CLEVELAND — The Browns had a spirited, lengthy session on their back practice fields on Wednesday. And we have five things for you from my 17th NFL camp stop.
• Obviously, the quarterback situation is sucking up a lot of the oxygen here, and both Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders have taken steps amid all the noise. Watson started to get his sea legs during the second week of camp and is playing with more confidence with what looks like an improved situation around him. Todd Monken’s offense is also closer to what Watson ran in Houston under Bill O’Brien, so it’s giving him more command at the line of scrimmage, while giving him a chance to play his game. We’ll see how that translates under the lights in the preseason. Meanwhile, Sanders’s processing and pocket movement have improved, and his command at the line has progressed, too. Much of his work now is about minimizing unforced errors and playing with a better understanding of situational football, areas where young quarterbacks typically struggle. As for where this competition goes from here, one will start in Chicago on Saturday, and the other will start at home next week against the Bills. The coaches will have joint practices with Buffalo in between to evaluate both quarterbacks further. Then, the plan would be to make a decision and use the final three weeks before the opener to build the offense for the starter—and the offense would look different for Watson than it would for Sanders, so that’ll require some time as well.
• One thing that was really noticeable to me was the pace and vibe of this place. There’s a lot of energy in how Monken and coordinators Travis Switzer, Mike Rutenberg and Byron Storer, all first-timers in their roles, are leading. The makeup of the past two draft classes—players such as Carson Schwesinger, Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, Harold Fannin Jr., Spencer Fano, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston—is undeniably part of it. So, too, are the new guys coming in. Jared Verse, acquired in June in the trade for Myles Garrett, has wasted no time taking a major leadership role in the locker room and has quickly emerged as a tone-setter. And linebacker Quincy Williams, who was with Rutenberg for four years with the Jets, has done the same. What will that add up to? I think a team that buys in and plays hard. We’ll see how it translates to wins and losses.
• The offensive rookies haven’t wasted much time making an impact. This week, Fano became the permanent first-team left tackle, and Concepcion and Boston began running exclusively with the starters. Fano has benefited from being matched up against Verse basically nonstop since camp opened. Boston’s ability to get separation at 6'4", 215 pounds (what he can do in traffic is well-established) has turned some heads. And Concepcion’s ability to explode after the catch, separate, and pick up the offense (he’s worked at all three receiver spots) has made it look like he could play a role similar to the one that Monken had Zay Flowers in with the Ravens. Fifth-round center Parker Brailsford is worth keeping an eye on, too. He was challenging to start before hurting his thumb, but he should be back soon and could be a factor at some point as a rookie (he’s only had three days in pads thus far, so starting Week 1 might be too much to ask).
• The pass rush is going to be different, of course, with this generation’s very best, Garrett, now gone. The good news is Verse has come as advertised, a heavy-handed power rusher who reminded those with the Rams of Terrell Suggs, and Alex Wright was someone just about everyone brought up to me during my day here. The 25-year-old signed a three-year extension last November and is long, quick and versatile, and has shown the relentlessness on all three downs that Rutenberg is looking for at the position. Inside, Graham is developing as an attacking upfield rusher (he was used differently at Michigan), and Mike Hall Jr. has had a promising offseason, with health being the obvious question. And behind the starters, players like Isaiah McGuire have flashed. Bottom line: There are a lot of variables here, post-Garrett, but there’s promise, too.
• Rutenberg’s scheme will put a little more on the guys on the back end, and that’s looked like the defense’s strength to this point in camp. There are proven commodities at linebacker (Williams, Schwesinger) and corner (Denzel Ward, Tyson Campbell). Myles Harden looks rock solid at nickel. And the safety group is really interesting—with Grant Delpit taking a step forward as a leader, Ronnie Hickman settling in as a starter, and supersized rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren giving the Browns the chance (and maybe likelihood) to go to more three-safety looks, à la Seattle. Add it up, and there aren’t a ton of unanswered questions a couple of weeks into camp, outside of quarterback and depth at tight end and corner.
