After the news regarding Ryan Tucker, the Browns still had two practice sessions scheduled for today. The morning practice was very light with no pads involved. The team worked numerous drills rather than the usual type of things they've been doing the past several days, so it's difficult to have any notes on specific players. Maybe these drills will be put into play during the evening practice, when everybody should be back in pads.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 8 [MORNING] (8/3/07)

1. 
2. QB Keepers: The team worked on quarterback sneak drills down near the goal line. The emphasis would focus on the best part of the line for the QB to push towards, and the technique involved in doing so.
3. Miracle Plays: With "no time remaining on the clock", the Browns worked on laterals. You know what I'm talking about; the type of things that get you excited at some point near the end of a game when your team is losing, only to see the defense recover a fumble or see a flag thrown for an illegal forward pass. Still, they practice it for a reason: miracles do happen.
4. Hard Count: Do you ever get sick of seeing Romeo Crennel send the team back on the field for a 4th-and-1, and the only thing that our quarterback does is run up to the line and deliver a hard count before calling a timeout, just in case the defense will jump offsides? The Browns worked on that this morning.
5. Instructions: As I stated in the introduction, this practice was not intended for any specific players to shine. Crennel was often giving instructions to the entire team, which would make it hard for fans to know what was being said from a distance.

Bank on the evening session being a normal type of practice.

With Day 7 of training camp, several wide receivers were able to take advantage of a situation to make an impression on the coaches. What was the reasoning behind that? Read on and you'll find out...

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 7 (8/2/07)

1. No Rain Today: Although a massive downpour came out of no where to flood the streets of Downtown Cleveland during the afternoon, not a drop appeared to fall on Berea. The heat still played a factor in fatigue today, especially during the hottest part of the day.
2. 
3. Injuries Piling Up: The injury report is quickly growing after Orpheus Roye's announcement of surgery (which was successful this morning). Isaac Sowells and Jason Wright sat out of practice after feeling dizzy as a result of collisions from Wednesday's practice. The biggest news involved wide receiver Tim Carter, who sat out practice with a tight hamstring. Carter was busy jogging and playing catch with a trainer in the mean time.
4. Priest Holmes Leap: Remember when Priest Holmes was healthy a few years ago, and was known for making crazy dives into the end zone on a regular basis? The Browns weren't going to take things that far today, but they did work on drills where running backs dive into the end zone. The backs were diving over trash cans and landing on a mat in the end zone. While Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison seemed to complete the drill fine, some of the youngsters on the roster didn't appear quite comfortable yet.
5. 
6. Bulked Up: Maybe a little more bulk is just the thing that Jerome Harrison needed to be taken more seriously by the coaching staff. Harrison had a tremendous practice today behind the first- and second-unit offensive lines. Harrison took it the distance twice - once with each unit - behind strong blocks from the fullbacks and left side of the offensive line. On both occasions, he basically went in untouched. One negative though: he fumbled the ball at least once, possibly twice.
7. Changing it Up: After is seemed like the Browns were slowly giving Joe Thomas more time with the first team and shifting Kevin Shaffer over to right tackle, the Browns mixed it up today. Most of the time, the Browns' first unit featured Shaffer at left tackle and Ryan Tucker at right tackle.
8. Efrem Hill: We haven't heard much from Efrem Hill in camp, but he had a big day today. Hill did a fine job making catches while keeping his feet in bounds near the sidelines. He also made a nice over-the-shoulder reception from Ken Dorsey over Daven Holly.
9. 
10. Daily Wilson: Maybe Wilson is getting the message finally, because these reports are starting to get positive. After making a few touchdown receptions yesterday, Wilson made some great catches today, including an instance where he came back to the ball on a pass from Frye. If Tim Carter's injury becomes anything serious, then Wilson is clicking at the right time.
11. Don't Neglect Josh: Don't forget about Joshua Cribbs just yet, after hearing about Wilson and Hill. Cribbs was the person to take Carter's spot in the lineup today, and he looked fine with the exception of one miscommunication with Frye. Cribbs also worked on practicing as a gunner on kick returns.
12. Expecting More: Sure, Braylon Edwards has the potential to be the best wide receiver on the team. The drops need to stop if he wants to live up to that billing; another poor day for Edwards considering he was a high first-round draft pick two years ago.
13. Iffy Again: No one is leaping ahead in the competition at quarterback still, as the same old stories continue. Derek Anderson bulleted a nice pass to Kellen Winslow in double- or triple-coverage for his highlight of the day. Frye's highlight was an "underthrown" ball that Wilson made a nice adjustment on.
14. Set in Stone: After another great day of practice, the Browns secondary on August 11th should feature Eric Wright and Leigh Bodden at the corners, and Sean Jones and Brodney Pool at the safeties. Pool and Wright are exceeding expectations in camp. With the second unit, Justin Hamilton will fill one of the backup roles without question.
15. Flip a Coin: We may not be able to read much into who starts at QB against the Kansas City Chiefs in a little over a week. Romeo Crennel stated that he may night announce the decision until gameday, and that it won't necessarily have a bearing on who is the favorite at the time.
16. Big Men: When Ted Washington and Shaun Smith are on the defensive line at the same time, it's a sight to see in terms of size. The combination was able to do a decent job against our running game, and they were not the men that allowed Harrison to walk all over them.
17. Baxter Update: In case you're wondering, Gary Baxter is still doing individual drills only. He has not joined the regular defensive guys yet.

Tomorrow should be cooler for the Browns, but could a thunderstorm put a stop to one of the sessions?

After learning that the defensive line took a hit this morning when Orpheus Roye's surgery was announced, the team had their second practice session of the day.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 6 [EVENING] (8/1/07)

1. Shorter Practice: Whether it be the long day in the heat or just finishing ahead of schedule, practice ended a little bit early for Romeo Crennel and the troops in the evening session. The attendance was lower for the evening session than it was in the morning.
2. Quinn Holdout: If you're Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson, you have to be loving the fact that Brady Quinn is still in a holdout and is showing no signs of signing any time soon. Whoever wins the quarterback competition will have a better chance of starting 16 games this season if Quinn's holdout continues any longer.
3. O-Line Depth: Granted, an injury to a top offensive lineman would hurt the Browns, but not as much as it would on the defensive line. If one of our tackles get injured, Kelly Butler has been in top form, including a few matchups against Willie McGinest in the night session.
4. Mike Adams: According to the OBR, safety Mike Adams has a knack for getting downfield quickly on kick and punt returns. Excelling on special teams will win a few guys some roster spots this season.
5. QB Derby: During the late session, both quarterbacks improved from the morning. Derek Anderson hit Braylon Edwards and Joe Jurevicius very nicely on routes that would've been past the first down marker. Meanwhile, Charlie Frye made a very good throw to Kellen Winslow over linebackers in coverage on a seam route. Once again, there was not a clear winner, but Anderson may lose the job from staring down his receivers too often still. Since both quarterbacks stepped up their play, the evening session could be considered the best practice that the offense has had in all of camp.
6. Player of the Day: Safety Brodney Pool is taking over for Brian Russell this season, and he had a great day of practice overall on Wednesday. Pool batted down several passes and is starting to look more like a natural safety.
7. Tidbits: Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson broke up a pass intended for Steve Heiden. Linebacker Kellen Winslow was back on the field after getting a break in the morning session.

Not a lot of notes from the evening session, as you can see. Things may pick up today with only one practice in the afternoon. Also, don't forget that Sirius NFL Radio will be in Berea today, starting at 10:00 AM. Sirius will be there for five hours, and I hope to take some notes from their broadcast.

The sixth day or training camp didn't come without the first major injury of camp, and it involves a player that I clearly stated I was concerned about a few days ago: Orpheus Roye. Roye is going to have some cartilage cleaned out of his left knee Thursday morning, a surgery that should keep him out for about four weeks. The team still hopes that he'll be back in time for the opener against the Steelers. In the mean time, Shaun Smith is going to start taking some more reps at defensive end, as he may be needed there now. Let the turmoil begin.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 6 (8/1/07)

1. Air Conditioner: While half of you that read this are probably enjoying an air-conditioned environment, guys like myself, the players and coaches at camp, and the fans at camp are roasting at temperatures are probably hitting highs for the 2007 summer. At least the team didn't have an afternoon practice today, but they'll be suffering through one tomorrow.
2. 
3. Daily Wilson: In one of Travis Wilson's first few cuts of the day, he slipped and fell down. Wilson later walked off the field, stretched, and started watching only. Wilson did have one nice catch during practice, a touchdown reception from Derek Anderson over cornerback Eric Wright. If Wilson sticks around, it'll solely be based on the fact that coaches don't want to give up on a third-round pick so soon.
4. NFL Officials: Some NFL officials were at camp today to simulate more of a real game atmosphere in relation to penalties. "Offsides" was called a few times during the practice.
5. Best Rookie: The best rookie of camp continues to be Eric Wright. Early on in the practice, Wright batted down a pass from Derek Anderson and then intercepted a pass from Ken Dorsey. Wright continued playing with the first team for the most part.
6. Catching the Ball: While we're hearing that Travis Wilson and Braylon Edwards are dropping passes too often, the youngsters are trying to take advantage of their opportunities. Efrem Hill beat safety Brodney Pool on a slant pass, Maurice Mann has been rather fundamentally sound, and Kendrick Mosley and Syndric Steptoe are catching everything that's coming their way.
7. Groove Continues: Quarterback Derek Anderson continues to improve upon the little things. He looked very comfortable again this morning compared to the start of camp, and was a little more accurate than he's been. His advantage is still the fact that he can rope the ball into a tight spot, especially down near the red zone. However, he was intercepted by Daven Holly once in the end zone.
8. Conservative Frye: There hasn't been much down-field action from Frye in camp so far. Most of his plays appear to be dump-offs and safer routes. Whether that's the makeup of the playbook or Frye not being able to recognize a better match-up, it's still noteworthy.
9. 
10. Rookie Cornerbacks: After the failed attempts to draft cornerbacks, such as Antonio Perkins and DeMario Minter, this year may be a change in trend. I already mentioned that Eric Wright has been great, but Brandon McDonald is playing coverage very well. He's had a few interceptions in camp already, and could challenge veteran Kenny Wright for the fourth defensive back position.
11. Linebacker Rundown: Let's hit a few notes on some linebackers, shall we? Leon Williams can have some decent pass coverage up the middle, but still has some open field recognition skills that need to be worked on. Veteran Matt Stewart seemed to be our best player at defending screen plays last season, and he did the same exact thing in practice this morning. Antwaan Peek has been giving maximum effort on the field and appears to be a perfect role player.
12. Shaffer's Edge: Although Joe Thomas is getting fans excited, he is still learning the schemes for an NFL team. Kevin Shaffer has been more consistent at left tackle than Thomas, and rightly so; he's been in the league for so many years. Another lineman, Seth McKinney, still looks very strong and agile, better than people expected him to be. He would be a definite upgrade over Joe Andruzzi.
13. Cut Him Loose: The next time that Nat Dorsey gets knocked on his ass, he should get cut. If the team went with that philosophy, he'd be a free agent mid-way through tonight's practice.
14. Gadget Plays: The Browns aren't putting a halt to the gadget plays that they're attempting. Cribbs was at it again this morning on a reverse. I like the idea of using Cribbs on gadget plays, but I just envision him being slower on reverses. He's effective on kick returns because he finds the gap and runs straight through it; he's not a shifter like Dennis Northcutt was. Just imagine the Browns running a reverse with Joe Jurevicius or even Braylon Edwards - they'd be too slow to actually get anything positive. I'd like to see the Browns try some reverses with Tim Carter instead.
15. Injury Update: Cornerback DeMario Minter is still in a boot. I'm sure he'll be placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list at some point in the coming weeks. Kellen Winslow is getting a break in the morning, but should participate in the evening session. With Winslow resting, the well-liked Steve Heiden was able to receive additional reps with the first team. Isaac Sowells was taken off the field in a cart; no word on his status yet. Receiver Mike Mason was also out with a knee injury.
16. Couch Update: How about a little Jacksonville Jaguars camp news? Tim Couch has looked very good on his touch passes, but is still rusty when it comes to timing is receivers on quick hitters. Based on Couch's first few efforts, there's now a belief that he could make a run at being the team's third quarterback.

The Browns will be back to camp shortly, and it's not going to be any cooler than it was this morning. Let's see if fatigue sets in with any of the players.

The players were ready to do battle Tuesday in the most difficult conditions of camp thus far, with temperatures around 88 degrees and very little wind. It was only a taste of what's to come, because over the next week, summer will continue to arrive at a rapid pace, with temperatures in the mid-90s. Let's see what happened during Day 5 of camp, as the Browns were scheduled for one afternoon session:

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 5 (7/31/07)

1. 
2. Two-Minute Drills: The biggest story of practice on the final day of July had to be the implementation of the two-minute drill, which is how practice ended. Derek Anderson operated the first-team offense, and didn't find much success. After Anderson was able to pick up one first down, the drive stalled and Anderson was done. Charlie Frye took control with the second team, but was not great either. Frye let the offense get into a fourth-down situation, and was able to complete a pass to Kendrick Mosley for a first down, now in field goal range. Frye then fired a pass into the end zone intended for Travis Wilson, but it was intercepted by cornerback Brandon McDonald. Frye was slightly better during the drill, although neither quarterback has anything to brag about at this point.
3. QB Continued: According to the OBR, Derek Anderson is trying to work on not staring down his receivers, something that's been an issue with him in camp. When he tried that Tuesday, he made a bad pass over the middle that should have been picked off by Sean Jones, who dropped the ball. The media may be optimistic about both quarterbacks because they know what to expect, but it sounds like the fans aren't pleased with what they've been seeing at the position. No wonder Brady Quinn wants a lucrative deal; he's expecting to play so soon at such a high level.
4. Personal Note: On a side note, I still have faith in Frye to lead this team, at least to start the season.
5. Depth Chart Solidified: For the first time in camp, Romeo Crennel has narrowed down a position firmly. Crennel stated that the team's top three receivers will be Braylon Edwards, Joe Jurevicius, and Tim Carter, in no particular order. He stated that any two of those three could start on game day, depending on the team they are matched up against. Folks, it's going to be Edwards and Jurevicius.
6. Speaking of Carter: The very fast Tim Carter is quickly starting to look like a mirror image of the type of player that Dennis Northcutt was (I'm still puzzled why he's not competing for the punt return role). Carter's veteranship definitely gives him an edge over someone like Joshua Cribbs, who is still learning the position.
7. Daily Wilson: I think the "Daily Wilson" subtitle should be included in every session report that I type up from now on, because his status changes from day-to-day. In today's "Daily Wilson", Travis Wilson went back to his roots of having an off day. He's been having two bad days in a row followed by a good day, so if the trend continues, Wilson will struggle again tomorrow in at least one of the sessions.
8. 
9. Best Player: There are people in camp that are just going out there and playing tremendous, and one of those men is Kellen Winslow. Amidst all of the drops in camp, Winslow is catching every single ball that is thrown to him, including some of the ones that originally appear out of his each. On Tuesday, he was able to haul on a pass from Frye down the sideline, catching over defensive back Jereme Perry.
10. Thomas Update: Left tackle Joe Thomas saw most of his reps with the second team and is amazing with his pass protection. Overall, there haven't been any glaring weaknesses in the offensive line still; hopefully that's not a result of simply having a joke of a defensive line.
11. Chaun Thompson: Butch Davis' project linebacker that nobody thought would be drafted as high as he was is not showing enough to stay on the team. He's a veteran compared to many of our linebackers on the team and is making some of the most mistakes.
12. Locked Down: Are we handing the starting cornerback job to Eric Wright? Wright continued to see most of his action with the first team and did very well again.
13. Pass Rush: On at least one occasion, the Browns lined up Willie McGinest at defensive end and Antwaan Peek at linebacker to create an effective pass rush. If that works out well in practice and the preseason, it could be a play that's run often on third down during the season.
14. Mean Leon: Linebacker Leon Williams will probably continue to replace D'Qwell Jackson this year in nickel and dime packages, as that's what he's been doing in camp so far.
15. RB Derby: So far, it looks like Jerome Harrison and Jason Wright will continue being the two backup running backs on the team. Chris Barclay fumbled the ball in one of his few opportunities.
16. Step on Toes: Wide receiver Syndric Steptoe did another fine job at fielding punts and making receptions.

Two practices are scheduled for Wednesday.

Please excuse the fact that this recap of the evening session from Monday may be a little less detailed. I got off to a late start today and don't want to fall into a trap that gets me behind on reporting today's session. Here are some notes from the Monday's evening session, which was highlighted by the return of a certain individual:

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 4 [EVENING] (7/30/07)

1. 
2. No Myth: No one will have a feeling of hatred for Gary Baxter this season after the improbable comeback that he has almost completed. Baxter took a major step towards becoming the first player in NFL history to recover from his injury by stepping onto the practice field. Unlike other players in camp right now, it isn't about whether or not Baxter is making interceptions or playing picture perfect coverage right off the bat. The simple fact that he is out there and was so dedicated to returning instead of retiring shows that this man wants to play football. Considering what's happening to people like Pacman Jones in the NFL these days, Baxter has the opportunity to shine some positive light not only on the Browns' 2007 season, but throughout the entire league.
3. Moving On: Now that I'm past the feel-good story, how about knowing what Baxter actually did yesterday? Baxter worked exclusively on individual drills, and will be doing so until he feels comfortable. Baxter feels good, and according to him, he could be participating in seven-on-seven drills next week if his luck continues.
4. QB Competition: The quarterback competition is slowly, and I mean very slowly, starting to get more competitive. In fact, Derek Anderson had the slight edge on Frye for the first time in camp so far during last night's evening session. Overall, both quarterbacks were decent though, just like they've been throughout camp. Frye's problem yesterday seemed to be the fact that he was underthrowing his passes. The negative thing for Anderson here is that if he has another horrid practice, all of these "ok" practices will seem to be thrown out the window, since Frye's been more consistent.
5. Steptoe/Cribbs: Not only could Cribbs and Steptoe each be filling a kick return role, they may both make the team with the intention of using them as receivers if Travis Wilson stays inconsistent. Steptoe and Cribbs have been catching the ball fairly well in camp. Not well enough to be starting receivers or anything like that, but well enough that they may get some more looks in preseason games.
6. Thomas Starting: Still, Romeo Crennel is stating that Joe Thomas will have to unseat Kevin Shaffer. However, when Shaffer is seeing almost all of his reps at right tackle while Thomas anchors the left side, I think it's pretty clear what the team's intentions are. This is a time where it gets annoying to hear the coaches try to be "politically correct", although maybe it does boost Shaffer's morale for the time being; who knows.
7. Christmas Holly: I haven't mentioned Daven Holly's name throughout any of the practices if I recall correctly. Just to keep up on him, there have been no signs of him playing poorly, which is a good thing. Holly should have the nickel back spot pretty much locked up.
8. SMASH: Wide receiver Steve Sanders and linebacker Chaun Thompson intersected "violently" during practice, according to the OBR. I'd expect both players to be off of the final roster, despite the fact that I was upset at how we failed to incorporate Thompson's speed into the defensive rotation last year. Don't be surprised if Jason Short, a great special teams linebacker, makes it over him.

Thank you for your patience; let's hope that Day 5 of training camp brings some more entertainment.

Day 4 of training camp brought the second occurrence of two sessions in one day. Today was the day in which cornerback Gary Baxter was supposed to return, but don't get too excited for the morning session, because he wasn't there. Baxter is expected to be on the field for the evening session of practice. Plenty of things happened in the morning, so let's get started on that:

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 4 [MORNING] (7/30/07)

1. It's Beginning: We were wondering when Ryan Tucker would finally start seeing some reps at the guard position. Tucker was lined up at right guard this morning a few times, with Joe Thomas at left tackle, Kevin Shaffer at right tackle, Eric Steinbach at left guard, and Hank Fraley at center. We'll see if this continues into the evening session.
2. 
3. What About Frye?: Still, the national media seems completely ignorant of the fact that Charlie Frye is having the best camp thus far. In Peter King's writeup after attending the team's camp yesterday, he acts as if the quarterback competition is between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn (whenever he signs). With the exception of that fact, King's article is a good read.
4. Anderson Improving: As I stated yesterday, Derek Anderson is getting more comfortable again based on his past several efforts. Frye still has the edge, but at least Anderson isn't rolling over and dying, as it appeared he was doing in the first couple of practices.
5. More O-Line: The best news in training camp this year by far has to be the fact that our offensive line looks tremendous, and that the backups aren't doing bad either. With how well Seth McKinney looks at guard and Kelly Butler looks at tackle, it'll be a shame that they will be resorted to backups. Once again though, depth is always an asset. If Butler keeps impressing people though, it may make the Browns more inclined to trade away Shaffer if the option comes up.
6. Babysteps: So far, Nat Dorsey and Travis Wilson have looked fairly poor in camp. This morning was better for Wilson, who was at least holding on to the ball more so than yesterday. The type of camp he's having sounds very similar to the one that Brandon Rideau had last season. As far as Dorsey goes, he still flashes the potential to be a powerhouse, but then gets beat easily on the next play.
7. Underrated D-Line: My biggest concern with the Browns remains the defensive line. In camp, Robaire Smith and Shaun Smith are adding quickness to the line. Without question, our defensive line will be better this season barring injury. However, considering that I feel we had the weakest defensive line in football last year, almost anything would be considered an improvement.
8. 
9. Banged Up: Between all the players on defense, I believe Orpheus Roye is the man that's most likely to suffer an injury. Roye missed most of the morning practice and had his right knee wrapped. Crennel said that it was only a precautionary thing for Roye, who will receive plenty of "days off" during camp. Receiver Mike Mason did not practice due to soreness in his knee.
10. Mr. McDonald: We haven't heard much about some of the lower level rookies in camp this year. Cornerback Brandon McDonald has been pretty good in coverage, and even intercepted a pass from Ken Dorsey after it bounces out of the hands of receiver Efrem Hill. On punt returns though, McDonald was clearly having struggles while Syndric Steptoe was not. Joshua Cribbs wasn't fielding punts because he's "already ahead of the others", according to the OBR. If the Browns are still weary about Cribbs fielding punts, Steptoe will win the job.
11. It's a Fake: The Browns successfully activated a fake field goal during practice. After Dave Zastudil took the snap, he stood up and tossed the ball to a wide open Darnell Dinkins. Early prediction: the Browns will only attempt one fake field goal this season.
12. Rookie Coverage: Cornerback Eric Wright has been staying right with all of the receivers in camp so far. It would be a surprise if Wright did not start on opening day.

I'll have a report on the evening practice either late, late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

It's day three here at the World Series of Poker...opps, still stuck on poker there. It's day three of Browns training camp, as the team had one afternoon session today with ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Sports Illustrated's Peter King looking on. What started off as a rather cool day probably turned out to be the warmest session yet, and the temperature is only expected to get higher tomorrow. Let's see what was gathered from today's practice:

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 3 (7/29/07)

1. 
2. Competition? Pfft: After all of the hype of a quarterback competition heading into camp, it's been nothing but Charlie Frye outperforming Derek Anderson over the first two days. Frye's confidence in the system seems high now, and it's showing based on his performances. Anderson is still being given a fair chance, but he has still been quite erratic. With that said, today may have been Anderson's best practice, which is a step in the right direction. Neither quarterback threw a pick today.
3. Number #17: Thus far, Braylon Edwards has been catching the ball extremely well in camp. Anything that is coming in his direction and is within reach, he's been grabbing it. Hopefully that translates to gameday.
4. Gotta Drop 'Em All: Who likes to drop passes still? Travis Wilson. I guess fans are now seeing why the team waited so long to even get him into a game last season. Wilson continued dropping balls during practice at a rapid rate, including a solid deep ball from Derek Anderson. It's hard to believe the Browns would cut him after being taken so high last year, but it wouldn't be out of the question either.
5. 
6. Veteraship: Veteran receiver Tim Carter made some nice catches on Day 3 and didn't appear to drop any. Carter has historically been inconsistent, much like Dennis Northcutt was in terms of holding on to the football. Carter also looked very sharp in his cuts, and you'd have to wonder why the team hasn't considered trying him out in the punt return role.
7. Injury Updates: Cornerback DeMario Minter still isn't practicing. If everything goes as planned, Gary Baxter will be activated tomorrow, to nearly complete an amazing rehab.
8. Random "Couch" Update: Thought I'd throw this in here for the heck of it. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Tim Couch to a two-year deal after giving him a tryout. Couch is entering the Jaguars camp as depth because their third-string quarterback is currently injured. Couch could very well get cut, but I'm happy that someone is giving him an opportunity to play again.
9. Browns Were Right?: Just like Travis Wilson, we thought it was ridiculous that Isaac Sowells was not getting into games, considering how poor our offensive line was. Well, Sowells is having a poor camp as well so far and has been beaten on numerous occasions. Thankfully we have some depth on the line and can still groom Sowells if needed.
10. 
11. Robbie Again: Once again, Robaire Smith looked good on the defensive line, generating more of a push than Alvin McKinley ever did last season. In the offseason, two of the free agents I wanted the Browns to acquire were Smith and Eric Steinbach. I guess that means I'm a happy fan right now.
12. Look at the Feet: Seriously folks, just...look at the feet. Jamal Lewis continues to look like the best running back this team has had since returning to the NFL. We shouldn't be surprised about that, because Lewis currently holds the NFL record for rushing yards in a single season, and we've seen many times what he's capable of doing when he's not hurt. Jerome Harrison is back to showing quick bursts, but he still is not an adequate "chipper" on blocks. Jason Wright is doing enough to show that he'll probably retain another roster spot this year.
13. Phil Dawg: Kicker Phil Dawson is drilling kicks in practice. I really should have memorized the backup kicker's name by now, but I haven't. I'm sure whoever it is has the least chance of making the team beside Kyle Basler, who is competing with our top-notch starting punter.
14. Thomas Fine: Tackle Joe Thomas looks fine in camp. Here's to hoping that he doesn't turn out like Robert Gallery.
15. Bodden's Hair: Credit to the OBR for pointing this out: cornerback Leigh Bodden no longer has his dreadlocks.

You guys need to check this out if you're interested in how Joe Thomas looks and haven't been to camp: Video of Joe Thomas at Camp. Those videos were taken at DawgBones.com; props to them.