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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Thomas Fine: Tackle Joe Thomas looks fine in camp. Here's to hoping that he doesn't turn out like Robert Gallery.
- Bodden's Hair: Credit to the OBR for pointing this out: cornerback Leigh Bodden no longer has his dreadlocks.