Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about minicamp reports on the young Browns

[BernietheKid]

Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about minicamp reports on the young Browns
May 08, 2010, 11:24PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Football is on the mind as Terry Pluto is talkin' ...

About the Browns rookie camp / running backs ...

1. It was one weekend with guys in shorts and no real hitting, but the rookie who made the best first impression was Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty. Most rookies are not in football shape when they arrive for this camp. Browns coaches like to put the rookies under a lot of mental pressure, giving them a taste of what training camp will be like. It is a shock to most of their systems.

2. That said, Hardesty grabbed onto the offensive concepts. He impressed when it was time to draw up plays on the board. He also was in good shape, ran hard and showed more than power -- a quick first step and an ability to make sharp cuts. The Browns believe he can step in and combine with Jerome Harrison to give them an excellent 1-2 combination, with Peyton Hillis also in the mix as a short-yardage back.

3. Some fans will read this and believe fullback Lawrence Vickers is not in the plans. He remains an important part of the running attack, as the coaches love his blocking. At first, Vickers were not sure how to handle the new, strict coaching approach. By the end of the season, he had become very close to Eric Mangini and the staff -- and the coaches say Vickers deserve a lot of credit for opening holes for Harrison when he had his big late-season games.

4. So where does that leave Chris Jennings and James Davis? The obvious answer is the Browns believed they needed an upgrade. With the weather conditions, the inexperience at receiver and the reclamation project that is veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme -- the Browns must run the ball well to be effective. That's why they traded a third-rounder and two fifth-rounders to move up to the second round for Hardesty, who gained 1,345 yards (4.8 per carry) as a senior for the Vols.

5. One more note on the running backs: Usually, someone gets hurt. Harrison did in training camp last season. The coaches want a lot of depth at the position.

About the defensive backs ...

1. Joe Haden came as advertised -- a solid first-round pick. His speed is not exceptional. He showed poise. Like Hardesty, he did well in the classroom and understood game plans. The key will be if Haden can use his strength to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage.

2. The Browns see Haden and Sheldon Brown as two backs who can be physical with receivers, and should be an upgrade in tackling over Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright. This is not to write off Wright, who should start and has room to improve. But he has teammates who can push him for playing time and challenge him to be a better tackler.

3. The biggest mistake the Browns made with McDonald was to expect a fifth-rounder to immediately start. He was starting across from another young cornerback in Wright. The current coaches believe the duo developed a sense of entitlement, because there was no one around who could take their jobs. The additions of Haden and Brown changed that.

4. Second-rounder T.J. Ward was a bit overwhelmed like many of the other rookies. As one Browns operative said, "These guys come out of the draft where they are the center of attention, then come here and get all this stuff thrown at them and reminded they are rookies. It's like being dumped in an ice bath, a shock to the system."

5. No reason to be alarmed about Ward; he just didn't seem as prepared for the rigors as some of the others. Rookie receiver Carlton Mitchell was also wide-eyed. He pulled a leg muscle in the first workout, so the Browns didn't see much of him on the field.

6. Nebraska's Larry Asante was prepared, be it for the demands in the classroom or on the field. The coaches really liked him. It's so early, but there are whispers that Asante could push Ward for playing time -- and perhaps Asante is the one low-round pick who makes an impact early in the season. They know he can tackle and is strong against the run. But early reviews of his pass coverage were a pleasant surprise.

7. Don't know why the fuss about Rex Ryan saying the Browns were considering Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson. I wrote that several times in the 10 days before the draft. The Browns were the one team to travel to Boise and spend a lot of time with Wilson. Part was preparation in case they traded down and Haden was gone. The Jets may have gotten a steal with Wilson at No. 29, but Ryan's comments that his brother Rex liked Wilson and the Browns considered Wilson hardly rate the headlines they received.

About Colt McCoy ...

Thomas Ondrey / The Plain DealerColt McCoy had some good moments in minicamp, but his main task is putting in the hours of work needed to learn the offense with coordinator Brian Daboll.

1. The media didn't see a lot of McCoy, but the Browns used him more in the sessions that were just with the team and coaches. Early reviews were solid. McCoy seemed accurate with most of his passes. In three days, not a single snap from center was fumbled, and he seemed comfortable taking snaps. That's important, as he often was in the shotgun at Texas.

2. There also were many "What is he doing?" moments with McCoy, and that can happen in a rookie camp when a quarterback is exposed to a new offense, coaches and receivers. It's easy to feel mentally overloaded. But McCoy handled it.

3. None of this means McCoy will play soon. He dropped to the 85th pick for a reason -- he's not a blue chip quarterback. But he can learn and develop. He came across as confident, but not cocky. But in an interview with Brian Sipe, the former Browns quarterback said there is no reason to rush McCoy or any other rookie quarterback into action.

4. Since camp ended, McCoy has been on the phone or computer most evenings with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, as they work through the playbook together. Some of these sessions last two hours. McCoy does have a hunger for the mental side of the game.

5. I hope President Mike Holmgren sticks to what he said on draft weekend -- McCoy will not play this year. He has wavered on that a bit, and all it does is create a frenzy with Browns fans wanting a quarterback savior. The coaches and Holmgren can always change their minds and play McCoy if circumstances dictate, but that should not even be a remote consideration at this point.

Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about minicamp reports on the young Browns and Matt LaPorta's slumping bat | cleveland.com