BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Thursday’s practice was more like a walk through than workout.
Here’s the top Brownie Bites from the eleventh day of training camp.
Backing Watson – Jameis Winston takes his job as the backup quarterback seriously. “Especially over the past few years with a lot of the No. 1 guys going down at any given moment, the backup quarterback role is very important,” Winston said. “You have to be ready at all times and I'm definitely ready for that role.” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski appreciates what Winston has brought to the quarterback room. “Jameis has done a great job since day one and getting in here. He definitely has an infectious personality,” Stefanski said. “You hear him before you see him, but he's done a really nice job. This is a new system for Jameis. He's learning a lot of the new players in the system are, but he's really taken the bit, worked hard at it and he's had some nice moments out here.” Deshaun Watson has played just six games in his first two seasons with the Browns. Winston watched Watson beat Alabama in the national championship and knows what No. 4 is capable of regardless of fan or media scrutiny. “I think that's one of the things that a lot of people forget,” Winston said. “When you can go out, you can see practice, you can knick-knack, this-that, paddy whack, give a dog a bone—Deshaun Watson is going to turn it on. He’s always going to find a way to shine when the lights come on.” Winston doesn’t believe Watson, who has the majority of local beat reporters blocked on social media, is phased by criticism. “I know he respects everyone's opinion, but the most important opinion to him is his self,” Winston said. “And I know that he's working through alot of different things, but man, he's happy, he's poised, he isn't phased by anything that anyone has to say because he's on a mission to be the best quarterback that he possibly can be. And again, just me seeing, when I was that age—and I'm just two years older than him—but understanding ‘To whom much is given, much is required,’ and he knows the magnitude and expectation that a lot of people have for him.”
Dome sweet dome – A day after the team released renderings of a possible dome to be built in Brook Park the reaction was somewhat muted Thursday in Berea. “They look nice, but we play wherever,” running back Jerome Ford said. “Whether it's on the lake, Brook Park, we leave what happens with that up to the higher ups. We just want to play.” Winston sees both sides of the indoor vs outdoors home field advantage argument. “I believe weather in football is such an important factor, but I think also, I think the history of football was built upon those,” Winston said. “You think about the first Super Bowl, you think about the Ice Bowl, Kansas City versus Green Bay and you think about just the features that that game possessed. So up here in Cleveland, obviously the weather, we use that as our advantage, in a point. So I got to pass that along to the fans and see how do they feel about the stadium renderings and stuff…But definitely being in New Orleans, I can see advantages there just because it's indoors, but man, football is football. Once you get inside that gridiron, all things aside, it's time to play your best football and the best man is going to win for that day.” Unsurprisingly, Stefanski had little to say. “I trust all the people involved,” Stefanski said. “I like whatever they like. I'll give you the football coach answer. I'll play anywhere. Tell us where to play.”
Speed demon – During every practice Winston and consultant Mike Vrabel will spontaneously break into a sprint and race each other. “I'm not surprised because he's definitely a fierce competitor, but I haven't seen him beat me yet,” Winston said. “It just started, just competitive nature. He likes to get his work in in-between RVAs and so do I. So we go all-out in everything that we do.”
Foreman returns – A week following a scary ordeal that saw him taken by helicopter to a Virginia hospital, running back D’Onta Foreman was back on the field practicing Thursday.
Roster move – The Browns signed long snapper Rex Sunahara Thursday. To make room on the roster cornerback Faion Hicks was waived.
Roll Call – RB Nyheim Hines (NFI-knee), CB Greg Newsome II (NFI-hamstring), S D’Anthony Bell (PUP-shin), RB Nick Chubb (PUP-knee), T Jack Conklin (PUP-knee), DT Dalvin Tomlinson (PUP-knee), T Jedrick Wills Jr. (PUP-knee), LB Tony Fields II (right foot/leg), S Ronnie Hickman (undisclosed), S Rodney Harrison (undisclosed), S Juan Thornhill (undisclosed), RB D’Onta Foreman (neck), LB Jordan Hicks (undisclosed), OG Michael Dunn (undisclosed), DE Za’Darius Smith (knee), WR Jerry Jeudy (undisclosed) and DT Shelby Harris (undisclosed) did not practice.
