Cleveland Browns training camp rolls into day 12, just one more practice session before the preseason opener with the Washington Redskins. I’ve been at four of the practices and talked extensively with other daily observers.
Here are the top five things I’ve learned over the training camp sessions thus far:
Baker Mayfield drives the team hard
It’s obvious to anyone in Berea who watches even one segment of team drills: Baker Mayfield does not let mistakes go uncorrected.
If Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t where and when Mayfield expected him to be on a route, the second-year QB is going to let him know and hash it out. The same is true of a running back missing a pass protection assignment, as Dontrell Hilliard found out Monday. Often loudly and sometimes profanely, Mayfield’s style is to attack the mistakes right away in an effort to fix them.
That includes his own errors, by the way. It’s a regular sight to see Mayfield mentally reliving the last rep when he makes a mistake, such as the pick-6 he threw to Jermaine Whitehead on Tuesday in the shadow of his own goalpost. There is nothing stoic about him. He wants to be great and he expects that of his teammates as well as himself.
This is not a negative. Too many players and coaches in the Browns past have been too complacent, too tolerant of mediocrity (or worse). Mayfield will not let teammates off the hook. Accountability is evident in Berea, and it starts with No. 6.
Kicking remains a big problem
Greg Joseph has outplayed Austin Seibert in the placekicking battle, but it’s an uninspiring win. And for a team that lost two games last year directly because of poor kicking, that’s not good enough.
Seibert has been a huge disappointment. The fifth-round pick missed more FG attempts than he made through the first five days of practice. Joseph continues to bang kicks through, but they seldom are of the no-doubt variety — just like last year’s 17-for-20 showing in his rookie season.
Tuesday saw Seibert catch up a little as Joseph struggled in the mid-practice competition. It’s worth noting that Seibert’s miss was wildly wide left, while Joseph’s misses were both close shaves.
Seibert is demonstrably better in kickoff drills, both on distance and directional “splash” kicks. That should be a tie-breaker and not a deal-maker. It’s hard to feel confident in either option right now.
The depth at wide receiver is truly impressive
Adding Odell Beckham Jr. to a lineup that already featured Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry figured to raise the level of talent and depth in the Browns’ WR room.
What has been unexpected is the emergence of guys like Derrick Willies and Jaelen Strong. Both have taken first-team reps at times and not looked out of place. They’re obviously not Beckham or Landry, but bring their own qualities which work for them.
The battle for the final one or two roster spots at WR is intense. With Beckham, Landry and Rashard Higgins set as the top threesome, it leaves Strong, Willies, Antonio Callaway and perhaps Damion Ratley (currently sidelined with injury) jockeying for position and status.
Here’s the good part: Strong and Willies as a combination has been better in camp than the top twosome of two years ago, Corey Coleman and Kenny Britt. And they’re likely No. 5 and 6 on this year’s Browns, not starters. Having good QB play certainly helps, but there is legit depth of talent in Cleveland at WR.
Less worry about offensive tackle
Heading into training camp, my biggest worry on the entire team was offensive tackle. After watching starters Greg Robinson and Chris Hubbard, I feel a lot better about the starting group.
Hubbard looks much more comfortable and capable in his second season as the team’s right tackle. When he’s faced off against Myles Garrett and newcomer Olivier Vernon, he’s held his own and shown the ability to recover from an initial defeat. He’s shown more power and grit in run blocking, too.
Robinson continues to amaze with his technical progress on the left side. The guy who stepped up late last season with his career on the line has not rested on his laurels, thankfully. Robinson’s footwork and balance have improved. He’s still just an average run blocker on his best day, but the Browns are paying him to keep Mayfield comfortable.
The depth behind them looks abysmal, so it’s imperative Hubbard and Robinson stay healthy and on top of their games.
Steve Wilks was a great choice as the defensive coordinator
Freddie Kitchens as a rookie coach appears to be swimming through the rough currents of high expectations, loud external noise and the rigamarole of the daily tasks of his new gig. It sure feels like Steve Wilks is helping him.
Wilks went through being a head coach for the first time a year ago. It did not go well for him in Arizona, for reasons both in and (mostly) out of his control. That experience serves him well as a consigliere to Kitchens.
As far as his defense goes, Wilks has shown creativity and adaptability. The new scheme will look foreign to anyone expecting Gregg Williams redux. There are going to be a lot of wrinkles and formations that will keep the offenses guessing and off-balance. It’s too early to know if it will work, of course, but I’ve been impressed with how Wilks has handled the defense thus far.
