WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV (92.3 The Fan) – Saturday’s padded contact practice lacked pop but it was another quality workout as the Browns inch closer to a return to Cleveland and the preseason.
The crack of the pads normally heard this time of the year was muted, and by design.
“Bottom line is you can compete like crazy and you can take care of each other, and that’s what we’re trying to do because it’s Browns versus Browns,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said.
Here are our top Brownie Bites from The Greenbrier performance center.
The highlights from the session, which included 7-on-7 and team 11-on-11 drills, were few. Receiver Anthony Schwartz had a drop from rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson in a 7-on-7 play then came back and hauled in a deep touchdown from Watson thanks in part to a blown defensive coverage. On the very next play cornerback Chris Westry knocked away a pass intended for receiver Amari Cooper. In 11-on-11 tight end David Njoku made a beautiful one-handed catch with his left hand from Watson and he made another catch in 7-on-7 over cornerback A.J. Green. Unofficially Watson completed at least 10 passes in approximately a dozen attempts in 7-on-7 and at least six more in 11-on-11. Quarterbacks Kellen Mond and Thompson-Robinson got plenty of reps as the two will likely play next Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game.
Contract years – Safety Grant Delpit and receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones both are in the final year of their rookie contracts. Both players were drafted in 2020 – Delpit 44th overall in round two and Peoples-Jones 187th overall in round six. “That's not on my mind, man,” Delpit said. “I love this game. Everything in my heart, man. I want that end game, the end result that we all want in this team more than anything in my soul. So that's all I’m focused on, man. With winning comes great things and that’s what we need to focus on.” Delpit indicated that he would like to remain in Cleveland while Peoples-Jones sidestepped questions about his long-term future. “I'm focused on the team and the team goals and our team goals is to win, so that’s my main focus,” Peoples-Jones said.
One more – Stefanski will hold a 9 a.m. practice Sunday that is expected to last around 90 minutes. “Moving it up just to help on the back end, help the equipment guys, help everybody that’s going to pack some buses,” Stefanski said. The team has a 1 p.m. flight back to Cleveland.
Roster move – The Browns waived cornerback BoPete Keyes with an injury designation [finger] Saturday.
Pack it up – Following practice the Browns equipment staff started loading practice dummies, sleds and equipment on flatbeds to be trucked back to Berea.
Roll call – LB Sione Takitaki, WR Marquise Goodwin and TE Jordan Akins worked on the side. WR Mike Harley is concussion protocol. RB Jerome Ford and WR Jakeem Grant were both absent for personal reasons.
