WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV (92.3 The Fan) – Training camp is about to get real this week in West Virginia.
The temperature is on its way to 90 and the pads will go on Friday and Saturday.
Monday’s workout lasted about an hour and 10 minutes and saw the first 11-on-11 work, although it wasn’t at full speed and won’t be until the put pads on according to head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Here’s a few of the top Brownie Bites from day 3 in the mountains.
Availability key for JOK – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah enters his third season with the Browns having yet to play a full schedule. “I think he’s healthy. We want him to be healthy and strong and I think he’s come back in really, really good shape. He looks strong, so I think being able to stay on the field, which is so important as everybody knows availability is key and he’s been a little unlucky in that realm, so really taking care of his body. I know he’s got a new number, but it’s a little bit of that mindset change too, of making sure that he’s doing everything and his power to help this team in any way he can.” The Notre Dame product has played 14 of 17 games as rookie in 2021, starting 10 of them and last season a foot injury limited him to 11 games, 10 of those starts. “You’re obviously conscious of it,” Owusu-Koramoah said. “Of course, when you get on the field, you’re not thinking, oh, let me not do this so that I won’t get an injury or something like that. You just go out there and you have fun and play. I agree 100% with coach, the best ability is availability so if we can have a healthy year, that’s a successful year.” JOK has shown the ability and athleticism to make plays with five QB hits, 1.5 sacks, 10 tackles-for-loss, four forced fumbles and eight pass breakups on his resume. Elevating his game in addition to staying healthy are top of mind under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who he believes will help him tap into his full potential. “Any player that has a certain skill set yearns for a coach like coach Schwartz to be able to tap into his full potential, to put him in the right places, to send him when it’s time to send, to put him back when it’s time to put him back,” Owusu-Koramoah said. “And Coach Schwartz really understands not only my skillset, but also for the other players and the personnel, not only of our team, but also of the other teams.”
Versatile guy – Elijah Moore can do it all, and he might be asked to. “It's fun to be around a guy that really works at it,” Stefanski said. “And then he's taken the bit on everything we've asked him to do, trying to make sure we move him around the formation, trying to use things that we know he's done well in his past and also challenged with some new things, but a very, very locked in player.” Stefanski seems to realize already that he can line Moore up just about anywhere which helps him as a playcaller expand the play call sheet. “We love versatility and that versatility in players in of itself expands your playbook as you have players that can do more of every job and to have a player that can play outside and inside I think is really valuable.”
New 6 – Owusu Koramoah now wears 6, previously worn by Baker Mayfield. The linebacker actually consulted Mayfield about the change. “It was semi the plan,” Owusu-Koramoah said. “I was like, Baker is going to be here forever. And then you look around, you know, see nothing but Baker jerseys. So even last year I'm like, ah, I don't want to get it yet.
“I was talking to him about it last year and I was like, yeah, I might thinking about getting this number. He’s like, ‘ah, you might want to wait a year.’”
Doink of the day – The Browns worked on punt return Monday. Jaeleon Darden, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Demetric Felton handled the punt return duties off the Juggs machine.
On one rep, with Darden set to haul in the football, it hit Mike Ford Jr., who was running down as a gunner, squarely in the back of his helmet. It’s hard not to feel bad for Ford, but it might be the lighthearted chuckle of camp so far.
Get kickin’ – Kicker Cade York went 5-5 during a team field goal period early in practice Monday. His longest kicks came from 48 yards and 51 yards and they sailed right down the middle through the uprights clanking off the bleachers atop the hill behind the goal post.
Roll call – WR Marquise Goodwin, G Colby Gossett, LB Anthony Walker, WR Jakeem Grant Sr., WR Amari Cooper, LB Sione Takitaki, and WR Anthony Schwartz worked on the side. OT Dawand Jones remains sidelined with an illness.
