BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Browns linebacker Tony Fields II was the lone non-participant at rookie minicamp Friday due to a foot injury suffered recently.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski downplayed the significance of the injury but confirmed Fields will need time to heal.
“He is going to be out a few weeks,” Stefanski said via Zoom following practice. “Nothing concerning long term.”
The Browns selected Fields in the fifth round, No. 153 overall. He signed his four-year rookie contract Thursday.
The absence of Fields left draft classmate Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah all by himself to work with linebackers coach Jason Tarver and two other assistants for much of Friday’s workout.
“Everybody is really just focusing on the details,” Owusu-Koramoah said prior to practice. “That is something that I really got to key in on with me being such an attentive player and with me being such a locked-in player in terms of the details. I think I fit right in, just speaking on the coaching staff, and I think that some of that stood out and stands out to me.”
Outnumbered – A total of 18 players are on the roster for this weekend’s minicamp – the eight draft picks, five undrafted free agents, three tryout players and two roster players – meaning the coaching staff outnumbered the players on the field.
“It was a really good student-teacher ratio out there at a few positions,” Stefanski said. “It is really important. I think those guys are lucky. They are getting some high-quality instruction from the guys. [When] there is one guy in line so you really slow down, you focus on that rep and then you take a couple of seconds off and you do the drill again. It really slows you down. It does not look like any other rookie minicamp that I have certainly been a part of, and that is OK. We really are getting a lot out of it.”
The smaller camp is a biproduct of COVID and the fact that the Browns don't need as many young players as previous seasons with the bulk of the roster already spoken for.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II, selected 26th overall, is doing all he can to take advantage of the extra attention he is able to receive this weekend.
“I will never have this one-on-one coaching ever again pretty much,” Newsome said after practice. “The fact that I am getting right now and before the vets get here is just giving me an edge. When the vets get here, I will at least know what I am doing and will not be a rookie who does not know anything. It is good to get coaching after I make a mistake right away and I can learn from it quickly. I enjoy having that one-on-one coaching, but I know starting next week when the vets start coming back that I am going to have to be able to do it on my own.”
Camp invites – Ohio State receiver Johnnie Dixon, San Jose State quarterback Josh Love and Ball State quarterback Riley Neal are trying out while defensive tackle Malik McDowell and Kyle Markway, who are on the roster, are participating along with seven of the eight draft picks and five undrafted free agents that were signed.
Maskless man – Friday was the first time we saw Stefanski on a practice field without a mask.
The 2020 coach of the year took it off midway through practice after the NFL informed teams Friday that coaches and players who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear them while unvaccinated coaches and players will be required to.
“I got told while we were on the field so just trying to make sure we are in compliance,” Stefanski said.
