It's Day 1 of training camp, and Browns fans couldn't be happier that the 2007-2008 season has officially begun! However, we do have to realize that this was only the first day of training camp, so we can't expect any breakthroughs in the quarterback competition, or any other positions for that matter. With that said, I crawled the Internet for as much information as I could regarding the Browns, and have summarized it into a bulleted list of notes, as I'll be doing all training camp long. I'd like to credit the Orange and Brown Report, Dawg Talkers, and other encounters for providing the tidbits that make this culmination possible.
- Injury Recap: To recap on the injuries posted earlier in the day, Kellen Winslow was available to practice. Gary Baxter will likely be activated on Monday, and LeCharles Bentley will be re-evaluated in four weeks. DeMario Minter was wearing a boot and was held out of practice.
- Wet Field: Due to the rain that has suddenly started pouring from the skies the past few days, the field was relatively slippery at times. Some people were slipping here and there, but it was not much of a deterrent. After all, this is football we're talking about here. Thankfully for the fans and players, the weather was beautiful during practice.
- No Pads: Just a reminder: nobody was in pads today, and heavy contact was no supposed to be permitted. If you read about someone getting "burned" or making a tremendous catch, please take this into account, so that you don't jump to a positive or negative conclusion right away.
- Winslow's Speed: From the naked eye, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the speed of Kellen Winslow. He was energetic and ready to go, a pleasant sight to fans that weren't even expecting him to be activated today. The same can't be said for Darnell Dinkins, who didn't demonstrate solid receiving skills.
- Didn't Drop It: Getting off to a positive start is key for Braylon Edwards, who hopes to flourish in his third year like Bills receiver Lee Evans did last year. Edwards reached up and snagged a pass out of the air at one point during practice.
- First Team QB: So, which quarterback was running the first team today? It was not Derek Anderson as some people in the media have been billing as the starter; it was Charlie Frye. Anderson was in charge of the second team today, and I would assume that Ken Dorsey had the third team. Frye and Anderson seemed to be the same two quarterbacks from last season. Crennel did state that Frye has a leg up in the competition due to having more experience.
- Hands Man: Just like last year, Joe Jurevicius was catching everything that came his way.
- Receivers Coach: Interesting note from the OBR: receivers coach Wes Chandler is different from our former receivers coach. Chandler was reportedly very vocal and "in the face" of the receivers. Communication is good, so I'd take this as a positive.
- Early Rookie Mark: Looking for a rookie to make an impact? Chase Pittman may have been that guy today, mainly due to his aggressiveness without pads on. Then again, that could make him an idiot if he's being too aggressive on the first day of practice. Only time will tell.
- Good sign, bad sign: If a receiver burns someone, that can get people excited. However, on the same note, the defensive back that got burned looks like crap. In today's case, a poor receiver from last year, Joshua Cribbs blew past our "veteran" free agent cornerback, Kenny Wright. Last year, I remember reading and reporting every day that Dennis Northcutt was blowing by people too.
- Running Back Report: The big man can run. Jamal Lewis looked as impressive as Savage has been billing him as. Lewis had quickness and energy that the Browns haven't had in a running back since returning to the league. One negative note was in Jerome Harrison, who reportedly looked as if the extra weight he put on may have slowed him down.
- Eric Wright a No Show: Rookie Eric Wright was supposed to be at practice today, but he didn't show up. The reason was reportedly due to transportation issues, and Wright should arrive in Cleveland tonight and be ready for tomorrow.
- Punt Return Job: The Browns are comfortable with Joshua Cribbs as the team's punt returner. In case someone else does better though, it's worthy to note who he's competing with: Syndric Steptoe, Brandon McDonald, and Kendrick Mosley.
- Early Ending: Like Romeo Crennel has done in the past, he ended practice early today, around 4:50 PM.
* Photos are credited to ClevelandBrowns.com.