CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The offseason program kicked off Monday for the Browns as players returned to the building.
Tuesday, head coach Kevin Stefanski, cornerback Denzel Ward and quarterback Deshaun Watson were made available and two former players returned to officially retire.
Here’s the top Brownie Bites from Tuesday’s first media availability of the 2024 offseason.
Retirement party – Christian Kirksey and Rashard Higgins officially retired as Browns on Tuesday. “We're really excited today to welcome back two players who really exemplify what it means to be a Brown on and off the field,” Browns executive vice president and partner JW Johnson said. “[I] got a chance to see Christian and Rashard earlier and told them welcome home because this truly is their home and want to welcome them back.” Both signed ceremonial one-day contracts to conclude their NFL careers. Kirksey was selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Iowa and Higgins was a fifth-round pick from Colorado State in 2016. “It's just a blessing to be able to be a part of an organization and to officially end my career here,” Kirksey, who started 54 of the 73 games he appeared in as a Brown and registered 11.5 sacks, 22 QB hits, 4 forced fumbles, three recoveries and 485 tackles over six seasons, said. “It's something that I dreamed of since I was a kid, to be able to play in the league and to be able to buy into an organization and become family and just to come back and to do that. My wife is from Cleveland, my daughter was born in Cleveland. Everything is just special to me about Cleveland, so it just felt good coming back here.” Higgins played six seasons in Cleveland where he appeared in 82 games and caught 137 passes for 1,890 yards and 12 touchdowns. The 2020 season is one he will remember for the rest of his life. “We beat the Steelers at home, and it was like, ‘man, we're going to the playoffs,’ and I’ll never forget that moment,” Higgins said. “[We] worked so hard for it. The 0-16’s and [the] year [before] we go one and [15], you get what I'm saying? And it's like, ‘man, this is hard.’ And to see the fruit of the labor just flourish right in front of us, that was amazing, it was amazing to go to the playoffs I’ll never forget that moment. The whole city was lit, the food tasted better, everything. It was just fun.”
Pacing himself – Watson, who is throwing “full speed,” is feeling good as he rehab progresses but there is no timetable for him to return to 100%, yet. “I'm not sure,” Watson said. “There's not a timeline or a date that we have that this is when I'm going to be a hundred percent. It is just kind of how the process, it can be sooner than later, it can be later than sooner. So I think he's just really, depending on how each landmark we hit and how fast we can get it and how my shoulder's reacting.” Watson indicated there is a chance he might be able to participate, albeit on a limited basis, in some OTA sessions but that has yet to be determined. His timetable to return is as unclear as is when he suffered the glenoid fracture. It could have happened as early as Week 3 against Tennessee. “No one knows when it actually happened, or when that bone actually came apart,” Watson said. “I knew, for sure, in Baltimore though because I heard some clicking sounds and that's one of the indicators that something is wrong with that joint. That's probably a question for Dr. ElAttrache and why he pretty much said that. I just know that he was just very amazed how I finished both of those games.”
Keep the band together – Cornerback Denzel Ward hopes there is nothing to trade speculation with Greg Newsome II, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, this offseason. “I want to keep us together,” Ward said. “I feel like even AB [Andrew Berry] says all time you can never have enough great corners and enough corners on the team, and I mean, that's real. Guys go down and just having the ability to be able to match up with any teams across the board, whether that's inside in the slot with Greg or outside with me and Martin and being able to rotate and do different things and having multiple number one corners on the team. So we're definitely in an ideal situation position and those guys did a great job of drafting all of us and getting us all here. But like I said, we just got to continue to go out and show that that we're number one though.” Ward, Newsome and Emerson are set to enter their third season together and the Browns are coming off a No. 1 overall defensive ranking in 2023. “I feel we're the best corner group in the NFL,” Ward said. “I feel that we went out there and showed that, but this is a new year and we got to go out there and show that again. So that's what we're doing now, putting that work in to go out and show why we're the best group and so that's all it is, just getting to the work and going out there and showing that.”
Chubb track – Running back Nick Chubb is among the players who are in the building for the start of the offseason program. Despite being a few months removed from both surgeries on his left knee, Stefanski was mum on Chubb’s timetable to return to the field this fall. “I can promise you he's working very hard early in the morning,” Stefanski said. “He's here, he's attacking his rehab. That's the best way I can put it. When he's ready, he'll be ready.”
New look – The Browns will unveil their modified helmets as early as Wednesday. The gloss finish returns along with white facemasks. The team’s primary helmet logo has been changed back to include the white facemask, outlined in brown.
Under construction – Recent NFLPA surveys of Browns players concerning the weight room did not yield positive marks for the organization – a ‘D’ this past year and ‘D+’ the year before, but that is about to change. A new weight room is currently under construction and should be completed in time for training camp. “Our players are very excited about it,” Stefanski said. “I can tell you it's another example of Dee and Jimmy and the resources that they're willing to put into this football team is very much appreciated from myself and our players.” Since 2020, the weight room moved to the Casey Coleman Field House, reducing the size of the indoor practice field by 20 yards. “That just shows you the pride [and] that this is a player friendly organization,” Ward said. “They hear that something's been [not] going so well, so they make changes and things that they could do to help the players and get the organization running better, anything they could do to help us out there on the field. I mean, they do that a lot of ways and there is a lot of equipment and machines that's been brought in the training room and everything to help us out. So definitely appreciative of that. But yeah, it's a lot of changes that's being made and there in the weight rooms and everything to give us all the resources that we need.”
