Browns Training Camp Analysis

You can't make too much of what happens his early in training camp, especially when Hue Jackson is giving so many veterans days off.

No no that's great!  He already knows what these guys can do, they don't need the work, it helps them stay healthy, and it gives the young, unproven guys more work (and the coaches more info on them).

Interestingly, Seth DeValve was one of those who got a day off.  Black Cloud will theorize that they've already given up on him, but really he's aleady in the "proven" category.

Stop it.  He was a wide receiver.  Aside from the blocking, tight end is a cake-walk for him.  He's been a consistent bright spot so far this preseason, and the coaches have seen enough.

They're giving their rookies extra work now, so they can make smarter decisions when they have to kick some to the curb.  This is really smart.

John Greco worked today.  That's because he's on the bubble due to his age.  But he is a proven starter at several positions (he was a starting right tackle before the Browns signed him).  Hue knows he'll have to move on from him within 3 years, but they need to weigh his roster spot-saving vesatility against his limitted window and the long-term prospects of the whippersnappers behind him.

Gregg shut Hue down on the goal line, so he can say "In yo face!" behind closed doors this time.  Probably, Hue owes him a beer.

Kessler was 11 of 13 with 3 touchdowns.  I'm waiting for Mary Kay to write a column on the two incompletions.

Back to veteran days off: While DeValve cooled his heels, Njoku dropped a TD pass from Kizer (the other half of Mary Kay's article).  Anyway, you can see why Njoku needs more work, right?

Myles Garrett owned rookie LT Rod Johnson.  That's no surprise, and is great for Johnson long-term.  Roderick has some mechanical issues and is raw.  Garrett is all but a finished product, tailor-made to exploit "waist-benders" and "leaners".  The only way Johnson can handle Garrett is to stop doing that stuff.

Talk about a baptism of fire!  A crucible...yeah this is excellent.

Parkey outkicked Gonzalez.  Why is anybody surprised?  Parkey is an excellent kicker!  A Pro Bowl kicker!  His crappy first game is all you remember?  That's why you need ME!  I don't know who will win this competition...so I got that goin' for me, and you don't.

I got excited about this guy Jordon Leslie, who I was oblivious to until today.  He's a 6'3", sub-4.5 wide receiver from BYU.

He went undrafted in 2015, and signed on with the Vikings, then with the Falcons.  

His combine numbers describe an exceptional athlete, but his college stats are unimpressive.  I admit I've only seen one scouting report, and about all the negatives I saw were that he was a "body-catcher", a half-assed blocker,  and only kicked in the afterburners on deep vertical routes.

Obviously, the Vikings and Falcons kicked him to the curb, so we must temper our enthusiasm even further.

Still, this guy's physical talent (and hands) are exceptional and irrefutable.  All his flaws were correctable.  

All Black Cloud sees here is a guy nobody wanted to draft, who was cut from two teams.  

I see a young guy who may have been immature, lazy, and devoid of ambition.  I see a guy who's been in the NFL for two seasons, and can't possibly be the same player he was in college anymore.

I'm not writing this guy off.  He's got to know that if this isn't his last chance, it's close to it.  His agent is telling him: "If this team cuts you, you're done!"  

He stood out today, with a one-handed TD catch he made look easy.  Didn't even bother trying to use both hands.  Would have fell down that way.  I think he has huge hands.

Not sure what to make of Jordon Leslie, but don't write him off.

I've got to give my least favorite pundit, Jason LaCanfora, credit for this article on Gregg Williams, which was deep, replete with identified sources, and remarkably gossip-free!

London Fletcher was a source of note.  I've compared Browns linebacker Rodney Alexanderfield to (home boy) Fletcher, who was "too small/short" etc.

London says Williams doesn't care where/if you were drafted, any more than he cares about your numbers or stature.  Based on what HE SEES, the best players play, period.

Sounds familiar, right?  That's because all NFL coaches say it.  Only Gregg Williams means it!

London also said that Williams would either force a player to quit, or to perform at a level he never thought he could.

DeShone PR rep Mary Kay Cabbot breathlessly quotes Kenny Britt, who sees greatness in her favorite quarterback's future.

I've got to take this seriously, because it's a veteran wide receiver saying it...actually a veteran wide receiver who has, throughout his career, rarely had even an average quarterback to work with (except Bradford, between injuries).

What Britt said was encouraging.  As a FAN, I want Kizer to be great.  But I know that MKC did not ask Britt about Kessler (or Osweiler, for that matter).  What would he have said about them?

We'll never know, because Mary Kay was not objective enough to ask those questions.  For that matter, if she had asked them, she could have ignored the answers if they didn't fit her narrative.

If you're paying attention, you have just read the intro to "Propaganda 101".

Kessler is still the best quarterback here, and Kizer is behind Osweiler.  I hope Britt is right about Kizer's potential, but I'm getting sick of the Kessler-dissing here.  

70% so far.  11 for 13 most recently.  

Mary Kay, give him a fkng break!!!