It's Day 2 of OTAs, and with it being a Wednesday, media sources such as the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Orange and Brown Report, and the people at the team's official website were able to provide the a dozen doses of gossip for the first time in the 2008-2009 campaign. Reports are always more detailed in the first of everything (first OTA, first mini-camp, and first training camp), so soak everything in for what it's worth:
- Players Missing: First, let's end the drama regarding who wasn't there. For the second day in a row, OL LeCharles Bentley and TE Kellen Winslow were missing from the facility. DB Kenny Wright wasn't there for personal reasons. Perhaps the fact that he was cut after practice had something to do with that. LB D'Qwell Jackson was absent because he was on his honeymoon.
- Baxter Rehabbing: Although Gary Baxter was in Berea, he was rehabbing along with WR Joe Jurevicius and TE Steve Heiden. I'm slightly disappointed that Baxter is still "rehabbing", though again, we don't know the extent of the rehab or whether or not the team is just taking cautionary measures.
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Tucker Starting: With four of the five offensive line positions pretty much locked up, there were some questions as to who of five people would fill the right guard position. On Wednesday, Ryan Tucker was lined up at that position, and Romeo Crennel confirmed that he is currently the starter. However, the competition is FAR from over. To recap, the first-unit line was:
<<Joe Thomas -- Eric Steinbach -- Hank Fraley -- Ryan Tucker -- Kevin Shaffer>> - Second-Unit O-Line: It's very interesting to note that seldom-used Isaac Sowells was the left tackle with the second unit. The rest of the line was LG Lennie Friedman, C Seth McKinney, RG Rex Hadnot, and RT Cliff Lewis.
- No Rookies: Apparently, league rules state that the Browns' rookie class is not allowed to participate in OTAs until this Friday. We'll have to wait to hear some tidbits on TE Martin Tucker and LB Beau Bell.
- Starting Defense: According to the Plain Dealer, the starting defensive line on the first play featured Corey Williams, Shaun Smith, and Robaire Smith. Shaun Rogers stated that he was "going through a learning period at both nose table and end in the Browns' 3-4 system" (Grossi). Grossi feels that with an early look though, Rogers looks a lot better than he did in Detroit last season. The inside linebackers were Andra Davis and Leon Williams. The cornerbacks were Eric Wright and Daven Holly.
- Anderson Comfortable: Browns QB Derek Anderson has the look of a confident quarterback this season in comparison to last year, when he had to compete with Charlie Frye for the starting role. The OBR reports that Anderson has been throwing the ball with newly-acquired receiver Donte Stallworth for 4-5 weeks already. That sounds like the type of dedication we've been hoping for in a tandem. Grossi reports that among what Anderson has been working on is his "ability to throw to the left with more accuracy in general".
- Daily Wilson: Remember the "Daily Wilson's" from training camp last year? They've made a quick return this season, with mixed results yet again. Grossi reports that while he made a nice catch from QB Brady Quinn between Holly and S Brodney Pool on the left sideline, he had two drops later on. Maybe people are over-scrutinizing him due to his history of drops though, because I'm sure there were other receivers that dropped some balls in practice too.
- Dinkins' Day: With Winslow, Rucker, and Heiden all not available, it was definitely Darnell Dinkins' time to seize the opportunity. "The last few days were real fun," Dinkins said, regarding the extended playing time. "I'm just really excited about the opportunity that's presented."
- Tucker Leaves: Numerous sources reported that Ryan Tucker walked off early in practice and did not return. Early reports indicate that Tucker felt discomfort in his hip.
Wednesday's Sources
Plain Dealer: Cleveland Browns OTAs are off and running
The OBR: OTA Report: Stallworth to Stretch the Field
Official Site: Notebook: O-line Depth Apparent
Overall, it was somewhat uneventful considering our rookies were absent. The highlights to me, personally, are the fact that Tucker started off as the starting right guard and that Anderson had been working with Stallworth for several weeks already. Who knows is it was the same type of chemistry buildup that Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison have during the offseason, or a simple couple of pitch-and-catch sessions. Either way, the continuity in our offense will be sensational this year.