Cody Kessler will enter Browns training camp as the man to beat in the competition for the starting quarterback job, and defensive end Myles Garrett is "ready to go" despite suffering a left lateral foot sprain last month, coach Hue Jackson said Wednesday at team headquarters in Berea.
Although Kessler remains atop the depth chart, the quarterback derby is extremely close with camp opening Thursday. Rookie DeShone Kizer is on Kessler's heels. They split first-team repetitions throughout mandatory minicamp in mid-June. Jackson also said Brock Osweiler has a legitimate shot to start the regular-season opener Sept. 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"Cody will walk out there first, and we'll give him an opportunity there," Jackson said. "Obviously, Brock and DeShone and Kevin (Hogan), all those guys will get reps. This is a competition. Somebody has to walk out there first. We've made a decision it will be Cody.
"He's still the guy who demonstrates, who knows the offense the best. He's the guy that's played the most football for us in that group, and I think he deserves the chance to walk out there first."
Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, had a health scare when his foot was injured June 14 during the second practice of mandatory minicamp. But the Browns expect Garrett to be ready to roll in camp.
"We will definitely monitor him, but I think he's totally healthy," Jackson said. "Maybe (he) hasn't done all the conditioning that you would like to see right before training camp, but I think he's up to speed and ready to go, and he's looking forward to it."
Jackson said the Browns will also monitor the practice time of wide receiver Corey Coleman, who suffered a hamstring injury May 24, forcing him to sit out seven of nine organized team activity practices and all three days of mandatory minicamp.
"We've come up with a really good plan, not for just Corey, but for several of our guys as we move forward to give them the best opportunity to compete and be a huge part of practice and what we're doing," Jackson said.
