New & Improved Camp Report

[BernietheKid]

Camp Report: The Inside Men
		By Fred Greetham OBR Browns Reporter Posted Aug 5, 2011 The dynamic - and beefy - duo of Rubin and Taylor make their debut. 4 Comments
BEREA — The Browns have been waiting to finally get their two projected starting defensive tackles on the field together. It happened on Thursday as Phil Taylor signed his contract and was on the field. Taylor is listed at 338 pounds and Ahtyba Rubin is 315, which is more than 650 pounds of girth on the defensive line. Pat Shurmur said he would waste no time putting Taylor in there and that was the case. “Players we are counting on will get in there and do it,” Shurmur said. “He’s a giant and he has held up pretty good.” Taylor was lined up next to Rubin for the first time. With the trade for Broderick Bunkley falling through, the Browns have been trying to switch to the 4-3 despite being short-handed at tackle. “It felt great to just be out with the guys practicing and things like that and learning the defense,” Taylor said. “I am still learning and taking it all in. It felt like I was redshirting again. You can’t get out there and play. It was hard, but I am here now and I am glad to be back.” Rubin is excited to work with Taylor. “He’s a pretty dominant player, a big guy and made a couple plays when he was at Baylor,” Rubin said. “So I’m looking forward to see what he does in the pro league.” Although Rubin is switching from the 3-4 as a nose tackle to the 4-3, he feels the change will not be that difficult. “I think it’s not going to be too different,” he said. “I think I learned a lot from the 3-4, stopping the run, being able to lock up and be stout. We just have to transition that over and just make sure we get to the passer this year.” Rubin blossomed in 2010 and displaced Shaun Rogers as the nose tackle and now it’s his turn to mentor Taylor. “I am learning every bit I can from the guys like Rubin,” he said. “The guys that were behind me were helping me out as well.” Rubin thinks he will be able to build on his game and even have a better season this year. “It’s my fourth year,” Rubin said. “I am kind of picking up the speed of the game a little better. I am learning how to be a better pro. I am just looking forward to going out and seeing what this season brings.” The linebackers corps should become one of the biggest beneficiaries of having Rubin and Taylor up front. “I’m glad we got him,” D’Qwell Jackson said Thursday. “Seeing him and Big Rube, I can’t wait to get in pads to see what he can do. Because I’ll be able to critique a couple things I’m doing.” Notebook Haden Slowed: CB Joe Haden sat out Friday with a sore hamstring according to Pat Shurmur. “He woke up a little sore and so we held him out.” Injury Report: Other than WR Mo Massaquoi (foot), WR Jordan Norwood (undisclosed) and LB Sidney Tarver (undisclosed), all other players were back at practice. DL Jabari Fletcher an undrafted free agent from Appalachian State was carted off with a right knee injury. Shurmur said it was a ‘sprain’. TE Ben Watson, OL Eric Steinbach, WR Carlton Mitchell and WR Josh Cribbs were all back in action. Zebras Back: The NFL officials officiated practice as part of the league informing the players of rules changes. In the past, the Browns have had local officials, but this year have not thus far. Phil’s Back: In his first day of practice, K Phil Dawson made all seven of the field goal attempts he was given in team drills, with a long of 45 yards. New punter Richmond McGee was the holder for Dawson. Slow Go: RB Montario Hardesty was still held out of practice contact drills, but Shurmur said it’s all part of the plan. “It’s all been a planned deal with Hardesty,” Shurmur said. “We have to be smart in his return to playing.” Little Progress: WR Greg Little has been getting a lot of work with several receivers out and he’s had a mixed bag of results. “He’s responded well,” Shurmur said. “He’s made some nice catches and plays and he’s handling the physical side of practice well.” Little caught a pass and broke several tackles for a big gain in two- minute offense, but had the ball knocked out of his hands on a couple others. Browns Backers in the House: Shurmur recognized the Browns Backers Worldwide for their presence at practice Friday. “I’d like to recognize the Worldwide Browns Backers that are here today,” he said. “They are one of the most fantastic groups in the NFL and I’m glad they are here.” Scout.com: Camp Report: The Inside Men

[Flugel]

Here's a dawggy bag from www.clevelandbrowns.com:

Browns Head Coach Pat Shurmur press conference 8-5-11

(Opening statement)- “First, before I get started, I wanted to recognize the world wide Browns Backers Clubs that are here. We’ve got one of the most fantastic support groups and fans in the NFL. We’re glad they were here to witness what I thought was a very competitive practice. As far as injuries go, Jabari Fletcher sprained his new knee. Joe Haden woke up today with a tight hamstring. Him not being out here was precautionary, there’s nothing really to report there. That’s about it, unless something creeps up here like a finger or a sore arm. There’s nothing in there, beyond that, to report. I thought the work was good. It was pretty physical this morning. The guys that practiced yesterday afternoon responded pretty well to wearing their pads. Some of the obvious things, Phil Taylor, his presence was felt in there. You could see in some of those running drills. He’s a tough guy to move. He did a nice job. At the end, there was a very competitive period with the two-minute drill. We got a lot of plays in one minute there. I thought there was great competition. It was a good, solid training camp morning. The players completed well. Fortunately, we walked away with no injuries other than Jabari.”
(On the practice scheduled for tomorrow)- “The stadium practice will be tomorrow. It’s going to be a practice format. We’ll try to structure it somewhat like a game, put the coaches on the side for some of the drills. It’s going to be at the stadium tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. That’ll be the structure. It will feel like a game in some periods and look like a practice in others. That’s what I intend to do.”
(On a timetable for Mohamed Massaquoi’s return)- “We just have to see how he progresses. I wouldn’t put a timetable on it. Not yet.”
(On if Montario Hardesty will be ready when they need him)- “What we’re doing with him is kind of a planned deal. As we started training camp, we knew there would be some actual live practice time that he would miss. We knew that. We’re just working through that so we don’t create any setbacks. Most of what’s going on with him right now is planned.”
(On if Hardesty is frustrated not practicing)- “He’s like any player. He’s competitive and he’d like to be out here, but, I think we have to be smart about how we handle him on his return to play.”
(On Hardesty, Peyton Hillis and Brandon Jackson sharing the backfield)- “They all have things they do well. Peyton’s a big physical runner. Montario can be very explosive. We’re getting to know Brandon. I think he has some of the same skill set that we know Montario has. Those guys are all guys you can put in the backfield and hand them the football.”
(On how Greg Little responded today after his practice yesterday)- “I thought he responded well. He made some catches. He’s a guy that can push through the physical part of camp. He runs a lot of routes and he did a nice job today. He did good.”
(On throwing Usama Young into the starting lineup)- “The players that we feel like we might be counting on, we want to get them in there and get them going. They’re professionals. Some of these guys, even though they missed a little time with us, they got themselves in shape. Now, they need to get in there and do it.”
(On if the lockout was avoided, would he have set up a scrimmage against another team)- “I don’t know about practicing against another team. We’ve had some move the ball periods and that. We’re doing some of the work that you might have seen last year. I’m leaving the coaches behind so that they walk with the team and have the ability to coach them immediately. That would be the only thing I would see different. A lot of what you would get in a scrimmage, you’ll notice, there were some unscripted periods in there when I was calling the plays. The only difference was that everybody wasn’t away from it. There’s coachable moments you can’t miss when you’re practicing. When the coaches are close to the players and behind and watching it’s easier to communicate and get them right back in there.”
(On strategizing for the new kickoff rules)- “I think there’ll be some strategy to it. At times, depending who your kicker is, who the returner is and the field conditions that the ball is going to get popped up in the air as high as you can, then try and get the coverage down and swarm the returner. If situations dictate that returner is out of this world and you don’t want him to touch it and you have a kicker that can bang it through the end zone, then you’re not going to let him touch it. There may be some extreme’s there.”
(On if the new rules are a disadvantage for Joshua Cribbs)- “No, I think Cribbs is a fantastic returner. I think he’s going to get his opportunities to touch the ball.”
(On calling the offense back to the huddle multiple times)- “Typically, it’s for some of the guys that are lower in line, some of the backup type players. If a play comes out of the huddle and there’s one or two guys not lined up in the right spot I want the quarterback to get it fixed. At some point, it just comes out and its way wrong and I can see nobody can get it fixed. That’s when I blow it and start it over.”
(On if it’s just alignment issues)- “It’s just alignment issues, which is natural this time of year. There is a heavy load on their plate mentally and sometimes guys screw up.”
(On if Richmond McGee will become the new holder)- “Typically, you’ll find that the punter is the holder. They’re working together. We’ll have other guys working in there as we move forward though.”
(On Cribbs playing wide receiver)- “He did a nice job today. There’re some routes in our package I think he runs very well. He made a couple plays today on slant routes and little arrow routes. I think he’s progressing as a receiver in my mind. It’s good to have him back out there. I think it’s important we keep him in a position where he can be explosive as a returner as well.”
(On problems Phil Taylor presents to opposing offensive linemen)- “He’s a giant, just standing behind it today, by structure we tried to run it right a little bit just to see. He held up in there pretty good. When you have a big force in the middle that makes it difficult to run between the tackles then that makes in tough on the offense. You start eliminating options. Hopefully he can provide that for us along with (Ahtyba) Rubin.”
(On if maximizing Cribbs’ ability as a returner will minimize his reps at wide receiver)- “No, he’s not going to be limited. Cribbs is a fantastic player and we’re going to try and put him in a position to make plays. However we can do it.”
(On Branndon Braxton running with the first team during two-minute period)- “He’s done a good job. He was a developmental-type player a year ago. He’s done some good things here in this camp. For linemen it’s very important to go through it day after day after day. He’s kind of swinging and giving guys some needed rest on both sides. He’s done a nice job.”
(On John Greco)- “John is a guy I think that is versatile. I mean that because he’s played in games at left tackle, left guard and he’d backed up at center. From that stand point he has been somewhat of a versatile guy and typically if you’re not a starter, and you’re an offensive lineman, you’ve got to swing around in there and able to back up. I like that about him, he is a big guy and I think he is a good pass protector. Being big helps him at times to be a good run blocker.”
(On Sheldon Brown influencing the secondary)- “I think you have to have guys back there that can help communicate and if anything just settle guys down. I think Sheldon has played in lots of big games for lots of years and I think aside from being a very fine player. he can help those guys.”
(On Owen Marecic)- “He has done a very good job. It’s hard to find him making a mental mistake. He did a great job running the ball off the goal line. He has caught the ball well. When you watch the special teams drills, he does exactly what he is supposed to do. He is kind of one of those steady guys. I think that is an important attribute for a guy that’s a fullback.”
(On Marecic filling the shoes of Lawrence Vickers)- “We have Owen and Lawrence is in Houston. That’s the story really. We are glad Owen is here and we wish Lawrence lots of luck.”
(On Brian Schaefering)- “He is battling in there at defensive tackle. We feel like he can be a productive player in there. This is his first day in pads. We will get a chance to watch him on tape and see what he needs to work on. But, right now we’ve got him working in on defensive tackle.”
(On his impressions on Joe Thomas)- “Joe is a pro and you could see that when he came in. He is getting a little bit better each day. You can see that he has a feel for how he’s got to ramp his game up and get ready to play the season.”

[Brown Warrior]

Oops, misplaced this. Getting psyched about a lot of things on D, mostly Usama Young and Rubin as a 3-tech. Gotta run, but feeling pretty good about the defense. Need depth at LB.

[BernietheKid]

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: Robo tip-toes the back sideline of the endzone and grabs the pass. Ref signals TD

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: That's it for 11-on-11 redzone drills. Offense looked in synch, D did not

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: Little does a backward dunk on goalposts after quick slant score from Wallace pass.

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: TE Moore uses height mis-match over M Adams in endzone score

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: Little goes up top over Young and SBrown in back corner of endzone for score! Perfect McCoy pass in double coverage

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: I can tell Usama Young has talent but I can tell he also needs to learn playbook a bit more.

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: I am liking the look of the many 3 WR sets

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: CMitchell tips a McCoy pass that was behind him and U Young nearly has pick-six

[BernietheKid]

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: TE Moore breaks free in back of endzone and Wallace completes TD pass while in stride! Crowd lovin it!!!

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: CB Brown lost a step on Haggerty but recovered to break up endzone pass

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: Watson drops a pretty pass from McCoy in red zone pass attempt

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: CB Patterson still starting for Haden, Skrine is nickeback

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: In 3 WR sets, Robo and Cribbs on outside, Little in the slot.

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: Benard seems to exclusively be working as the left DE

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: Pinkston being worked out at LG today with 2nd team OL

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: Benard just looks angry and relentless when rushing the QB

DanielWolfNFLDaniel Wolf
Live at #Browns stadium: Benard just looks angry and relentless when rushing the QB

[Riffer X]

TE Moore uses height mis-match over M Adams in endzone score

KickAXE!!!

[Brown Warrior]

Nice. All sounds good. Wonder what Benard is weighing? Damn, that would help, huh?

[Anthony]

Great day for Greg Little. And whats up with Jarrett Brown? All ive been hearing about us his cannon arm and wheels. Could be a GREAT developemental QB find.

[Vegasdogg]

Anthony you didn't make it down to the scrimmage?

Read a lot of Tweets and sounds like McCoy got it into the endzone a few times, and sounds like Evan Moore is a early favorite target, as well as Little. Sounds like Brown can sling it. Sheard couldn't do anything against Joe Thomas, which is understandable but also a concern. J Mitch got some love. Dawson booted a 60 yarder, which of course Grossi called the highlight of the camp.

Can't wait to read the write ups tomorrow.

[Riffer X]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Great day for Greg Little. And whats up with Jarrett Brown? All ive been hearing about us his cannon arm and wheels. Could be a GREAT developemental QB find.

Seen those come and go. I'd rather hear he can spell kat.

[Anthony]

Nope. I was watching my niece and nephew and my nephew, who is 3, woke up sick. So that kinda sucked.

Shurmur said Hardesty should practice "sometime next week".?? This sounds like its more than just holding him out to be cautious. Hope im wrong.

[Riffer X]

Originally Posted by Vegasdogg

Anthony you didn't make it down to the scrimmage?

Read a lot of Tweets and sounds like McCoy got it into the endzone a few times, and sounds like Evan Moore is a early favorite target, as well as Little. Sounds like Brown can sling it. Sheard couldn't do anything against Joe Thomas, which is understandable but also a concern. J Mitch got some love. Dawson booted a 60 yarder, which of course Grossi called the highlight of the camp.

Can't wait to read the write ups tomorrow.

Oh, JT will shut that boy down every time, so I won't judge Sheard at all by that.

There have been two people to give JT an issue: Kam the first couple days of camp when JT was a rook (until he figured him out) and Abraham last year. Guarantee if JT was to go again against Abe he would own him.

Roid Monk has given him some problems here and there, but nothing to write home about.

Regarding Sheard, Bentley thinks he may have trouble being an every down guy because he will wear down. Now I don't take everything he says seriously, but he backed up his argument pretty well. However, I'm not sure LB has caught on to the new style of athletic DE types----the types Heck says he wants.

One thing is sure, we need some other DE's to step up. I hope Jabari Fletcher's knee isn't too bad, cuz I think he has a great chance.