Cramped quarters inside Browns’ fieldhouse made for some anxious moments
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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 training camp Day 17 …
Kevin Stefanski intended to practice in the rain, but when the lightning detection signal went off minutes before the Browns took the field, practice had to be moved inside the fieldhouse.
Cramming 120+ players, coaches, trainers and other staff inside a field reduced to 55 yards to accommodate the team’s weight-training equipment laid out across one entire end zone can be a dicey proposition. It’s cramped and confined, with very little room outside the perimeter of the condensed field.
Perhaps that had nothing to do with a collision in the middle of the field between undrafted receiver Jalen Wayne and safety Grant Delpit that left Delpit on his back for several anxious moments.
Practice ground to a halt and time stood still for about 90 seconds. Delpit was helped to his feet by two trainers and he slowly walked to the trainer’s quarters flexing his right forearm. Teammates applauded their support.
About 90 minutes later, the Browns confirmed the injury to Delpit’s right arm and termed him “day to day.”
That was a relief. Delpit, whose rookie season ended prematurely with an Achilles tendon rupture in training camp, was being counted on as an integral player in Jim Schwartz’s defense. He was determined to have a breakout season in his contract year.
Based on the early prognosis, the Browns and Delpit were lucky to avoid major injury.
So, too, was running backs coach Stump Mitchell.
Later in the practice, running back Demetric Felton caught a short pass to the right sideline. Defensive end Sam Kamara shoved Felton out of bounds and Felton decked Mitchell off his feet. Mitchell, 64, had major knee surgery last year. He seemed OK and did not leave the practice.
One last dicey incident saw cornerback Denzel Ward sidestepping tackling dummies and barely bracing himself from hitting a cinderblock wall after running hard to break up a sideline pass.Grant Delpit suffered an injury to his right arm in this collision.
D-Wat in charge
If there was any question whether the Browns’ offense would cater to Deshaun Watson this season, the quarterback’s comments on Wednesday should lay that to rest.
“Most definitely,” Watson said. “AVP [coordinator Alex Van Pelt] and Kevin gave me the keys, and they’re letting me control a lot of things that we do on the field, along with them. Play-calling in the headset and being able to see things that I can check out [of], too.
“But that comes over time, me understanding this offense, understanding what they want to do and what schemes we want to do in the run game and the passing game, and then just being able to build that trust and build that ownership of taking control of the offense and being on the field and being that coach and player at the same time. So, all that stuff will just keep stacking and building that trust and we have another opportunity this weekend to continue to build it.”
Watson has been supremely confident that he will regain the elite status he enjoyed through 2020 – his last full season in Houston before the 700-day layoff caused by a demand to be traded and then sexual assault allegations that led to an 11-game NFL suspension. But he understands why he is not being mentioned high in the rankings of NFL quarterbacks in preseason babble.
“I missed two years of football,” Watson said. “I shouldn’t be in those rankings, to be honest, if you ask me. I haven’t played ball. I haven’t played enough football the last two years to even be up there. So I got to go out there and prove and show what I got to do and to get back in those conversations. But for me, I just lock in on what I need to lock in on and just focus on my tasks and everything else will take care of itself.”
Brownie bits
For what it’s worth, Stefanski confirmed that return specialist Jakeem Grant will receive his first live game reps since rupturing an Achilles tendon in last year’s training camp, but answered “no” when asked if Grant needs to see some action at receiver to help sort out roster spots at that position group …
Stefanski indicated that special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone is searching for “technique” issues with embattled kicker Cade York, who is 3 for 7 in field goal attempts heading into the final preseason game. Ventrone used his smartphone to video York kicking on his own at Tuesday’s practice …
Linebackers Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki each had first-team snaps in separate defensive periods, furthering the trend that they will receive live game reps in Kansas City for the first time since their 2022 season-ending injuries. Stefanski said he wanted to see how they come through the final two practices of training camp …
In Kansas City, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said his starters “may get a little bit of time” in Saturday’s preseason finale. Stefanski said he would stick to his plan of 20 to 25 snaps for starters who play regardless if Reid pulls his starters earlier.
