Berea, OH (92.3 The Fan) – Denzel Ward’s debut at rookie minicamp did not last long Friday.
Ward stood on the sideline holding his helmet for the final 45 minutes or so of practice during team drills for an undisclosed reason.
Following practice, head coach Hue Jackson was unable to give much information about Ward’s status or severity of whatever was bothering him.
“It was not a hamstring. I am not sure exactly what it is,” Jackson said. “I think he will be OK”
Ward did not appear to be favoring anything, nor did he have anything wrapped in ice as he watched on the side, but Jackson pulled him for precautionary reasons.
“I am always going to be cautious with our guys if I think that they have a little nick or something right now,” Jackson said. “I do not think being out here and having a guy if there is anything that we feel that might hurt a guy, I am going to make sure that I take him out.
“He did some good things, just watching him run around, too. We will see where he is tomorrow and go from there.”
Ward, who was selected fourth overall in the draft, already has a tough assignment awaiting him as a rookie this fall as the Browns’ newly minted shutdown corner.
Two of the best receivers in the game play within the AFC North – Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown and A.J. Green of the Bengals – which means they are on the schedule twice.
“It will definitely be a challenge, but I’m definitely looking for it and I’ve got to get prepared, get in the playbook, and I’m ready to go to work,” Ward said. “I think I’ll be ready.”
Ward will also face 7 other Pro Bowl receivers – Michael Thomas of the Saints, Oakland’s Amari Cooper, Mike Evans of Tampa Bay, Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill, Atlanta’s Julio Jones, Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins and Denver’s Demaryius Thomas – this season.
“We’ve got a lot of them that we have to play,” Jackson said. “So, you guys see all these DBs we put on the team, right? There’s a reason behind it. We’ve got to cover these guys.”
The Nordonia High School product and Macedonia, Ohio native isn't worried about added pressure of being a top-5 pick playing one of the league's premier, yet difficult positions, for his hometown Browns.
“Playing college football at Ohio State, you’re viewed by everyone around the world, so I don’t really fall into too much pressure of media or people watching the game,” Ward said. “I have my own goals and that’s really the pressure I have on myself are the goals I set in place and goals I plan on accomplishing.”
First thing is first, making sure he’s 100 percent healthy because the Browns will need him in September, not May.
