Last night was Family Fun Night at Cleveland Browns stadium, where about 25,000 fans attended to get a glimpse at this year's Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, not everyone was able to play. In general, the offense was behind the defense. However, I'm not sure if I should give credit to the defense for a "job well done" or trash the offense for "not getting it done". That's my only gripe about judging the performances of units in scrimmages: who gets the benefit of the doubt? Since there is so much to talk about, I'm breaking the notes down by specific positions for the most part instead. Here is our long list of player notes from last night's practice:
- Quarterbacks: Our only solid quarterback, Charlie Frye, looked decent throwing the football. He threw the ball well, but really did not get to showcase himself a whole lot, as he faced the second- and third-team defense. He was picked off during the two-minute drill by safety Shawn Mayer on a play that Frye says he usually makes correctly 100 percent of the time. Ken Dorsey looked absolutely clueless while facing the Browns' first-team defense, although he was trying to operate the second-team offense. He threw a pick to safety Brian Russell, and then threw a pick during the two minute drill, this one going to linebacker D'Qwell Jackson. Quarterback Derek Anderson didn't do as well as Frye, but he was still much better than Dorsey with his reads and in throwing the football.
- Running Backs: In the hardest hit of the night, fullback Terrelle Smith leveled safety Brodney Pool on a draw play. It was hard to gauge the running game since the defense couldn't really touch the backs to an extent. Lee Suggs and William Green looked fairly averaged, with Suggs actually dropping a few passes that he would usually catch. Jerome Harrison performed the best among the backup running backs, showing a nice burst of speed to the outside. Harrison scored one of two Browns' touchdowns. Don't forget about fullback Lawrence Vickers though, who will definitely have a spot on this team with the way he is playing.
- Wide Receivers: For precautionary reasons, Braylon Edwards and Joe Jurevicius did not take part in the scrimmage. Dennis Northcutt showed the same type of chemistry with Frye as he's showed in practice, but he did drop one pass that hit him right in the numbers. Frisman Jackson scored the lone receiving touchdown, and was also the target on Frye's pass that was intercepted. Jackson's touchdown was thrown by Derek Anderson. Travis Wilson showed some nice flashes, but still has some catching up to do.
- Tight Ends: According to Romeo Crennel, tight end Kellen Winslow was one of the players who showed up, but still has things to work on (who doesn't?). Although he wasn't on the same page as Frye at times, he looked solid in the offense and could've made bigger plays if he was allowed to break tackles. Frye hit tight end Steve Heiden on a couple of dump-offs. Darnell Dinkins did not play due to an ankle injury.
- Offensive Linemen: For the most part, the offensive line seemed to hold their own. They played well against our defensive line and were not pushed around by any means. However, the offensive line didn't open up a lot of holes for the running backs, which may be due to the lessened-contact rules in scrimmages. Nat Dorsey played with the first-team offense on the first series, playing at tight tackle. Kirk Chambers shared some time with the starters, and Issac Sowells had to leave due to an ankle injury. It looked like Joe Andruzzi was hurt at first trying to chase down a play on an interception, but he got right back up.
- Defensive Linemen: There aren't a lot of reports on individual performances, except for something we already know: Ted Washington is a monster. It usually took two people to take on the big man, something which will help our run defense tremendously this year. Simon Frasier looks bigger this year, while Ethan Kelley looks a little stronger.
- Linebackers: One of the highlight linebackers was D'Qwell Jackson, who had an interception and was praised by the coaches. The starting unit was Willie McGinest, Andra Davis, Chaun Thompson, and Matt Stewart. Thompson limped off the field with a strained calf muscle. Rookie Leon Williams continues to look solid as well, as he was all over the field making smart decisions. Kamerion Wimbley deflected a pass and is starting to get better and better as a pass rusher.
- Defensive Backs: It may not have mattered if Daylon McCutcheon stayed healthy, because Gary Baxter and Leigh Bodden continue to work well together as our starters. They both broke up several passes, including down near the red zone. Sean Jones did not attend the practice due to personal reasons, and Pool took a big shot from Terrelle Smith.
- Special Teams: Two kickoffs were returned the distance, one from Josh Cribbs and the other from Travis Wilson. However, it seems like Cribbs' return was legit, while Wilson would have been taken down if contact was permitted. Phil Dawson missed a 49-yard field goal attempt in the two-minute drill, but was kicking the ball well besides that. Our punting game looked only "ok".