The Cleveland Browns began organized team activity practices this week, marking the final phase of their offseason program that concludes with a mid-June mandatory minicamp. Previous phases included on-field workouts and many common practice drills but no offense versus defense situations.
Wednesday’s second OTA practice was the first open to reporters, so here’s a little of what I witnessed, which players I saw and what it might all mean — and mostly doesn’t mean — at this stage.
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1. I didn’t expect to see much
Around the team’s Berea, Ohio, training facility, “low expectations” is not a phrase you’ll hear. The Browns are darn close to being all in on right now, the season ahead and this roster. But that’s why I didn’t expect much from a voluntary practice that many of the team’s best players didn’t attend.
Deshaun Watson is a part of things, and he’s in the front of every line. But Watson is still rehabbing a significant shoulder injury, and he wasn’t throwing Wednesday because he threw in drills during the first practice Tuesday. Watson’s goal for something close to full clearance is the start of training camp in approximately nine weeks, so Jameis Winston is the first quarterback in team drills.
These are non-contact, time-restricted practices that are much more instructional than competitive. The Browns seemed to keep a good pace in trying to maximize the 90 or so minutes, but a whole lot of major progress probably wasn’t made — nor should any conclusions be drawn from the second of 10 scripted and limited practices.
More than anything, Cleveland wants its rookies and new players to catch up so that by the end of minicamp, the folks in charge can make evaluations and decisions based on who’s on schedule, who’s not and which areas might need an external upgrade.
GO DEEPERAs Browns begin OTAs, a quick glance at the schedule, the early QB situation and more2. We’re watching Watson, of course
Watson’s health and ability to play consistently well are the inarguable keys to the Browns having a high enough ceiling to become an AFC contender. And even if Watson looks and feels good in July and August, we won’t know how things will go until much later in the regular season. So this waiting game is just a different version of the one the Browns have played with Watson for the past two years.
Nick Chubb is still rehabbing his knee injuries. For various reasons, most of the offensive line is not participating this May. Amari Cooper and David Njoku weren’t there Wednesday, and ahead of the final year of his contract and age-30 season, there’s no reason for Cooper to do much of anything for a while.
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Eventually, we’ll get a read on how Watson is clicking with Cooper, new wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Watson has been throwing for more than a month now with the aforementioned goal of shedding restriction by late summer.
“I think (Watson has) looked like himself to me,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I’ve been able to watch him the last couple weeks now that we’ve gotten into phase two (of the offseason program). So, I’ve seen him throw. He’s making great progress, and we will continue to just follow the medical team on this. But he looks like himself.
“We’re rotating days for now. That will change as we get into minicamp and obviously when you get into training camp, but for right now, he’ll be throwing every other day.”
Watson spent much of Wednesday’s practice next to or in the vicinity of Dorsey. With second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the field but not participating while he works back from a hip injury, Winston and Tyler Huntley did all the passing Wednesday. With Cooper and Elijah Moore absent, Jeudy and Cedric Tillman were first up in the wide receiver lines.
The Browns aren’t making any of the quarterbacks available to reporters until later in the spring.
placement on another level 😮 @Jaboowins | #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/dqdE8vwzoZ
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 22, 2024
3. Yes, parts of it resembled an actual practice
Winston still has a rocket for an arm. Huntley short-armed a few but threw a couple of impressive ones. New wide receiver Jalen Camp dropped one in the middle of the field but caught one later for a red zone touchdown.
There were a couple of competitive seven-on-seven periods, the second of which took place in a red zone setting. One thing to remember in processing what happens in OTA practices is that while it’s early and the timing between passer and catcher is sometimes off, the wide receivers should look good because the defense isn’t allowed to put hands on them.
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Michael Woods II got a couple of red zone targets Wednesday. A 2022 sixth-round pick, Woods missed all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon, then landed on the reserve/non-football injury list for a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. But he’s participating now, and Woods is a big enough target that he shouldn’t be dismissed in the coming months. We know what the top of the receiving corps should look like when all involved are present and healthy, but there’s uncertainty in the middle and at the back of the group.
There weren’t a bunch of big catches or notable throws, but rookie linebacker Nathaniel Watson ended practice with a diving interception that led to the entire defense following him to the other end of the field to celebrate. Whether the celebration was more about one play or the end of practice is open to interpretation.
Bookie end zone INT on the last play of the day!! 😱@Nathaniel_ATH | #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/bwIIPBLaC0
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 22, 2024
I’m anxious to see more of Tillman, and I believe the folks in charge are, too. He showed some glimpses as a rookie but never really had a big moment (or series of them). Deshaun Watson has a rapport with Cooper, who has shown he can get open almost anywhere. Jeudy will get his touches and try to gain the quarterback’s trust, but if Tillman can start as a chain-mover and eventually become a consistent threat on the outside, the whole offense should benefit.
I wonder how much Cleveland can gain from not having its starting quarterback fully involved in these sessions, but young players getting extra reps can only help later evaluations. In a few weeks, we should be able to make more fair and complete observations on how the offense looks with Dorsey involved. But for now, we’re pretty much seeing the basics.
4. Expectations should be high
There were lots of times when the first open OTA practice felt like the first day of school — and years away from the finish. Not anymore.
The Browns aren’t rebuilding anything. Patience is required with some injury situations even outside the quarterback position, and the roster isn’t loaded at every spot. But the Browns have talent and experience. For much of last year, the coaching staff was pretty good at keeping things together through changing circ*mstances.
Like Chubb, new running back Nyheim Hines is also working back from a torn ACL. Hines said he expects to be fully cleared right around the start of full training camp in late July. With Chubb’s timetable still uncertain, it’s fair to wonder how things will sort themselves out in the quarterback room. But the Browns added D’Onta Foreman and Hines to Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. to give themselves options regardless of how things go with Chubb.
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Most of the starting defensive line was absent Wednesday. This time of year is more for the development of young players anyway. All the Browns want from Myles Garrett is for him to be hungry and healthy come September. Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson Jr. and Greg Newsome II make up what’s probably the NFL’s best cornerback trio, and all three were practicing Wednesday.
Offensive tackles Jack Conklin, Jedrick Wills Jr. and Dawand Jones are working back from knee injuries. Conklin won’t return until the summer. Wills was at practice Wednesday but just watched with a wrap on his knee. Jones was first up at right tackle for walk-throughs and early drills, but he’s still sporting a brace on his right knee and didn’t participate in team drills. Hakeem Adeniji, one of the team’s new veterans, played right tackle with the first offense while James Hudson III played left tackle. Veteran Germain Ifedi worked at left guard with the second group.
Though he’s not yet fully participating, veteran defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II (pectoral) was on the field Wednesday. Veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith was there, too. After practice, Smith said he had interest from other teams — he named the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders specifically — but said he chose to re-sign with the Browns just a few hours after the market opened because he believes they’ve built something special.
“I see something in this team a lot of people don’t see … the team camaraderie,” Smith said. “If we keep that togetherness, we can go far this year.”
Smith said he’s been impressed by new defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire, but he jokingly noted that Cesaire did not have any snacks waiting for the defensive linemen in their positional meeting room Wednesday morning, something Smith said he plans to address.
It’s early for everyone, and the big guys have to eat.
(Photo: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)
Zac Jackson is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Cleveland Browns. He is also the host of the "A to Z" podcast alongside Andre Knott. Previously, Zac covered the Browns for Fox Sports Ohio and worked for Pro Football Talk. Follow Zac on Twitter @AkronJackson
