At Friday’s post-practice press conference, Odell Beckham, Jr. made the above statement about when he and Baker Mayfield finally get their timing down. From what I’ve seen on the internet it’s already pretty frightening. If the offensive line gets the time to gel, this offense is unstoppable. Glad to see the Browns are rotating Austin Corbett, Kyle Kalis and Eric Kush, in that order, at the right guard spot. I hope they settle on the starters by the second preseason game to allow the group to work together the rest of the preseason and training camp.
So far Baker Mayfield isn’t satisfied with where the offense is and that’s fine by me. I want my quarterback to want to improve team chemistry with every practice and game. Mayfield gets it and he gets the fans and city of Cleveland. Just watch the video of him shotgunning a beer that he opened with his teeth at Saturday’s Indians game. https://twitter.com/Indians/status/1157818848147628032. By the way, if I owned a dental clinic in Cleveland, I would be handing out business cards this Thursday at the Muni Lot tailgates. There’s gold in them there beer cans.
The national media is ripping Mayfield for yelling at his wide receivers. Oh the humanity. At the same Friday press conference Beckham said, “It’s time to work. When we get on the field, it’s time to work. That’s the General and we’re all the chiefs. If he’s yelling at us to get back to the ball, get back to the ball. There’s no problem with it. He’s trying to get you open so he can make a throw to get you yards. … Like I’ve said when you’ve got a guy like Baker [Mayfield] and the guy that he is, you just want to work for him.” Like Beckham said, it’s going to be scary.
At the Saturday scrimmage, Myles Garrett was again dominating. If you’re an opposing offense, how are you going to stop or even slow this guy down? He’a going to line up on either end and in the middle. I keep thinking of the movie ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ and the football game scenes where the character Charles Jefferson, played by Forest Whitaker, thinks the opposing team wrecked his car and he destroys them. This could be Myles Garrett during every game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYV5f0Aqo4w.
Glad to see Coach Freddie Kitchens is having a hard hitting, physical training camp. When the season opens, this team will have toughness. How many season openers have we seen this team not be ready to play? How about 1-18-1 many times. That’s the Browns record in season openers since 1999. No wonder the national media is predicting the titans to win week one. And here in Nashville, sports talk radio is already talking about the week two home opener against Andrew Luck and the Colts. Also happy to see the “Tour De Berea” is gone. No more riding stationary bikes off in the distance. If your injured, you still dress out. You might work with a trainer, but you’re still participating in team activities.
Some training camp tidbits: Sione Takitaki comes to play everyday. The rookie draft pick is physical and hard hitting. The other rookie LB draft pick Mack Wilson looks like he’s starting to understand playing in the NFL and showing promise. I think Takitaki starts on special teams and Wilson will back up Kirksey. Defensive lineman Daniel Ekuale is starting to flash in camp as well. I bet DC Steve Wilks likes having two veteran corners, Terrance Mitchell and T.J. Carrie he can bring in nickle and dime packages, both are playing well. The Browns signed some depth, or another training camp body, in former TheOSU DL Tracy Sprinkle.
On offense, Kareem Hunt has been cleared to play and WR Derrick Willies is having a great camp. For once I’m not worried about the wide receiver position group. RB Dontrell Hilliard is making the most of his opportunities with Duke Johnson out. TE Pharaoh Brown is intriguing to me. Very athletic and good route runner. The cuts on this team are going to be really interesting if this team stays healthy through the preseason. And by healthy I mean Seth Devalve. No matter how much you like a player, availability is the best ability.
I saved the worst till last, the kicking game. At punter, it’s got to be Britton Colquitt, not the “Scottish Hammer.” I want my punter to have played football almost all his life. As for the kicker, I never thought Greg Joseph would survive the competition from the fifth round pick Austin Seibert, but he has and is kicking better, a lot better. I don’t mind Dorsey using a fifth rounder on a kicker, I just wish it was Matt Gay from Utah that Tampa Bay selected. That kid will win them some games this year.
Some non football news. The Indians got who for Trevor Bauer? The Indians got OF Yasiel Puig, P Scott Moss; (From Padres) OF Franmil Reyes, P Logan Allen and IF/OF Victor Nova. They only gave up Bauer. No front line prospects, only Bauer. The two who are in the line up now are Puig and Reyes. Puig is a one year rental and the Indians retain Reyes for a couple of years. By the way, Reyes is the same size as Myles Garrett. If Corey Kluber can return to form, the rotation of Kluber, Bieber, Plesac and Clevinger is pretty strong. Not sure about Plutko, but I like what I saw from Civale’s one start and he goes against Texas Monday night. Houston was the best team in the American league before the trade deadline and only got better.
Finally, I guess it’s game week. I know it’s preseason game one, a glorified practice. But on Thursday, I’ll still wake up and wear Browns gear to work and count the hours till kick off. I’ll still dial up the game on the internet and watch it illegally. As all Browns fans who don’t live near Cleveland know, this is our weekly ritual. Gear up on Friday and watch on the laptop or devise on Sunday through various websites or streaming services. I do know, even though game one versus the titans will be on local television, my wife and I will be in a packed bar here in Nashville watching the game with the rest of the Middle Tennessee Browns Backers. GO BROWNS.