Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 5 (Morning) - Braylon Edwards Returns

by Chris Pokorny on Aug 5, 2009 2:11 PM EDT in 2009 Training Camp Comment 50 comments

Cleveland Browns WR Braylon Edwards made his debut in training camp on Day 5. He didn't disappoint.

After missing the first four days of training camp with an "undisclosed" injury, Cleveland Browns WR Braylon Edwards returned to the team for Day 5 of training camp. Did he make an impact during his first practice session since last year?

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 5 [MORNING] (8/5/09)

All Eyes on No. 17: You couldn't help but notice the Browns' No. 1 receiver back on the field. Assuming everything goes right, this is encouraging news that he should be able to participate in the preseason games. It also gave Eric Mangini some time to look at some of the value we can get from the other receivers on the roster this season. Edwards looked good in his first practice, and also had the catch of the day. On a pass to the left corner of the end zone from QB Derek Anderson, Edwards peeled the ball off of the helmet of CB Gerard Lawson for a touchdown.
Doerschuk on Edwards: Usually I leave the links for the bottom of these posts, but I'll cite this one here. In the link, Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository has a nice small blog on how things looked to be fine between Mangini and Edwards.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and his father, Buddy Ryan, evaluating the defense.

Goal Line Drill for Quinn: Today, the team ran goal line drills, and Tony Grossi of the Plain Dealer gave the details for each QB. First, let's start with Quinn, who worked with the first team. The first two plays saw Jamal Lewis get stuffed. On the third play, Quinn ran a playaction fake and lofted the ball to FB Lawrence Vickers for a touchdown.
Goal Line Drill for Anderson: Anderson had to work with the second team offense. On the first play, Anderson scored on a bootleg touchdown run. On the second play, RB James Davis was stopped by a swarm of defenders. Finally, Anderson was sacked on a rollout on the third play by DL Corey Williams. There might have been more goal line drills for both quarterbacks.
Wimbley at Tight End? During Anderson's drill, Grossi noted that LB Kamerion Wimbley lined up at tight end on the play Davis ran on.
Lawson's Roster Chances: Doerschuk believes that second-year CB Gerard Lawson has a good shot at making the team. Not because he is a good cornerback, but because he is the "fastest player on the team" and is good on special teams.
Mack With the Pancake: It happens. The OBR reports that C Alex Mack was able to pancake DT Shaun Rogers. Daniel Wolf of Dawg Scooper notes that Rogers manhandled Mack on more than one occasion, and believes the rookie still has quite a bit of work to do.

CB Brandon McDonald breaks up a pass for WR Jordan Norwood.

Robiskie's Reps Lessened: Grossi noticed that the reps of WR Mohamed Massaquoi and WR Paul Hubbard seemed to increase, while the reps of WR Brian Robiskie decreased. Quinn was intercepted by DB Coye Francies when a ball bounced off of Massaquoi as he was going to the ground for the catch.
Low Key on Harrison: This has not been the "pimpage" camp for Jerome Harrison. Wolf also noted that Harrison had a few short gains, while RB James Davis continued to excel.
Still Nothing Special: The quarterbacks still aren't showing anything that makes fans go "wow, this guy is really good". Maybe the return of a star receiver in Edwards will help the quarterbacks due to the spectacular plays he can make. If one quarterback was to be favored in that aspect though, I think it would be Anderson.

The Browns will be featured on Sirius NFL Radio from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST. Unfortunately, I won't be able to give live play-by-play of the segments like I have the past two years. The team will be having their evening session later tonight. Be sure to check out Dawg Scooper's thoughts again -- another good, personable read.

Wednesday's Evening Link Collection / Camp Sources

Training Camp Report: Wednesday AM Report (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
Braylon Edwards shines in first practice (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)
Day 5 practice notes (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)
Tucker encouraged; Mangini noncommittal on Stallworth (Canton Repository, Doerschuk)
Relaxed, Happy Braylon Edwards Speaks (Orange and Brown Report, King)
Five Questions: John St. Clair (Official Team Site, Florjancic)

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Comments

DA was the scapegoat for last year’s lousy team. I hope he starts. We all saw what happens when he gets help on the field.

by Brownie's Year on Aug 5, 2009 3:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

DA played some very bad games last year. He couldn’t come within 10 yards of receivers on some plays, and his accuracy was bad in general. Braylon didn’t help him out by dropping some key balls, and the line wasn’t as good as in 2007, true.

But the mantra is “do your job”, and DA’s was to to throw the ball to the receivers and to lead the offense, and he didn’t do either. He threw inaccurate balls and showed mental fragility—displaying poor body language and letting his attitude drop when faced with adversity.

The man has strengths and had made the pro bowl, but he didn’t play well last year and blaming our deficiencies entirely on other parts of the offense is a joke. He deserves a shot at the job, but it isn’t going to be an automatic 10-6 if the rest of the offense plays up to their talent and we start DA.

by rufio on Aug 5, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I heard the reason steptoe was hurt a few days ago was because a 15 yard pass from DA was thrown so hard it broke his ribs

by BradyQuinnisBeast on Aug 5, 2009 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

DA was truly horrible in the Redskins game

by Roger Dorn on Aug 5, 2009 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And the Ravens game

by Bernie19Kosar on Aug 5, 2009 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am just bitter because I sat in the 20 degree weather in awful seats and watched the biggest stink bomb of the year. We would have won with average passing. I told my brothers before the game that DA would struggle because it was a little windy

by Roger Dorn on Aug 6, 2009 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed. Although I’m not really sure he deserves a shot at the job.

by Ryan Kelsey on Aug 5, 2009 11:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think he does for two reasons:
1. 2007
~~and~~
2. Quinn hasn’t dramatically outplayed him. Quinn was great in the game that he was healthy last year (Broncos), and DA was great in the Giants game. That’s a wash in my mind. The reports out of camp have been that the QB play is equally decent or that DA has been slightly better.

I do think that if Quinn is given extended time he will play like he did in the Broncos game (65% completion %, 2 TD, 0 INT, very good pocket movement, succeeding despite a few drops and offensive penalties) and he would outplay DA. I also think he should earn the job.

by rufio on Aug 6, 2009 1:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think one thing we need to consider about DA which I alluded to above, is that he has yet to play a good game when the weather conditions are not ideal. His best games as a pro have all been in clear sky, warm weather games. I am thinking of the Cincy and Seattle games in 2007, and the Giants game last year. His biggest suck-fests are always when the weather gets worse. This is something that we need to think about, even if Anderson looks good in the preseason when it’s warm.

by Roger Dorn on Aug 6, 2009 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Definitely, but everyone is going to look bad in poor weather. The question is if he will look as bad as BQ and/or as bad as the opposing QB. The Colts’ game last year looked windy, and DA didn’t play well but neither did Peyton. I don’t think the Denver game was windy, and that’s the only real action we can judge Quinn on.

by rufio on Aug 6, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My point is that I feel that DA is the worst in the league in windy/cold weather. It’s not even fair to look at his training camp ability, because he is so much worse when it is windy. Quinn did not play all that great in the Buffalo game which had bad conditions.

by Roger Dorn on Aug 6, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

bad conditions, up to and including a shattered index finger on his throwing hand.

i agree with you…when the chips are down, so is anderson. the cincy game in ‘07, which essentially cost us the playoffs, was one of the worst games i’ve seen a qb play (including jeff garcia’s full-game 0.0 rating)

by DontCallMeJoey on Aug 6, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

2007 needs to be thrown out. He had a offensive line playing amazing and very healthy. Edwards was playing incredibly and Winslow and Jurevicious were the most reliable of any receiver I’ve seen.

He accumulated a lot of yards against some very bad defenses in some perfect conditions when everything else around him was going absolutely perfectly. And at the first sign of a bumpy road, well, he looked like Derek Anderson.

by Ryan Kelsey on Aug 6, 2009 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t know if Quinn is the answer to our prayers.

But I know Anderson is not. He doesn’t have the demeanor I want in my QB. And he is terribly inaccurate, even when EVERYTHING is going perfectly (i.e. 17th in the league during 2007 in QB rating and 28th in completion %, despite everyhting going right).

by Ryan Kelsey on Aug 6, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You can’t just throw out a whole year of the guy’s career because you think the rest of the team played well. That’s as ridiculous as the people who blame DA’s 2008 season purely on the supporting cast.

Regardless of what the other people on the field are doing, you have to do your job as a QB for the team to succeed. Nobody threw it for him. Players make plays, and DA made a bunch of them in 2007.

Demeanor and other intangibles are a clear strike against DA. I do not agree with those who say that just because a player seems happy and not MJ-esque, ultra competitive, I want to kill the other team type of guys that they can’t be good. The problem as I see it with DA is NOT that he is a fun-loving guy who plays happy and stays away from that Kobe/MJ attitude but that he changes that attitude once the chips are down. If you are a loose guy who plays happy and you go away from that, you’ll do worse.

Braylon still dropped a lot of balls in 07, and k2 still had a bunch of pass interference calls. The defense was still terrible.

I am a Quinn man myself, but I believe he needs to earn the job.

by rufio on Aug 6, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The other side to my argument is that, even at his best and when the team was at their best, he underperformed. In the bottom half in QB rating and completion percentage.

Also, while the happy/loose type player may be acceptable, even preferred by some, that isn’t what I’m talking about with DA. He seemed actually uninterested at times last year (Colts game before injury, sticks out. After handing the ball off, he was actually chatting with guys on the Indy bench as the play was going on/ending). He looses focus. And when the lost focus combines with his lack of accuracy at all times, you get historically terribly games (like @Cincy 07).

At absolute BEST, I’m saying DA is an ok backup. It is because of this assessment that I don’t think he deserves a shot.

Maybe Quinn needs to “earn” the job. But that has to do with Quinn and not DA. He is just the guy that happens to be the next best option. And as long as Quinn gets up in the morning, I think he has met his challenge.

by Ryan Kelsey on Aug 6, 2009 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Completion % is not the be all end all stat for “underperforming”, I think it is clear that DA could still get high Yards Per Attempt even if he didn’t hit on a high percentage of passes.

At his absolute best, DA made the Pro Bowl, led the new Browns to within tiebreakers of their 2nd playoff appearance, and their best regular season record ever. That’s more like top-8 in the league and less like “ok backup”.

Quinn earning the job has a lot to do with DA: he needs to compete against DA to win. If DA does well in the competition, Quinn has to do better. So far a variety of reports say that neither one has outplayed the other. That’s hardly convincing for Quinn, who I thought would have had the job locked up by now.

I do not believe DA will end up being consistent enough to win the job, and I do believe Quinn can be the franchise QB. I do not believe Quinn has proven himself more capable than DA to this point, which is exactly what I would like to see him do.

by rufio on Aug 7, 2009 3:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He made the pro bowl because a few more established (and deserving) guys decided not to go. I don’t think he was anywhere near the top 8 in the league.

I do agree on Quinn, his performance in camp has been reportedly underwhelming. I too figured we would be past this conversation by this point.

by Ryan Kelsey on Aug 8, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

1. Rob Ryan needs to grow a playoff beard. No playoffs: no shave.

2. Does anyone remember Braylon catching the fade-stop route for a TD in a preseason game last year before he got his ankle sliced open? I want that Braylon back. Good to hear he is making progress.

by rufio on Aug 5, 2009 3:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It is nice to see but I’m not jumping up and down when he makes good catches in training. It’s Braylon Edwards, everyone knows what he can do. It’s about whether he actually does what we know he can do come game time.

by skipkirk on Aug 5, 2009 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m worried about our QB play. If someone doesn’t step it up, our running game won’t have enough behind it to make up for its deficiencies.

by Rocland on Aug 5, 2009 4:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Maybe I have missed it, but everytime I read about Jamal Lewis, it is about him getting stuffed.

Am I the only person that thinks that Jamal could be cut before the start of the season? RB’s are easy enough to find.

One of the QB’s needs to step and take this job. I don’t care which one, but they need to step it up ASAP.

I know that Mack is going 1 on 1 with the greatest NT in the NFL, but I am not happy reading that he seems to be struggling on a daily basis. The reason I loved him coming out of Cal was that I thought he was game ready from Day 1. I hope it is more Roger being a bad ass than Mack not being as ready as we thought.

Has anyone heard anything positive about Rucker?

by Bernie19Kosar on Aug 5, 2009 5:28 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Im interested to see what RBs Denver cuts, because Torain might not make their roster, and we remember him well

by BradyQuinnisBeast on Aug 5, 2009 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Any rookie that can pancake Rogers, even once, is a man’s man. I bet even Rogers would tell you that. Let Rogers take the kid to school during the pre season, it’ll make the kid more experienced.

featuring the curses of Bobby Bragan and Rocky Colavito

by elsandito on Aug 5, 2009 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

by tjk_doc on Aug 6, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I really hope Jamal gets cut before the start of the season, but I don’t see it happening.

by Ryan Kelsey on Aug 5, 2009 11:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s pretty harsh, lol. Wouldn’t a simple demotion be better than cutting him?

Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.

by Chris Pokorny on Aug 6, 2009 12:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think so. What is there to gain by keeping him? I guess some sort of vetrany leadership for Davis and Harrison, but I don’t put a lot of stock into that. If he gets his carries cut, I’m sure he won’t agree with it. I don’t know how he’ll handle such a demotion, but I don’t really care. He isn’t very good.

I’d like to see him cut whenever would make the maximizing saving/minimum salary cap impact.

The guy is washed up.

And I don’t think I’m’ being harsh.

by Ryan Kelsey on Aug 6, 2009 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He can still move the rock. He isn’t what he used to be but he’s better than anyone Denver is going to cut or anyone else out there on paper.

I wouldn’t mind drafting someone early next year, but Jamal can be serviceable this year, especially if Davis and Harrison keep him fresh.

by rufio on Aug 6, 2009 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I still think Torain is good

by BradyQuinnisBeast on Aug 6, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He’s solid, but are you going to cut Lewis to sign him? Lewis should still be solid at this point, and Torain hasn’t even played a full 16 games.

Lewis isn’t getting younger, but if he didn’t have anything left Mangini would have already signed someone else and potentially cut him.

by rufio on Aug 7, 2009 3:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he’s better than anyone Denver is going to cut or anyone else out there on paper

On paper, of course. If we are talking about current skill, then I don’t think he edges any other replacement RB out there. And if so, only be a hair. In the end, he is probably the most realistic option for this year, but going into the season I feel worse about our RB situation than just about any other position on the team.

Still, I think the difference between the bottom 95% of NFL RB’s is minimal, so it probably isn’t much to get upset about.

Also, I’m semi-excited about Davis.

by Ryan Kelsey on Aug 6, 2009 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If I remember correctly didn’t Jamal have minor surgery to correct a foot problem? Isn’t it possible that slowed him down a bit last year? I’ve heard that Jamal is in great shape and taking care of his body to get him through another tough season.

I think he will suprise a lot of you guys with what he is going to do this year.

A better line, good backs ups to give him a rest and motivation to not be replaced and a healthy set of wheels puts him over 1000 yards easily.

Fooootball has been beary beary good to me.

by doggrad87 on Aug 7, 2009 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It isn’t about the yards (he had 1000 last year in a relatively bad year), its about the ypc and the success in short yardage situations. 3.6ypc isn’t going to cut it. The line wasn’t great, K2 didn’t feel like blocking for a chunk of the year, and for the last 4 weeks we had absolutely no passing threat to keep safeties out of the box.

I do believe he has something left—especially if we are only talking about this year—but he isn’t going to run forever. Unless Davis or Harrison can make it as a small full time back in the NFL at 205lbs and probably about 210lbs, we are going to need another guy soon.

by rufio on Aug 7, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Am I the only person that thinks that Jamal could be cut before the start of the season?

yes

by DontCallMeJoey on Aug 6, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re: Mack, as somebody said before, nobody can handle Rogers 1-on-1.

As to the QB’s, I’m gonna try to not take these early sessions too seriously. I’m just not ready to start the Ratliff watch. Everyone is learning a new system (again) and they are dealing with a lot of young receivers. But if things don’t start clicking by next week then it could be another long, ugly season.

I don’t think there’s been much said about Rucker anywhere beyond a vague reference to him catching a pass or two. Maybe Mangini is trying to see if his blocking is up to snuff?

by JustBob on Aug 5, 2009 5:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Could have sworn I hit the reply button. Must be time for my nap.

by JustBob on Aug 5, 2009 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Chris – is Quinn really this average-to-sucky, or (perhaps) do you have a slight Anderson bias???

by joeee on Aug 5, 2009 6:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I know that Quinn had one pass to Mogwai Massacre and it bounced off his stomach and was intercepted

by BradyQuinnisBeast on Aug 5, 2009 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are we jumpin’ on the Mogwai Massacre bandwagon now? haha

by skipkirk on Aug 5, 2009 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m merely conveying the thoughts of the media and the fans in attendance who are reporting.

I’ll be able to make my own opinion/bias this Sunday at the stadium, and throughout the preseason. In the past I’ve felt that people were too hard on Anderson at times, but I don’t feel an obligation bias towards him over Quinn.

Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.

by Chris Pokorny on Aug 5, 2009 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Look forward to it.

by joeee on Aug 5, 2009 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wimbley at TE. Anyone have more info on that? If it was a trick play, I wonder if it could really trick.

by skipkirk on Aug 5, 2009 7:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It sounds like he was just in as a blocker on a regular running play. I assume he’d have the quickness to slip out into the flat for a goal line catch as a tight end, if Mangini decides to go that route in a special package.

Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.

by Chris Pokorny on Aug 5, 2009 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was the real deal for about a dozen plays by my count while I was there witnessing it live.

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by theW0LF on Aug 5, 2009 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mike Vrabel.

by rufio on Aug 6, 2009 1:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

…as I totally ignored the comment below…

by rufio on Aug 6, 2009 1:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don’t worry. I almost ignored yours and his and was about to throw my Vrabel two cents in there.

by SpecialBrownie on Aug 6, 2009 7:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am still blown away with seeing Wimbley at TE, but then I thought of how LB Mike Vrabel was used as a TE for the Pats.

Vrabel caught a few TDs too…maybe that’s in Wimbley’s future too.

Mangini has been outspoken with how he will use Wimbley in many different formations, but who would have thought one of those formations would be at TE.

(Thank you for the kind words Chris!)

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by theW0LF on Aug 5, 2009 8:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs