Browns training camp Day 6: NFL Commissioner pays visit

CLEVELAND - With Cleveland Browns training camp starting, newsnet5.com has you covered with a ll of the information you need. We will have a daily blog to follow the events in Berea and also bring you information on Twitter at @WEWSsports , @andy_baskin and @gdowning14 .

August 9:

11:23 a.m.--Browns will practice from 1:30-3:30 today in Berea.

Day 6: Aug. 5

Final Thoughts from Day 6 of camp:

Overall it appeared to be somewhat of an uneventful day. The defense made a few key stops on the goal line and put some pressure on Jake Delhomme early. His first pass this morning was an interception by Robaire Smith. Abram Elam also had a nice pick today.

Dave Zastudil as mentioned during the Mangini press conference is scheduled to be in Berea tomorrow. He's been injured and was taking a flight back in town tonight and should be ready to go.

Another special team note, Mangini was asked this morning about whether Phil Dawson was showing any signs of slowing down. Mangini said he feels Dawson is still an outstanding kicker and Dawson made a 47 yarder near the end of practice. Coming off an injury plagued 2009 season, and an off-season that was filled with rumors galore about him seeking a new contract, it is good to see the longtime Browns Kicker out on the field.

Some more Josh Cribbs and Seneca Wallace combos in the offense. They made a great play with Cribbs at QB and Wallace at WR leading to a touchdown. This combo ran a series of handoffs yesterday but took it to the air today. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.

Afterwards, the big scoop was the arrival of Roger Goodell at camp today. Goodell watched the end of practice with Mike Holmgren from his golf cart. However, with Goodell there, the players were all asked questions regarding the labor situation that could see a lockout in the 2011 NFL season. Goodell said it doesn't do any good to complain about the lack of progress but rather find a solution to solve the problem. The players were all worried not only about not being able to play football, but the fact that health benefits and the loss of jobs associated with teams will affect more than just the people who want to watch and play football on Sunday afternoons.

Goodell did address the upcoming induction ceremony in Canton saying that it's a great celebration to honor the NFL's greatest players. He also mentioned that the Browns are going to do some great things with the Mike Holmgren/Tom Heckert regime taking over in 2010.

4:58 p.m.-- "I think our whole celebration in Canton is a great thing. I think being in the birthplace of football is a great thing for us."

4:56 p.m.-- On 18 games: There are opportunities to expand the schedule because it's better for everyone.

4:55 p.m.-- "I think what coach Holmgren has brought to his organization is good." He went on to say that national TV games are in "high demand" and that hopefully Cleveland can work their way back into primetime.

4:54 p.m.-- "I think our rookie wage scale is broken...we have to address it."

4:53 p.m.-- "We're going to work day and night to make sure [a work stoppage] doesn't happen."

4:50 p.m.-- Goodell says that both cases of Shaun Rogers and Robaire Smith are still under review. He will meet with the team later today. He says that Rogers turning in a DUI driver in Middleburg Heights made him proud but says that it won't have an effect on his future. Says carrying a gun into an airport is, "a clear violation of the law."

4:50 p.m.-- Roger Goodell is stepping up to the mic to begin his press conference.

4:35 p.m.-- We are about 10 minutes away from the start of Roger Goodell's press conference.

4:08 p.m.-- Seneca Wallace is one of the key off-season acquisitions for the team, and the coaches want to use his talents to make plays in a number of ways. After practice, he talked about providing a spark to the offense, and discussed the connection he has with Josh Cribbs.

Like Cribbs, Wallace came into the league regarded as an "athlete," but not necessarily an NFL quarterback. Cribbs is similar, and Wallace said that they have the same mentality on the field.

"When a play breaks down, I look for him, because I know he's on the same page as me," Wallace said about Cribbs.

The two players demonstrated that connection during practice Thursday when Wallace threw a pretty pass to Cribbs in the corner of the endzone, which was one of the nicest plays of the afternoon.

3:58 p.m.-- The Browns had a slower paced day today it appeared. They had some big goal line stands, and the last 15 minutes of practice were broken up by position and a lot of drills consisted of work with the special teams unit. Josh Cribbs had a few returns and Phil Dawson connected on about a field goal of abot 47-yards that had about 10 more yards on it.

Ben Watson and Mike Adams were off today because Coach Mangini rewarded them with an opportunity to take one day off practice because of their work ethic in OTA's, mini camp and the entire off-season

in general.

The team came off the field and Scott Fujita, Robert Royal and Tony Pashos met with the media and fielded many questions mainly about the impending lockout and the new Collective Bargaining Agreement the league is facing. Why? Well, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is in Berea today and is scheduled to be in the press room at around 4:45. Goodell was in Latrobe, Pennsylvania this morning at Pittsburgh Steler camp, and made the trip over this afternoon. As mentioned in the Mangini press conference, he is not expected to made a statement on Shaun Rogers and his possible suspension.

The overall attitude from the players was that the negotiations are not going well, but there's still a ray of optimism that a deal can be accomplished. It isn't just football that some of the Browns players are considering. Some are worried about their benefits, and others about the jobs that the stadiums and teams provide.

2:50 p.m.--The Browns practice has been mostly uneventful up to this point. There have been some good hits in the 11-on-11 drills down near the goal line. Some of the younger players are taking advantage of the full pads and trying to make an impression.

During the redzone drills, Mangini has shown a commitment to use Josh Cribbs in a Wildcat formation. On one of the plays out of the Wildcat, Cribbs threw a quick touchdown pass to Seneca Wallace, who lined up out at wide receiver. Another time, the center snapped the ball before Cribbs was ready and the ball rolled deep into the backfield.

1:36 p.m.--Roger Goodell is in the building. The NFL commissioner arrived in Berea via a Cadillac Escalade with a group of personnel from the league office. As he made his way into the Browns facility, Goodell took his time to check out the decorations along the exterior.

He will address the media in a 4:45 press conference, but is not expected to make an announcement regarding the potential suspension of defensive linemen Shaun Rogers of Robaire Smith.

1:21 p.m.-- Players preparing to take the field here in Berea for the 6th day of Training Camp.

1:12 p.m.-- Mangini's press conference is over, we'll now head to the practice field for another day of camp.

1:10 p.m.-- Mangini talked about the defense having a good day yesterday: It was positive because the defense was getting handled early and was able to recover.

1:07 p.m.-- Mangini on TJ Ward: "The effort and the intensity part of him, I really like."

1:03 p.m.-- Mangini has been very happy with Kicker Phil Dawson. He likes his consistency and says Dawson is "outstanding."

1:01 p.m.-- Mangini on Delhomme: "I really like what I've seen from Jake." Delhomme has been better in 7 on 7 but has struggled in 11 on 11. "He gets to [the] answers and he gets to them quickly."

1:00 p.m.-- Mangini doesn't expect Goodell to address the Shaun Rogers issue in his press conference in Berea today.

12:59 p.m.-- Lawrence Vickers missed yesterday's afternoon practice with a minor injury and will be out there today.

12:58 p.m.-- David Bowens during the 4-0 stretch, Mangini believes that it was the best football he's played in his career.

12:54 p.m.-- Saturday's program at Browns Stadium is to simulate a real-time game. "This is as close to we can get to a game."

12:53 p.m.--Mangini on Rogers: There are different timetables set by the trainers for each player. You just don't know because it's different for every player.

12:51 p.m.-- Mangini says Dave Zastudil will return tomorrow. Yesterday he said Zastudil could be here today, however that has ben moved back one day.

12:50 p.m.-- Mangini says he's looking for the details and techniques improve in the team after all the work they've done in OTA's mini-camp and the first 5 days of training camp.

12:48 p.m.-- Eric Mangini is at the podium ready to address the media here in Berea.

12:35 p.m.-- We are about 10 minutes away from Eric Mangini addressing the media here in Berea on Day 6 of training camp.

5:56 a.m.--The Browns take the field this afternoon with one practice session open to the public. The team will practice from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Coach Eric Mangini will address the media before practice, and then the Browns will have a special visitor at the facility. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be at the team's facility, and he will have a press conference at 4:45 p.m.

Day 5: Aug. 4

Day 5 wrap up:

Day five of Browns training camp reminded you a lot of Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde. In the morning session it was the Browns defense that totally shut down the Browns offense. And in the evening it was the exact opposite as the offense was totally shredding the defense.

Here are just a few observations from today’s practice:

Defensive back Gerard Lawson had a great day and may have helped his chances of making the team by picking off two passes and returning them both for touchdowns.

Colt McCoy looked like a rookie today. His passes weren’t crisp and had a couple of bad interceptions. But you can see why the Browns drafted him he can

move in the pocket and throws a pretty good deep ball.

Maybe the forgotten man in the running back spot is James Davis. He had a great day and his making the most of his opportunity with Monterio Hardesty and Peyton Hillis are out with injuries. Davis had a couple of great runs and great catches.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll looks like a new man. He’s clean shaven and looks like he’s lost at least 30 pounds no joke.

Ben Watson looked like the clear cut starter at tight end. He’s been the most consistent receiver and caught basically everything that was thrown at him today.

Punter Dave Zastudil missed all of practice today and is being looked at by his own doctor. Reggie Hodges handled all of the punting duties and will fill in fine if Zastudil isn’t ready by the season opener.

Shaun Rogers looks like he’s close to returning, he was on the bike and even the sled, but Eric Mangini still thinks it might be a little while before we see him on the field.

Josh Cribbs has established himself as maybe the most popular athlete in Cleveland. Right now and he showed today that he appreciates the fan support. After the morning practice Cribbs stayed around and signed autographs for at least 45 minutes. Cribbs could have easily went to the locker room and relaxed, but he didn’t.

This was a really cool sight. Linebacker Blake Costanzo threw a pair of gloves to the crowd. He then went to the locker room and came back out to the field about five minutes later with a whole bag of gloves and passed them out to young Browns fans. It’s little stuff that really makes a difference in a little kid’s day.

11:25 a.m. -- Josh Cribbs is signing autographs for at least 30 minutes. It's a great scene as Blake Costanzo just brought out a whole bag of gloves and handed them out to young Browns fans.

10:53 a.m. -- Phil Dawson now on for field goal practice. Dawson a perfect 6 for 6 team now breaking it down about to end the morning session.

10:52 a.m. -- Carlton Mitchell had a great catch down the left side to end the 11 on 11 session defense. He pretty much dominated that round though.

10:42 a.m. -- McCoy now under center first pass to James Davis would have been a touchdown but called back for holding.

10:38 a.m. -- DB Chris Roberson was the injured player on the Cribbs catch. He's been carted off the field.

10:30 a.m. -- And the wildcat makes the first appearance of the day. Cribbs inside handoff to Wallace.

10:28 a.m. -- Seneca Wallace now in at quarterback moving around well in the pocket and just scrambled for about 15 yards.

10:23 a.m. -- Delhomme in the shotgun for the first time today and nearly gets picked off on two consecutive plays does not look comfortable

9:50 a.m. -- Defensive line coach Bryan Cox is enjoying a freezer pop. It is hot and humid out here.

9:42 a.m. -- Shaun Rogers hitting the sled. Brett Ratliff overshoots Syndric Steptoe. He has not been very accurate with his passes today.

9:35 a.m. -- Delhomme audible at the line quick pass to Jerome Harrison and nobody comes close to touching him touchdown

9:27 a.m. -- Colt McCoy pump fakes and hits Mohamed Massaquoi on a nice deep fade to the delight of the crowd. Not to be outdone, Jake Delhomme connects with Brian Robiskie deep down the right side.

9:11 a.m. -- Brandon McDonald just encouraged an official to keep his flag in his pocket today. He got a nice laugh from the crowd.

8:55 a.m. -- Special teams coach Brad Seeley is conducting a kickoff after safety drill. Reggie Hodges is your punter. Phil Dawson in for onside kick drills. One fan just screamed out "Super Bowl," but it didn't catch on with the crowd.

8:45 a.m. -- Hello from Berea. Browns camp is underway, players are stretching and a nice crowd is on hand. Linebacker coach Matt Eberflus is fired up this morning.

7:13 a.m. -- After a day off from the practice, the Browns are hitting the field again. The team has two sessions today, both open to the public. The morning practice is from 8:45-10:45, and the evening session is from 5:45-7:45.

Day 4: Aug. 3

10:25 a.m.--Four days into training camp, and the Browns coaching staff has decided to give the players a rest from the practice field . Coach Eric Mangini has canceled practice today, but the team will still be in meetings for most of the day.

8:14 a.m.--For the first time since starting training camp on Saturday, the Browns will not have a practice open to the public. Open practice will resume tomorrow, with another session from 8:45-10:45 a.m., and again from 5:45-7:45 p.m.

If the Browns have practice today that is open to the media, then we will keep you updated with what is happening in Berea.

Day 3: Aug. 2

4:00 p.m.- Here is a full transcript of today's meeting with the media from Eric Mangini. Thanks to our friends in the Browns media relations department. 

Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini press conference 8-2-10

(Opening statement)- “Good morning everybody. I thought that practice this morning was okay. I thought it was better

defensively than it was offensively. I think that late in the practice there offensively, we did a couple of things that were easy mistakes, concentration errors that really shouldn’t happen. Those are the things that we are constantly working on to avoid those self-inflicted wounds. Today what we are focusing on, there was some level of install, but not what it has been through the first three practices and most of what today was review of what we have installed. Following the same pattern that we have talked about in the past with Wednesday, Thursday, Friday-type progression with a review day at the end. This afternoon, we will start over into the next cycle of first and second down like a Wednesday would be.”

(On what he expects from Bobby Engram)- “I’m just getting to know him and the things I do know about him are that he’s very accomplished, very experienced. I think that always helps to have that, especially in a room of young guys like we have. Someone to bounce questions off of, to just learn things through experience. Similar to what David Patten was last training camp.”

(On Engram can keep up with the young receivers at age 37)- “It’s really early, but he has been running with the young kids pretty well. I haven’t noticed him not being able to hold up. Thirty-seven is young.”

 (On having both Peyton Hillis and Lawrence Vickers in the backfield at the same time)- “It’s good size and Peyton has played quite a bit at fullback. He did for the Broncos and he played at tailback there and that’s one of the things that I really liked about him when we were talking about bringing him in is his ability to play both of those spots. Now, you do have two big backs in the backfield working together and I think that’s a nice combination.”

(On not scoring a rushing touchdown until the 13th game last year and why it took so long)- “Then it was like a flood wasn’t it? The flood gates. That’s all it was, we needed to get that dam out of the way and they just flowed (joking). That’s a great question. We were working at it. Those touchdowns weren’t coming very easily for us offensively, whether it was throwing or running the ball. I think as guys got a better sense of working together, I think that always helps. I think that the receivers did a really nice job on the perimeter and those are often hidden yards. It was, I think, Chris Jennings that scored the first one. That was kind of a bounce-out, perimeter type run where he got the edge and I’m sure the receivers were involved in that. A lot of times with the running game, you get that flow going and I felt that at points we were running the ball effectively, we just weren’t getting in into the end zone, but we were running the ball effectively.”

(On if they can pick up the running game where the left off last season)- “I don’t know if it’s a function of picking up where you left off. We did a lot of work on what we did well last season, the things that we want to continue to focus on, things that we are not going to focus on as much. Some of that too is also learning the personalities of the backs with Montario (Hardesty) and Peyton and figuring out which elements of the running game work best for them.”

(On what attributed to the last-season success of the running game last year)- “I think it was the group. I think Jerome (Harrison) did a nice job, I think Lawrence really did a nice job, the tight ends blocked well and it wasn’t like we were tricking anybody and they were playing back to the pass and then coming up to play the run. They knew we were going to run, we knew we were going to run and we were still able to get them blocked up. That was a coordinated effort, all of those guys together.”

(On Shawn Lauvao working with the first team)- “Tony (Pashos) not being in has opened up some opportunities. Shawn is going to work with the ones at different points anyways and we are going to have guys in different spots throughout the course of camp. I believe in that. I think it really helps later on because you do get into injury situations and you can only carry a certain amount of the guys to the game. There has to be versatility built in to what we do and a lot of that has to be built into it now. He will work some a t guard, some at center, both sides and he’s doing a good job with what we are asking him to do right now.”

(On if he would have any hesitation starting two young players in Alex Mack and Lauvao)- “No, there wouldn’t be any hesitation. If he ends up winning that spot, I wouldn’t hesitate at all. I think Alex could help him along. It’s pretty fresh in his mind, some of the challenges that you face and I think he could be a real asset if that were the case.”

(On Chansi Stuckey)- “I’ve known Chansi for a long time. He’s very athletic, he has excellent short-area quickness, he’s good in and out of the breaks. He is savvy, he understands how the zones operate and where he needs to get open in the zones. I think that you saw some of what he can do last season.

I know we got him a little bit later and I look forward to seeing him this season.”

(On how having a full training camp with the team will help Stuckey)- “He had a pretty big transition with the trade. He was with one team, then with another team and had to learn everything that was going on. I think it will help him, although Chansi is a pretty diligent worker. I think he adds real value in the room in terms of the way he helps. Not that he’s some kind of old vet, but he does help the younger guys along.” 

(On Jason Trusnik’s roles expanding last year)- “That’s one of the things I like about him, is that his roles can expand. He can play inside linebacker. He can play outside linebacker. He’s done some good things on special teams, both in New York and here. He’s got good size. He’s got an excellent motor. He’s strong. I like all those things. He’s from Ohio.”

(On if Lauvao’s ability to pick things up quickly has helped him)- “Yes, it’s really a prerequisite to coming here is to be able to do that because you are going to be asked to do a lot of different things. If he can build on that versatility where he can play center and guard, that improves his chances of going to the game that much more each week because one guy can really play three spots. He can play center and both guards and that’s what you’d like from an interior offensive lineman, if they weren’t starting, to have that flexibility.”

(On the depth at the center position)- “Yes, we’ve got some different guys working there. Billy Yates is working there. Pat Murray, Shawn is working there. We’ve got quite a few guys working in those spots and one of them has to distinguish them self and show that they can do that. That will really help them in terms of making the team and then being on the 45.”

(On strengthening the right side of the offensive line)- “I thought that the right side did some really good things last year. You’d love to be as balanced as possible when you feel like you can do the same things on both sides and defenses know that you can do the same thing on both sides. It is a problem, defensively because typically you can adjust based on one side or the other. There are strengths or weaknesses, how you want to attack it as a defense. If you have that balance it really allows you to do whatever you want.”

(On if he needs to be more creative with his offensive packages so they can match with teams that have superstars)- “We’ve got Josh Cribbs. He classifies. He’s right up there. He’s a superstar in my book. I think what you are trying to do is even when you have maybe a player that has distinguished themselves or however you want to categorize it, you want to have balance because those guys are going to get coverage rolled over the top. Those guys are going to get taken over in different ways and you want to have balance and you don’t want to have to force the ball in one place all the time because that’s usually not the most productive way to move the ball. Then, they are ready to counter that. In any system that I’ve been in, where the guys may be classified as what you are talking about, it was still looking to be balanced and have the quarterback go through their progressions.”

(On being creative with Seneca Wallace and Cribbs to mask other areas)- “I would look at any of the plays that we do, we use packages that we put together as things that we feel are going to help us be more effective, not to mask something. We don’t do that because we feel like we have a liability in one area. We do that because we feel like that’s going to be a strength that we can highlight.”

(On the laps Alex Mack ran last year and where he is compared to last year)- “Zero laps? You probably black catted him, he’ll get one tonight (joking). That’s typical, especially at center. You are a rookie. You’re got to handle the snap count, you have to get the ball up every time. You have to help run the offense. It’s a lot to ask from a guy and I thought he did it really well last year, especially taking into account how young he was and I’ve talked to him quite a bit this offseason and even since he’s been back and his comfort level is so much better than it was. He knows what to expect. He knows the system and I think he’ll continue to improve because of that comfort level.”

(On whether there are less laps being run this training camp)- “I think guys have stayed onsides more and kept the ball off the ground more and that’s a good thing. That’s a positive thing. Nobody’s looking to have anybody run laps unless it’s part of conditioning so that’s always a good thing.”

(On Tony Pashos being back soon)- “He may be out there this afternoon. That’s what we are shooting for right now. That’s what I anticipate right now.”

(On if he was under the weather)- “He banged his arm.”

(On tomorrow’s schedule)- “I’ll explain it later on. It’s something that we do that’s just part of our progression. After I talk to the players, I’ll explain it.”

(On training camp being more player-friendly

this year)- “Often times there’s a case where you get to know somebody and you need to understand why they do things and you get more comfortable in any relationship. I think things tend to run more smoothly. It’s been fun having a group of guys, I’ve known for awhile and we have those shared experiences and the new guys we brought in have all been great guys. We’re just all collectively trying to push forward.”

12:01 p.m.--Mangini was asked about the progression of Robiskie, and what has made the difference from this year to last. He couldn't point out one particular change Robiskie has made, instead saying, "It happens at different times for different people."

Mangini also dismissed the notion that the Browns do not have much star power on offense. When asked about having to be creative because of lacking a superstar on offense, Mangini smiled and said, "We've got Josh Cribbs. He's a superstar in my book."

One player who shined on the Browns offense during the end of last season was running back Jerome Harrison, who averaged 187 rushing yards over the final three games. Even with last year's strong finish, there still appears to be doubts regarding his ability to lead the team's ground attack for an entire season. 

But those doubts have give Harrison a noticeable chip on his shoulder in the first few days of training camp.

"Yeah, he does have a chip on his shoulder," fullback Lawrence Vickers said about Harrison. "After the way he finished last season, people want to know if he's for real or not. He's for real."

11:44 a.m.--Coach Eric Mangini is on the podium. He said he thought the morning practice was sharp, although the defense looked better than the offense because of a few late mistakes on the offensive side.

11:18 a.m.--The team has made its way to the locker room after the first practice and coach Eric Mangini will take the podium soon. After watching another practice, the team had another sharp session. Wideout Brian Robiskie and quarterback Jake Delhomme stood out as two of the top players from the morning practice.

Despite overthrowing a deep ball for an interception late in practice, quarterback  Delhomme was sharp in most of the 11-on-11 drills. He led the team up and down the field, and commanded the offense much more effectively than any of the other quarterbacks.

His favorite target of the morning session was second-year wideout Brian Robiskie, who continues to take big strides forward. Robiskie caught a number of balls, including two redzone touchdown receptions. Robiskie also brought down the most impressive catch of the day, leaping over Mike Adams in the corner of the endzone to bring down a perfectly thrown fade route from Delhomme.

"I feel good, but it's still early and we still got a long ways to go," Robiskie said. "For me, I'm excited to come out here. I'm excited to do what I can to help this team, and I think everybody's excited to go to work."

Some have said that wide receiver is a weak point on the roster this season, and one of the big question marks for the offense. That does not seem to faze Robiskie.

"I don't know who's saying it, so I'm not paying attention to it," he said. "I don't listen to that, I just come out and work."

In addition to his emerging role in the offense, Robiskie also continues to be a fan favorite at training camp. Along with fellow wide receivers Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi, the trio signed autographs for about 20 minutes after practice, making their way down the sidelines. Robiskie also ran into the locker room to get some old gloves to hand out to young fans.

10:50 a.m. - At Browns Camp this morning, Brian Robiskie emerging as a top target.. Just had a great grab over Mike Adams in corner of endzone on fade route.  Browns also working on no-huddle offense with music blaring.. 1st team offense looks sharp

8:42 a.m.--The Browns players are making their way to the field for another round of practice. The atmosphere is a little more subdued compared to the weekend crowds, but there is definitely still excitement.

ESPN is at camp today as part of its bus tour to hit every training camp in the NFL this summer. The ESPN bus is at the facility, so the network can run reprts from Berea.

7:22 a.m.-- Mark "Munch" Bishop, of WKNR 850 AM, reports the NFL performed random drug testing on some Cleveland Browns this morning. His source tells him NFL representatives knocked on doors earlier today. The random testing is done as part of the league's drug policy.

Day 2: Aug. 1

5:30 p.m. --The Browns have wrapped up their practice session for Sunday.  The  rushing attack shined and really showed that it will be a major weapon for them down the road. 

The young recievers are improving.  While Brian Robiske was a non-factor in 2009, he has shown some major improvement. There also appears to be good chemistry between Delhomme and Robiske. 

Phil Dawson looked solid in day two, making all seven of his attempts. The longest tenured Brown seems to be getting better

with age. 

We got our first look at first-round pick Joe Haden. Haden was happy to get on the field and showcase his abilities, and he could contribute in a number of ways for the Browns in 2010, from cornerback to special teams. 

4:00 p.m.-Thanks for following along side the blog with us on Twitter. Eric Ristow did a great job today acting as me at training camp on Twitter. My HTC AT&T tilt 2 is NOT twitter friendly on my phone. If you are a tech wiz and have a few ideas for me I would really love it. Here's is the daily quotes from players. We thank our good friends from the Browns media relations staff for printing them out. -Baskin

Browns Player Quotes 8-1-10

Joe Haden

(On getting his contract done and if being in camp is a relief)- “Oh definitely. I haven’t played with my shoulder pads on for a good six, seven months, since our January bowl game It was definitely a relief to finally get the contract done and everything and get out on the field.”

(On the expectations of being a significant contributor)- “Going at the seventh pick, I knew it was going to come. Ever since I’ve been here, I knew the expectations were going to be for me to be on the field and play and be a big part of the team. Ever since I first came with the rookie minicamp I’ve been trying to work hard and show that I deserve to be here. Now that I have the money, I’m just trying to show that I deserve the money too. I’m just trying to work hard and just look at Eric (Wright) and Sheldon (Brown) and talk to Sheldon a lot because he’s been in the league for a long time and he’ll teach me up. Listening to those dudes and try to put what they have into my game.”

(On what he’s been doing to help himself better process information)- “Just studying the stuff when I was off, when we were trying to get the contract and stuff going, I was studying the playbook and trying to figure out what exactly what was going on because as long as I know what’s going on, I can play full speed. That’s the main thing you have to do if you are out there reacting, like going slow, you are a step behind and you’ll get beat. If you know exactly what you are doing, you can start anticipating and then you can start studying the offense and not really studying what you are doing on defense.”

(On if special teams is important to him)- “Oh yes, special teams is real important, especially coming from Florida. Coach (Urban) Meyer had his best players on special teams, so I played every special teams when I was there. It’s a real big part and I know I can definitely contribute on the Browns, as a special teams player.”

Jerome Harrison

(On if he thought he earned the starting running back spot last season)- “One thing that I learned from this league, is don’t expect anything. There’s nothing given to you. After last year was over, it was over. It’s the start of a new year, back to competing for the starting job all over again.”

 

(On the finish they had last year)- “That was a huge finish for us. My offensive line dominated across the board, from tight ends all the way to the backside guard. I think as a unit we performed very well and held each other accountable and got into a good groove and I think after these first couple days of practice I think the offensive line and the tight ends, running backs and the fullback. I think we are ahead of schedule. I think we are on pace and I think we have a real good feel for each other now.”

(On if he ever gets tired of people asking if he can last 16 games)- “I don’t get tired of hearing it. It’s because of my size. That’s just something people write about. I don’t know what the heck it means. When big running backs get hurt, it’s okay, it’s fine, but when a little running back gets hurt, he’s injury prone. You just laugh at stuff like that because it really doesn’t make any sense.”

(On whether the finish he had last season boosted his confidence coming into this year)- “Boost my confidence? No. I always have my own expectations for myself. There’s no man that can set my expectations, or know what I can do, but me. It just felt good to get into groove, I would say, and finally get a chance to go out there and play and know that you are going to be out there with your teammates. I just got into a good groove and just felt good.”

(On what two really good running backs can do for an offense)- “It’s working in the NFL right now. A lot of teams have gone away from just the feature back and most teams, it’s two backs. It can help, but you also have to understand that James Davis looks good. P-man (Peyton Hillis) looks good. We are loaded, Chris Jennings looks good. At practice we have to take advantage of every opportunity we get because we know whoever is behind us or in front of us is a good back. There’s a lot of competition in our room.”

2:38 p.m. - From Andy Baskin at Browns camp in Berea - Peyton Hillis is seeing the most reps from the 2nd unit.

Jake Delhomme very accurate today fitting a lot of passes into tight windows.

Delhomme

and Brian Robiske are showing great chemistry

1:34 p.m. - Andy Baskin at Browns camp having trouble twittering from his phone at Browns camp and hopes to get things corrected shortly.

Drills just started with first round draft pick Joe Haden on the field for the first time as a member of the Browns.

Head Coach Eric Mangini earlier today talked a lot about back up QB Seneca Wallace and the linebackers and we’ll have the complete transcript of Mangini’s press conference shortly
 

1:06 p.m. --Mangini: Rob (Ryan), he lives outside the box. We have a really good relationship, really good understanding.

1:04 p.m. --Mangini: Those lessons from 2009 are valuable and can be carried into the new season.

1:03 p.m. --Mangini said Shaun Rogers will work some at defensive end. "He'll be good at it."

12:58 p.m. --Mangini: no change in approach to QB; Seneca will have chances & happy with his progress.

12:57 p.m. --Coach Eric Mangini said rookie CB Joe Haden ran through his physical last night and will practice today. Haden signed Saturday.

12:54 p.m. --Coach Eric Mangini said players had meetings and lifting sessions this morning at the team's training facility in Berea.

12:52 p.m. --Mangini on Haden: Joe ran his test last night. He has a lot of stuff to catch up on. We’ll try to get him up to speed as fast as we can.

10:14 a.m.--With the Joe Haden deal official, all eyes will be on the Browns first-round pick as he takes part in his first day of camp. Last night, Haden posted this on his Twitter page : "Finally!!!! I will be at camp 2morrow! U might c my carrying shoulder pads after practice pls!"

Day 1: July 31

9:21 p.m.--Joe Haden missed both practices today, and the report is that he needs to pass a physical tomorrow before joining the team in Berea. The hope is that Haden will be in action when the Browns take the field tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., in another session open to the public.

7:55 p.m.--The second practice session has ended without too much excitement. Josh Cribbs looked much improved, working in a number of different sets. He played some wide receiver and also worked in as a wildcat quarterback. One of the big catches of the day belonged to Cribbs, as he out jumped two defenders to haul in a long pass from Seneca Wallace. 

The other big catch came from second-year wideout Mohamed Massoquoi as the Browns were working on offense backed up to their own goaline. Jake Delhomme was playing quarterback, and he tossed a bomb to Massoquoi over the middle, which would have gone for a 98-yard touchdown.

After practice, Colt McCoy and Brian Robiskie were the main attractions for autograph seekers. Fans gave Robiskie "O-H" chants as he made his way over to the crowd, playing up the Ohio State days. Fans flocked to McCoy as he signed autographs, and he garnered a significantly larger audience than the starting quarterback Delhomme, who was signing just a few feet away.

6:23 p.m.--Browns owner Randy Lerner has made an appearance out at camp. He is watching the action and talking with Holmgren. Lerner's appearance at camp might be a surprise to some, as he does not usually show up around the practice field.

5:57 p.m.--No sign of Joe Haden out at practice. Not sure if he is going to make it out to practice at all.

One person who is at practice is team President Mike Holmgren. He is watching practice from the golf cart because of his recent foot surgery, and has driven around the facility to visit with fans and keep an eye on the drills.

5:49 p.m.--Team is out stretching and getting ready to begin the second session of the day.

5:33 p.m.--The team is getting ready to head back on the field for the second practice of the day. It should be the first time that first-round draft pick Joe Haden sees the field, fresh off his new contract signed this afternoon. Check Twitter for updates throughout practice, and there will be more to come later.

4:24 p.m.-- Without question, Colt McCoy is the most popular fourth-string player in Browns training camp. The rookie quarterback from Texas has been a fan favorite since he was drafted in the third round, and that showed Saturday.

Even though he was the fourth quarterback in the rotation to get reps, McCoy drew cheers nearly every time he touched the ball. Once practice was over, he jogged over to the sidelines and was the first player to sign autographs.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” McCoy said. “I really like the atmosphere. In college, we only had one open practice. You come out here and there’s fan screaming and yelling, and it kinda gets your juices flowing, and I like that a lot, I really do.”

As a backup, McCoy does not have the pressure of some previous Browns quarterbacks who were expected to start as soon as they arrived in Cleveland. His focus is more on development, getting a feel for the NFL game, rather than trying to win the starting spot right out of camp.

“I’m learning, I’m working,” he said. I’m watching Jake, I’m watching Seneca. I’m putting on tapes of Drew Brees,