Unlike his players, Kevin Stefanski and his coaching staff are not taking the weekend off. (Cleveland Browns)
Mini-byes are positioned perfectly for Browns to tackle longest regular-season ever
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
After a short practice in shells and shorts – less than an hour – the Browns were excused on a weekend recess never enjoyed before by NFL players in modern times.
Part of the agreement to extend the regular season to 17 and shorten preseason to three games included a free weekend for the players to “recharge” before the long grind ensues.
In the past, the fourth preseason games were all held on the Thursday before Labor Day and then roster cuts and additions were made over the weekend. Players could not travel.
Now, fully vaccinated players are permitted to leave town and report back to work on Monday. Unvaccinated players can not leave town because they must report every day for their usual COVID-19 tests.
When their roster was still at 90 players, the Browns had about a 90 percent vaccination rate, according to GM Andrew Berry. After the cutdown to 53, they might have only a handful of players – or, mathematically, two handfuls -- still unvaccinated. Those players have to stay in town.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said he did not encourage vaccinated players to stay close to home.
“I think the message is stay safe, be careful, follow the rules that are set forth,” he said. “But as far as telling them what they can or can’t do, I’m not in position to do that. I’m in position to tell them to be safe and I reiterated those messages today.”
This mini bye week plays favorably into the Browns’ hands because their regular bye week is unusually late – Week 13 on the regular-season calendar. Before that, they enjoy a mini bye after a Thursday night home game against Denver on Week 7.
“We’re very mindful that we have seven weeks until that mini bye after the Thursday game,” Stefanski said. “We have 12 weeks till our bye. So we need to be real intentional as a team about how we rest and recover.”
So when they return to work for Week 1, the Browns know they will play seven games, then have a mini bye, play five games, then have a full bye, and then finish up the homestretch with four games.
It’s a near-perfect schedule over an elongated regular season, when you think about it.
Why Joe?
When the Browns put linebacker Jacob Phillips on short-term injured reserve, they filled his regular roster spot with defensive end Joe Jackson. It was no surprise they used the available spot on a defensive end because they only kept three on their “initial” roster cutdown.
But they already had brought back waived defensive ends Porter Gustin and Curtis Weaver to their practice squad. So why did Jackson get the nod for the regular squad over the others?
“I think there’s so much to consider with all those decisions,” Stefanski said. “Specifically to Joe, he had a nice camp.”
Make no mistake, the Browns intend for the fourth defensive end to see play time in Kansas City, along with starters Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, and top backup Takk McKinley.
“All those roles are important specifically to how we’re going to wave the guys along the defensive front,” Stefanski said.
One starting spot to be revealed
Who will be the weakside linebacker (WILL) in the opener in Kansas City – Mack Wilson or rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah? It's really the last biggest question concerning starting lineups.
Wilson had been holding it down in the final week of practice, but that could have been a result of JOK’s weight-room accident that caused him to miss some practice time. JOK finished the last three days on the field and ready to go.
Stefanski said, “I think we know who our starters are today, but I would say we’ll wait until next week to really finalize what we’re going to look like going into Kansas City.”
Would the WILL linebacker be the result of ongoing competition or solely on the game plan for Kansas City, I asked the coach.
“I’d say a little bit of both,” he answered. “I know we have to set that depth chart and we will, but at the end of the day, we’ll play a lot of guys, especially on the defensive front.”
More practice squadders
The Browns added four players to their practice squad, including a kicker. They have one spot left to fill on the 16-man squad.
The additions are offensive tackle Jordan Steckler, defensive back Tim Harris, guard David Moore and kicker Chris Naggar.
Naggar was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent from Southern Methodist. Ironically, the Jets released Chase McLaughlin at the time to make room for Naggar. Now, McLaughlin is the Browns’ main kicker and Naggar has a chance to oust him from two teams in the same year.
At SMU last year, Naggar was 17 of 21 on field goals and 43 of 46 on PATs. He also punted 29 times for a gross average of 39.3 yards.
Brownie bits
On the last practice before the mini-recess, cornerback Greedy Williams (groin), safety Grant Delpit (hamstring) and linebacker Sione Takitaki (hamstring) returned to the field and worked in the early period of practice viewed by media …
Receiver Rashard Higgins was excused from practice for the third day in a row …
A sure sign everybody is in need a break after seven weeks of training camp and preseason games, Stefanski was asked at the top of his press conference, “What’s new?” He replied, “New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire …” Nevertheless, Stefanski said coaches will not take the weekend off. “We’ll work. We have plenty of work to do,” he said.
