Browns crank up the competition as West Virginia cranks up the heat
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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.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WVA
Takeaways from Browns training camp Day 7 …
The climax of Browns practices at The Greenbrier Resort was a second day in a row with full pads, lasting about 90 minutes. There were competitive periods in 1 on 1s, 7 on 7s, and 11 on 11s. There was no full speed red zone period except for 1 on 1s between receivers and defensive backs. There was no hitting to the ground, of course, other than one thud on the ball-carrier.
Before practice, coach Kevin Stefanski explained that some acclimation will occur through the buildup to Preseason Game 2 against Washington.
"In some ways, yeah, I would say that there are certain thresholds that you hit and you're ready to ramp up and it'll look like practice,” Stefanski said. “But until you get into really that Washington game, you're still in some ways acclimating to the heat, acclimating to everything you're doing then. Not to mention both sides, offense and defense are still in installation mode. So you're going to work some plays here today that haven't been run yet in practice. And you just went over this morning with the team, and Jim [Schwartz] is going to install different blitzes and different coverages that we haven't run just yet. So we're still in that phase where we're ramping up the installation as well.”
Here are some observations from the practice under a cloudless sky and 89 degrees heat index:
* Tight end David Njoku had the catch of the day in a team period, plucking a pass downfield from Deshaun Watson with his outstretched left hand. Tight end Harrison Bryant also made a nice, sliding catch on a Watson pass.
* Receiver Anthony Schwartz had his most active day. He had completions from both Watson and QB3 Kellen Mond. Schwartz also had a ball skip off his hands thrown by Joshua Dobbs. With Marquise Goodwin out indefinitely with blood clots, Schwartz has a chance to play himself back into the picture because of his blazing speed. He raced past the secondary to haul in one Watson deep ball.
* Mond got a lot of work in preparation of his expected start Thursday night against the Jets in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Mond worked the ball underneath a lot in his time in the competitive periods. He also made a huge gain running the ball on a zone read that faked out the defense.
* Tyrone Wheatley Jr. has taken advantage of Dawand Jones’ early bout with an illness. Wheatley is the LT2 and probably will start there in the Canton game. James Hudson, whose only NFL starts are at right tackle, returned to that position primarily this week. Jones, who missed the first two days, is RT3.
* All that being said, left edge rusher Ogobonnia Okoronkwo had his way with both Wheatley and Hudson in 1 on 1 rush drills.
* Dobbs, who is QB2, got in only four reps. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson got in eight, as he likely will play the second half in Canton.
* Receiver Austin Watkins, who was signed following the USFL season, looks like a player. He and Watson hooked up in the middle of the field on the last play of the competitive periods. Watkins also won his battle as a punt team gunner in a competitive special teams period.
* Here’s a play we hope not to see again: Watson threw behind the line of scrimmage to Elijah Moore, who then threw to Watson. It went nowhere.
Safety Grant Delpit doesn't want this to be his last year with the Browns. (TheLandOnDemand)
Delpit wants greatness
Safety Grant Delpit has been all business since the offseason program began. And that’s not because he’s thinking business. His rookie contract runs out this year, which puts him up either for an extension with the Browns or a run to free agency.
“That's not on my mind, man,” he said. “I play this football – I love this game with everything in my heart, man. I want that end game, the end result that we all want in this team more than anything in my soul. So that's all I'm focused on, man. With winning comes great things and that's what we focus on.”
Asked what’s he’s expecting from himself in his fourth season (third after missing his rookie year with an Achilles rupture), he answered, "Greatness, man. Greatness. I haven't shown any to myself. I haven't shown anything yet. Greatness. And that comes from being out here every day, putting in the work. You can't have any excuses when it comes to getting on that field. You can't take plays back when you get to the season. Right? As the defense as a whole, that’s communication, that's technique, that's anything. We're going to perfect that out here. We get to week one, the game is already won by then."
I asked Delpit how will greatness show in his play this year.
“I don't know. You might be writing some good things about me,” he said. “That's what it might look like. "But no, man, of course, being around the ball, getting to the ball, just making plays, being that leader in the defense, taking control. Being that voice, being that nervous center of the defense, to just get everybody on the same page and be that guy that people can see that is out there every day.”
For the record, Delpit said he wants to stay with the Browns long-term.
“I built a brotherhood with these guys. These guys are my brothers and I expect highly from them, they expect highly from me. And I've grown to know these guys and I love them and we'll go out there and get it done this season,” he said.
Brownie bits
Return specialist Jakeem Grant and running back Jerome Ford were out for personal reasons, per the club …
The Browns waived cornerback BoPete Keyes with an injury designation (finger) …
Receiver Mike Harley is out with a concussion …
The Browns will practice for about an hour on Sunday and then depart for home.
