We've seen that many times throughout the years and it's never going to change. If you can't score the ball and we can, then we're going to win every time. We're able to do the best of both worlds.”

After feeling held back by Greg Williams last year, it’s clear new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is going to turn him loose.

“I've got a lot more. Switching sides, dropping back, getting after the passer, I just think there's more to what I can do,” Garrett said.

“I'm going to spend time wherever they put me. It could be at middle linebacker or safety, I think I can do it all. I like being on either side.”

Cornerback Denzel Ward got his hand in front of another pass to Beckham to knock it down during team drills and Justin Burris came away with an interception.

“We’re going to get each other better,” Ward said. “We’re just out there competing and getting each other better, trying to help this team win, so it’s going to be a good matchup, though, in practice.”

Love for Duke – Duke Johnson might still want a trade, but you’d never know it watching Thursday’s session.

Duke was his usual sure-handed self. He caught and ran the ball during practice with ease and every time Johnson touched the ball chants of “Duuuuuuke” rained down from the stands.

Johnson even fielded punts and also shared a couple of laughs with Mayfield.

“We are good,” Mayfield said. “If we are out there smiling… We are here to do our job. He is here, and like I said when it all came out, we want people who want to be here, and he is here right now. That is important. I think that shows that we are here to win.”

Easy rook – The closest thing to a flareup we saw came during a 7-on-9 run drill when rookie linebacker Sione Takitaki gave Johnson a little extra shove, which the running back did not appreciate. The two were quickly separated preventing any escalation of the, we’ll call it an um, disagreement.

The pads go on this weekend.

Standing out – Blake Jackson, who spent the 2018 camp with the Browns and didn’t make the team but was added to the practice squad midseason, made three nice catches on day 1 of camp in 1-on-1 drills, 7-on-7 and with the third team offense in a red zone drill.

While Jackson’s got quite the ladder to climb to win a roster spot at receiver, he certainly made a strong first impression.  

Right guard rotation – As expected Austin Corbett, selected in the second round of the 2018 Draft, got the first crack Thursday with the starting offensive line at right guard.

Kyle Kalis, the St. Eds product, took snaps with the second unit and Eric Kush with the third. Kush served as the No. 2 center and Corbett the No. 3 center.

D alignment – The Browns continue to deploy a 4-2-5 defensive alignment – four defensive linemen, two linebackers and five DBs with Jermaine Whitehead serving as the fifth DB.

“It was a script for our personnel at the time,” Kitchens said, downplaying the significance of the look in the overall defensive scheme. “We just match personnel in this league, and if we have four receivers on the field, they put four DBs on the field.”

Getting it right – Don’t expect many shortened practices this year during training camp. Practice was scheduled to run for two hours Thursday from 10-noon, but it didn’t end until after 12:20.

Late in practice, Kitchens met with the team for a few minutes before they completed the day’s work.

“We are going to go until we get it right so however long that is,” Kitchens said. “That is the beauty between fall camp and those league-mandated things in the spring. We can go until we get it right.”

Notable quotable – 1 A: Mayfield was asked, what was the most important lesson he learned in college to prepare for the NFL? “Don’t run from the cops,” Mayfield said.
1 B: So, how did Kitchens’ first day of camp as a head coach go? “I had the authority to talk to the defense and the offense without pissing anyone off,” Kitchens said. “Other than that, I just try to coach ball. I just try to coach those guys.”
1 C: Myles Garret was asked about the spotlight being on the offense so far. “It doesn't bother me at all,” Garrett said. “I don't mind not getting any attention. I don't mind it on the field, neither. If you don't want to block me, I'll go ahead and take the sack, too. I'm not a spotlight kind of guy. They can have all that. I'm just going to make plays and be there for my defense.”
Puppy pound counter – Four puppies were adopted on the first day of camp. The partnership with the Northeast Ohio Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is in its fifth year and since its inception in 2015 has seen a total of 364 puppies find homes during Browns camps.  
Injury report – RB Trayone Gray (calf-NFI) and RB Kareem Hunt (groin-NFI). Kitchens said Hunt should be able to practice in, “a couple of days.”