John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Browns buzz on DeShone Kizer, Myles Garrett, Corey Coleman and more heading into minicamp
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Organized Team Activities are over and Browns full-squad mandatory minicamp is here.
The camp consists of three days of non-padded practices, Tuesday through Thursday.
When it’s over, most of the players will leave town until training camp begins in late July, with the camp schedule expected to be announced next week.
Some or all of the quarterbacks will spend time with biomechanics expert Tom House in Los Angeles, and many of the players will head to training facilities in various parts of the country.
The difference between OTAs and minicamp is that it’s mandatory and the intensity picks up, although it was pretty high in OTAs, with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams getting his players after the offense and trying to force turnovers.
Here are some story lines and some buzz for the three-day camp:
By Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com
John Kuntz, cleveland.com
1. The QB rotation likely will remain the same through minicamp
Coach Hue Jackson considered changing the QB order after three weeks of OTAs, but will most likely keep it the same throughout the minicamp.
Cody Kessler went first in the rotation, followed by Brock Osweiler, DeShone Kizer and Kevin Hogan. The open quarterback competition is somewhat hampered at receiver by the absence of Corey Coleman (hamstring, another undisclosed injury) and the sporadic availability of Kenny Britt. But it’s given the young receivers and tight ends such as Ricardo Louis and Seth DeValve a chance to stand out. Osweiler and Kizer have pressed Kessler, but he’s still the man to beat. If Kizer continues at his current fast clip, he'll be starting sooner than later.
Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
2. Corey Coleman will still rest or do very little
When Coleman fell awkwardly on the ball in Week 2 of OTAs and spent about three minutes on his back with a trainer over him, it was evident he’d likely miss some time. Jackson revealed the following week that Coleman might be out until training camp in July. If the hamstring is still bothering him, it doesn’t make sense to risk it in minicamp.
The key is to get Coleman to the season healthy and keep him that way. In the meantime, the Browns will have to keep their eyes open for veteran receivers. Wideout Jeremy Maclin, whom the Browns inquired about, signed a two-year deal Monday with the Ravens. If Coleman is limited into training camp, the Browns might have to add a veteran.
John Kuntz, cleveland.com
3. Myles Garrett and Jabrill Peppers working with third-team D
Gregg Williams is making Garrett and Peppers earn their way up the depth chart, despite their first-round draft status.
Both players worked primarily with the third-team defense during OTAs, and both were somewhat limited with injuries. Garrett has been limited with a sore foot, but might do a little more this camp. Unfortunately for him, he won’t get a chance to work against Joe Thomas, who will sit out all or most of this camp to preserve his body for the season. But he's flashed some of the explosiveness that made him the No. 1 overall pick.
John Kuntz, cleveland.com
4. Right tackle audition
The Browns are still auditioning candidates for right tackle, including last year’s starting center Cam Erving and 2016 third-round pick Shon Coleman.
With no contact permitted, it’s tough to tell who the superior run- and pass-blocker is, but it’s time to start settling in on the starter and letting him get his timing down with new guard Kevin Zeitler and the other linemen.
With Thomas resting, Coleman has been filling in some at his spot, while Erving has gotten first-team reps on the right side. The Browns are also still without starting left guard Joel Bitonio and backup right guard John Greco, who are recovering from their Lisfranc mid-foot surgeries. The line probably won’t be settled until deep into training camp.
John Kuntz, cleveland.com
5. Which pass-rushers will emerge?
The Browns have a handful of players who should be able to sack the quarterback. Now, it’s time for those players to step up and show Williams they deserve those precious third-down reps.
They include Garrett, Carl Nassib, Desmond Bryant, Nate Orchard and Emmanuel Ogbah. Williams will likely rotate the edge-rushers to keep them fresh, but he really expects two of these players to become double-digit sackers in 2017. One who has a lot to prove is second-year defensive lineman Nassib, who led the nation with 15.5 sacks in college in 2016 but was limited to 2.5 last year. He's working on lower-body strength to improve explosiveness, and must flash in this camp.
Ad Choices