I'm not quite sure how this works every year. Technically, Friday was Day 10 of training camp. Should I say that Day 11 of training camp was the off day on Saturday, therefore Day 12 was Sunday's practice? That's what I'm sticking with.
Several players returned to practice Sunday, including WR Kevin Kasper, who will resume his efforts to win the team's No. 3 receiver spot. Photo credit: Official site
Every year after the Family Fun Night, the training camp buzz becomes marginalized. The first big event is out of the way, and you only have "x" number of sessions before a preseason game arrives. That means more days off, more focus on gameplanning, and therefore less actual camp reports. In other words, it's time to "speed it up" -- the regular season is quickly approaching.
TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 12
- Back on Track: Browns fans were nervous about how much practice defensive end Corey Williams had been missing, but true to his word, head coach Romeo Crennel sent him back on the field today.
- Soften it Up: Just like Friday's scrimmage didn't allow tackling, neither did Sunday's afternoon practice. In fact, not only was tackling not allowed, the players didn't even have pads on. Yep -- not going to get a whole lot of observations when they occurs.
- Other Returnees: Besides Williams, several other Browns returned to the field: WR Kevin Kasper and FB Lawrence Vickers. That's good news, because Kasper should have enough time to get back into the groove of things before Thursday's game against the Jets, and Vickers will have some time to build up the chemistry with Jamal Lewis and the offensive line again.
- Sitting Out: After being limited in Friday's practice, TE Kellen Winslow and KR Joshua Cribbs sat out of practice due to their hamstring injuries. DB Gary Baxter was reportedly very limited.
- Running Room: According to Ohio.com, the Browns have been working on running the ball to their non-dominant side of the offensive line, the right side, and have been creating some big holes for Jamal Lewis.
- Dinkins Watch: Ohio.com also reported that TE Darnell Dinkins has been catching everything thrown his way. Well, that's good, considering we already have three tight ends on the depth chart that can catch better than him. His chances will come down to whether or not Charles Ali or a Brad Cieslak win a job over him due to their special teams play.
- Receivers Excelling: Once again, WR Travis Wilson had an excellent practice. This is a 360 degree turnaround from the Wilson we've heard about in camp the past two years, by far. Syndric Steptoe hasn't been horrible either, though his reps will probably decrease now that Kasper is back.
- Daily Hubbard: It's probably a little harsh to start the "Daily Hubbard", but the fact that rookie WR Paul Hubbard is taking the place of the receiver struggling the most in camp can't be overlooked. Reportedly, he consistently dropped passes in receiver drills Sunday. I said this awhile ago in my wide receiver preview: I don't care if we did trade for the guy -- if he has consistently been underachieving, how do we reward him a roster spot over someone who will actually contribute as a role player this year?
- Wright Way: RB Jason Wright reportedly took a swing pass the distance for a long touchdown, and was possibly being defended by rookie LB Beau Bell on the play.
- Former Browns: It's always nice to keep tabs on former Browns players, known or not. Last year training camp invitee Maurice Mann, a wide receiver currently trying out for the Washington Redskins, had 2 catches for 28 yards and 1 touchdown in the Hall of Fame game against the Indianapolis Colts.
At this rate, rookie WR Paul Hubbard is going to need a heck of a preseason performance to earn a spot on the team's 53-man roster.
Your link collection for the information above, as always:
Browns' Hall could be diamond in the rough (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)
Training camp Aug. 3 (Ohio.com, Thomas)
Day 12 of training camp (WTAM, Knott)
Adams and Steptoe (The Browns Board)
The Browns have their final two-a-day session Monday, as they'll surely be getting to work on some things they may want to try out against the New York Jets this Thursday. The greatest thing about that game? Getting to hear Bernie Kosar announce again. I'm already foaming at the mouth in excitement (not sarcastic; I really do love hearing his comments).