Although there were two practice sessions on Tuesday, I'm going to combine both of them into one report to catch up for Wednesday's report. A lot of things happened, but it shouldn't be too confusing to understand that some notes may relate to the morning session, evening session, or both:
- Front Runner: The best quarterback of the competition was Charlie Frye again, simply due to consistency. You know what you're going to get out of Frye on a daily basis, and his mobility can sometimes improve his play. The same simply cannot be said for Derek Anderson. During practice, he'll throw several passes in a row to get everyone excited, and then he'll throw just an awful pass.
- TE Battle: It would seem as if the tight end battle between Darnell Dinkins and Ryan Krause is heating up, if the team decides to only keep one of them. Dinkins displayed his sharp blocking skills during practice by actually smothering linebacker Kamerion Wimbley to the ground. Meanwhile, Krause was on the receiving end of a few passes from Frye against the second- and third-team defenses.
- Quinn Steps Up: Frye may have been the better quarterback between him and Anderson, but Brady Quinn was the highlight of practice. During seven-on-seven drills, Quinn was able to connect on a perfect 40-yard pass to receiver Mike Mason (who has been stepping up in camp actually). The Notre Dame quarterback displayed great arm strength, and suddenly seemed to gain more reps when the scrimmage began. On one of his first plays, he called for an audible. On the passing play, Quinn hit Braylon Edwards for a touchdown pass after Edwards split two defenders. When the defense blitzed Quinn later on, he recognized it quickly and threw to Jerome Harrison.
- Harrison's Redemption: Based on this practice, Jerome Harrison may have redeemed himself from Saturday's miscues. Harrison was one of the standouts throughout practice, mainly due to the effective use of his quickness.
- Out Again: With linebacker Andra Davis sitting out again, Leon Williams continued to make his push for more playing time. If Davis' injuries continue, Williams may start against the Lions.
- Daily Wilson: In today's report, Travis Wilson bailed Derek Anderson out on a nice leaping catch on third down over cornerback Eric Wright along the sideline.
- Hit of the Day: WHACK! Although he's a little guy, cornerback Daven Holly had a nice hit on receiver Kendrick Mosley. Mosley never saw Holly coming from his blind side.
- Practice How You Play: The Browns are keeping their offense simple in practice it seems, throwing a lot of passes to tight ends and running backs in the flat. The only one that seemed to make more of his own decisions was Quinn.
- Minter Returns: In a surprising move, cornerback DeMario Minter finally practiced. There is no word on whether or not he'll play this Saturday against the Lions, but if he does, that could decrease Brandon McDonald's chances of making the final roster.
- Injury Updates: Tight end Kellen Winslow and cornerback Gary Baxter sat out the morning sessions of practice, but both returned for the evening. Crennel did not rule Baxter out for playing against the Lions.
- Double Rush: Earlier in camp, I mentioned how both Willie McGinest and Antwaan Peek were effective at rushing the passer when they blitz from the same side. The Browns tried that with Peek and Wimbley during practice, and it didn't look too bad.
- Tidbits: Safety Sean Jones is clearly the captain of the secondary, with Brodney Pool and Justin Hamilton behind him. On the offensive line, the Browns are still giving Ryan Tucker some reps at guard. The team even shifted Seth McKinney to left guard a few times.