Myles Garrett is participating in Browns voluntary workouts while still bothered by a dislocated big toe injury suffered at the Pro Bowl Games in February. (Cleveland Browns)
Myles Garrett ‘retires’ from Pro Bowl Games after dislocated toe injury, which still bothers him
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Browns interviews on the second day of offseason conditioning program …
Remember that toe injury Myles Garrett suffered at the Pro Bowl Games while scaling a wall during an obstacle course competition?
It’s still bothering him – more so than the shoulder injury suffered in his one-car rollover accident during the season.
“I think the shoulder will be just fine. The toe is the most nagging thing,” Garrett said. “Trying to get out there and do agility, run and plant, things I can do, [but] it’s just frustrating.”
More than two months after the freak injury, Garrett said he can’t believe what happened.
“The only thing that went through my mind was ‘ain’t no way,’” he said. “The first wall I jump up on, hit my foot and my foot goes numb. I’m like, ‘Oh, man, I just broke my toe. Browns Twitter is gonna go crazy right now.’
“I finished [the course] and I’m walking and I can’t feel the top of my foot. There’s no way I get a setback like this from the Pro Bowl. Fortunately enough, wasn’t a broken toe, just dislocation. It’s been a little difficult here and there. But honestly I don’t view anything holding me back when the season comes around.”
Garrett said, like his amateur basketball career, he is now “retired” from participating in future Pro Bowl Games.
“Retired. Done. Like that right there [feigning a jump shot], it’s over. No more for MG,” he said.
At the Super Bowl, Commissioner Roger Goodell said that players loved participating in the revamped Pro Bowl Games in lieu of a half-speed tackle football exhibition.
Garrett disagreed. “There wasn’t a single guy I talked to [who loved it]," he said.
Winfrey still a Brown
The Browns won’t say if they will discipline defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey after he was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of assault for allegedly causing bodily harm to his girlfriend in Harris County, TX, last week.
It has been their policy in recent years to tolerate arrests, unsavory sexual assault accusations, even prison terms in the interest of putting who they consider talented players on the field.
Coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t say if Winfrey reported to the start of voluntary offseason workouts. Winfrey had a scheduled court date in Harris County on Tuesday.
“I think, as you can imagine, I won’t get into who’s here on a day-to-day basis, that type of thing,” Stefanski said. “It’s a voluntary program. With any of our players, I want them to be safe when they’re not in this building. I want them to be making sure they’re following all rules out outside of this building and making sure they’re being safe in the community.
“In this particular instance, we’ll gather all the information we need to and monitor it. I’m not ready to go past that, other than to tell you, taking all this in as we go.”
Pressed if Winfrey is still a member of the team, Stefanski said, “Yes.”
Later, Stefanski was asked if the tolerance for off-field transgressions might change.
“As you can imagine, we constantly talk to our players about making great decisions outside our building,” he responded. “That will never change. It is something that we will remind our guys now in the offseason program. I will remind them when the offseason program ends and we send everybody off for a brief rest before training camp. You are constantly talking to your guys about being safe, so that is where I would think about it.”
Newsome brushfire extinguished
Can everyone cut cornerback Greg Newsome a break?
He doesn’t want to be traded. In fact, he was hurt that he was cast as a player who was disgruntled and wanted out.
“I was mad,” Newsome said of an Internet report that went viral. “I really just don’t think people really, truly understand how much -- first of all -- Cleveland means to me. Getting drafted here, the fans embracing me right away. I really just don’t understand something like that. I wouldn’t do that. I truly adore Cleveland. I was definitely mad.”
A misunderstanding occurred when Newsome switched agents and re-signed with Drew Rosenhaus, who has a reputation in some quarters of being the go-to agent for players looking to be traded. Former Browns running back Duke Johnson hired Rosenhaus after publicly expressing his desire to be traded, and so did tight end David Njoku, though he switched eventually to his former agent.
Johnson got his wish and was traded to Houston. Njoku did not and eventually signed a monster contract extension for $54 million over four years, including $28 million guaranteed.
“I didn’t change agents to try to get out of here. I changed agents because I think for my career, it will help me in the long run. I changed agents just for personal reasons,” Newsome said.
Newsome also backed down from an overblown Twitter exchange in which he indicated he didn’t want to play slot corner anymore.
“I think that was last year’s issue,” he said. “Now, with a new defensive coordinator [Jim Schwartz], just being able to sit down, talk to him, see a new scheme and things like that. I feel like last year, I was more of a linebacker in certain instances than an actual cornerback. Talking to Jim Schwartz and being able to get in his new scheme, I feel like we will work very well together.”
The source of Newsome’s unsettling offseason was frustration, he said.
“We just weren’t winning ballgames,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing for me, team success. We’re not winning, I feel I wasn’t making a lot of plays. I was just frustrated. But I think in this next year, just talking to Schwartz and seeing his scheme, I think it’s going to be great.”
Brownie bits
Receiver Amari Cooper said he had core muscle surgery in February. “The recovery went well. I’m on the eighth week of it now, so I feel good. I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” he said. OTA practices on the field don’t start for five weeks. Stefanski said, “We’re going to make sure that we take our time and utilize all these days to get his body right, get his mind right. When that is, I can’t say exactly.” …
Stefanski had no update on the status on the linebackers coming off season-ending injuries, such as Anthony Walker (torn quad tendon), Sione Takitaki (torn ACL) and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (foot sprain). “Everybody is doing what they are supposed to do. They are coming along, and then I will update you guys as we get closer to getting on the field,” the coach said …
Return specialist/receiver Jakeem Grant “has rehabbed like crazy” from August Achilles tendon surgery, Stefanski said. “He is determined. He is doing a great job in the training room to get better. He is of one mind and I appreciate that. He is a pro. We’ll see. You can’t rush those things. An Achilles, you just have to make sure that we’re being safe and appropriate in his rehab, but he is doing a really nice job.”
