Berea, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – After five physical and grueling practices, the Browns get a breather on Tuesday with their first day off.
While it’s entirely too premature to make any declarations or start fitting guys for rings this early in camp, we’ve learned a few things.
First and foremost, all the questions and talk about whether Freddie Kitchens can handle the big personalities was a waste of hot air. Kitchens has been in command demanding accountability, teamwork and leadership from his players. Whether it’s making players run for lack of focus penalties or fighting or putting his arm around someone after they didn’t make a play, Kitchens clearly has this. Don’t let his folksy southern charm fool you. He just doesn’t need to shout profanities across the field to demonstrate the quality of coach that he is.
The defensive line is as good on the field as it looks on paper. Baker Mayfield needs a traffic cop in the backfield it’s been so busy, and that’s OK according to Kitchens. Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi have spent significant time collapsing the pocket through the first five practices. Kitchens views that as a positive about the defensive front rather than a negative towards the offensive line.
Mayfield looks comfortable as he begins his sophomore season and his teammates treat him like a seasoned veteran. Although the offense hasn’t dominated camp – defenses tend to look like they’re a step ahead this time of year anyway an that’s the case this year – we’ve seen glimpses of how prolific, electric and downright fun this offense can be with No. 6 running the show.
Sure, it’s only five practices but my goodness is Odell Beckham Jr. good. Any description of him as a receiver is a disservice to his talent. He might be the best football player we’ve watched in decades. Not only does Beckham catch everything – and we do mean everything – with ease but he just glides across the field. He’s also an engaging and generous superstar signing autographs and even giving his cleats away to kids attending camp. Whatever issues there were in New York, we’ve yet to see a single red flag with him.
Running back Nick Chubb appears to have two gears running the football – fast and faster. He’s gotten to the edge a couple of times during run drills and his acceleration in open space is impressive.
Tight end David Njoku is still searching for that level of consistency as he enters his third season and the Browns are hoping he finds it. Kitchens likes to say his players “aren’t a finished product” but that phrase, which he also used to describe Njoku, seems to have extra meaning here. Njoku should benefit from having Jarvis Landry, Beckham and Chubb commanding most of the attention from opposing defenses but it seems for every good play Njoku makes, there’s one that leaves you scratching you head in frustration.
Antonio Callaway has been taking his reps recently with the No. 3 offense with a few second-team reps mixed in. Callaway is also in the punt return rotation and the expectation is for him to be used there this season, the question is, how often?
Myles Garrett right now is on another level. As impossible as it sounds, Garrett looks faster and stronger than before. He practices like a man possessed – and to a degree he is. Garrett has been abusing both tackles – Greg Robinson and Chris Hubbard in camp. With his sights set on defensive player of the year in his third season, Garrett looks the part.
The right guard job is a tossup, and no one has taken the lead. Austin Corbett, Kyle Kalis and Eric Kush continue to rotate at right guard, the No. 2 center and backup right guard. Not only is a starting job up for grabs but the backup interior lineman is as well and both competitions could go down to the wire in August.
While most of the focus is on right guard in camp, Hubbard and Robinson bear watching in the preseason as well.
We felt entering camp that Dontrell Hilliard would make the team as the third active running back and we’ve observed nothing in the last week to change our minds. Hilliard, who also has been returning kicks, continues to make plays when opportunities present themselves.
Veteran Terrance Mitchell has gotten most of the starting reps opposite Denzel Ward at corner, but it shouldn’t take long for Greedy Williams to find himself with the ones regularly. Williams, who has held his own going up against Beckham when called upon, continues to look like a top-10 draft pick in camp. And to think John Dorsey got him in the second round at 46.
While we’ve penciled Morgan Burnett in as the starting strong safety next to Damarious Randall, Jermaine Whitehead is having a strong camp. Whitehead continues to get reps with the first-team defense in Steve Wilks’ 4-2-5 alignment that includes a three-safety nickel.
The kicking job has been the most disappointing competition of camp to date. Greg Joseph is 8-9 in team work, with his lone miss coming following a two-minute drill game-winning situation from 45-plus, but those are the kicks the Browns absolutely must have made this year. Rookie Austin Seibert has been miserable. Overall, he’s 4-9 in team drills but his misses haven’t been close and one of those makes was a Bankshot off the left upright. The fifth-round pick essentially spent his college career kicking extra points and short field goals for Oklahoma. Regardless of his leg strength, his accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. There’s a lot of camp and the entire preseason to go but Dorsey may be shopping for a kicker on Sept. 1.
We’re giving Britton Colquitt the edge over Jamie Gillan – AKA the Scottish Hammer – in the punting competition. Colquitt is a seasoned veteran while Gillan continues to work on the finer points of punting that are required, beyond just having a cannon for a leg, and Gillan can boom balls – he almost took out a drone over the weekend. What he’s learning is how to work the coffin corner, drop punts inside the 5 and hold on placekicks. With so much at stake this season, the Browns can’t afford special teams miscues and they risk them with Gillan.
