Rob Chudzinski News Conference: Day 10 of Browns Training Camp

Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski met with the media following the team's tenth day of training camp on Monday. Chudzinski talked about Shawn Lauvao's injury, Trent Richardson returning to practice, Chris Ogbonnaya at fullback, and more. The transcript is organized by topic below, or you can watch the news conference here.

Our Day 10 report on what happened at camp is here.

Opening Statement - Focusing on Preparing for the Rams

Opening statement: "We’ll get started with the medical report here. Shawn Lauvao was injured. It looked like potentially his ankle. We will have to check him out and let you know tomorrow.

Overall in practice we worked against each other. Today was the last day that we will really do that. We had a major install and as part of that we worked goal line today. Tomorrow we will focus more on St. Louis and getting ready for the first preseason game to prepare our guys. This will be a really good opportunity to shift the focus from the installation phase of training camp into getting more focused on specifics about games. We are getting guys ready to play and seeing how they react in game-like situations. Obviously we are looking forward to get going with that."

Shawn Lauvao's Injury, and Jason Pinkston Ready to Step In

On if he saw what happened on the play with Lauvao: "I did not."

On if Lauvao is out for a length of time being a big blow to the offense: "I will just have to see what the injury was. Obviously (Jason) Pinkston has been working at the guard position as well. We have some young guys that need to get some work during the course of these preseason games. We will just have to wait and see what happens."

On how Jason Pinkston has been playing, and what side: "We’ve actually been working on him both sides. I think it remains to be seen which side I like him the best. His ability to move back and forth is a good thing. He’s been getting back to form. That’s a process to be going through; he’s been through a lot. I am seeing signs, especially these last few days, of improvement."

On where Ryan Miller was working before he got hurt: "Ryan Miller was a tackle."

On if Miller could play guard: "Probably not."

Trent Richardson Practicing, and Status for Thursday's Game

On Trent Richardson practicing today and what he might do with Richardson on Thursday night: "It’s good to have him back out there. I have not decided anything about Thursday night in regard to Trent."

On spotting Richardson today to ease him back in: "Yes, we want to work him back in. We are going to be smart with him. We have a plan for him from a general sense. We want him to be able to work to get better to be able to come out here on a daily basis during training camp."

Chris Ogbonnaya Being Listed at Fullback

On using Chris Ogbonnaya as a fullback: "He’s a very versatile guy. He’s able to play tailback and run the ball. He can play fullback and he can block. He can pass protect and catch passes. He’s a guy that can do a lot of different things. Those types of guys you can find roles for and they can help you win."

On Ogbonnaya listed on the first depth chart as the starting fullback: "Again, he is a guy that can play multiple positions. Sometimes it is hard to put those guys in two different spots, but that is just where we put him from a depth-chart standpoint. The thing about depth charts is that they don’t always tell the story about roles. There are a lot of roles on teams that you need that aren’t necessarily covered on a depth chart. A guy that appears somewhere on a depth chart as a third-teamer is the first-teamer in some sort of role or situation when you play a game and certainly Ogbonnaya is a very valuable part of what we are doing."

Clock Ticking on Injured Players?

On the clock ticking with injured Montario Hardesty and David Nelson: "Those are guys we haven’t seen a lot of. I’d like to see them out here. A lot of times it is not under their control or my control. Hopefully, we will get a chance to see them out here soon."

On where Nelson is with his injury: "Sometimes that is just a process of getting through that and it is still day by day. I hope he is able to get out here sooner than later."

Changes in Brandon Weeden

On seeing changes with Brandon Weeden working with Norv Turner: "There have been a lot of things you look at from a mechanics standpoint and the job he’s doing by speeding up his feet and quickening his decisions. We haven’t held back. We’ve thrown a lot at him, from a mental standpoint. We’re pushing him hard and that’s the way I’m used to and that’s the way Norv coaches. He’s responded well from that."

Forcing Players to Wear Leg Pads, and Davone Bess' Abilities

On making players wear the required leg pads during practice: "Yeah I have. Guys need to get used to it. It’s the way things are going to be. We are going to practice that way with them. There is a variety of different pads, size pads and styles of pads that guys can use. I know they have been testing them out and it’s been part of the reason why I want to make sure they have them on and along with the safety factors, obviously."

On what makes Davone Bess as good as he is: "He is an unbelievable worker to begin with. He’s a student of the game. He really understands the game and understands leverage and how to run routes. He’s got good quickness. Everything that he does is right. He’s a leader by example and a great guy to have on our team."

What He Has Liked So Far

On what he likes thus far since offseason: "I like what I’ve seen so far. I think the pass rush has been very good. I think the guys are grasping the defense and the concept of the defense as we are going on better and better and better. I see improvement and that is what I’m looking for during this part of training camp. I’m excited to get into the games and to see these guys against different guys other than the one they have been playing against in practice every day. I’m sure they are ready to do that as well."

On whether the team’s identity will be on one side of the ball: "I wouldn’t say that. I don’t think there is a particular side of the ball that is going to be an identity of this team. I think the identity that we want is a bunch of guys that come out that are hungry and anxious to play and are passionate about playing who are going to play tough, physical football and want to win for the Cleveland Browns. Where that ultimately stands is that teams that win are teams that have balance on all sides of the ball, offense, defense and special teams."

Personal Questions for Chudzinski

On how St. John’s and high school helped him to where he is at now: "It was obviously a big part of growing up. The people I met and friends I made there and the relationships that I developed from there and the coaches; Fred Beyer was the head football coach when I played there. You talk about tough, you talk about discipline, and he taught us lessons that helped us become men."

On hearing from a lot of people from the Toledo area: "Yeah, it’s been fun; everything from the fans and friends from that area and hearing about people being at the games. It’s been great. It’s been really enjoyable from that standpoint, personally."