Browns Training Camp 2017: Day 1 Clips and Quips

The first day of Cleveland Browns training camp is in the books, and you can find our full Day 1 recap here. Along with doing a recap for each training camp session, we will also highlight what head coach Hue Jackson said after practice, and what the players who spoke prior to practice had to say.

Hue Jackson

• I wasn’t alone in being a fan of the new set-up in Berea, as Jackson expressed an appreciation for its improved access for fans. He also felt the team was far more polished on Day 1 of 2017 than they were on Day 1 of 2016.

“I want to give a thumbs up to our fans in the Dawg Pound for being here and then our organization for the setup here. It is really spectacular. It gives our fans a little different access, a chance really to sit down. Some great stands over there and the stands that we put on this side of the field. It is really fan friendly and I think more people will come out. I think our players really enjoy that. ...

Our football team. They came out and competed. I can tell that we are a step better than we were a year ago by far. There was less assignment errors in the first day. There was less balls on the ground, less turnovers.”

• The three players who left practice (Kenny Britt, Danny Vitale, James Wright) will probably be back out there tomorrow. In addition, he said that Joel Bitonio and John Greco are healthy and generally ready to go.

“Just cramps, cramps and guys going down. Nothing major. I know that for sure. All of those things were definitely IV things. ... Joel has done a great job with his rehab, and again, credit to our medical staff for getting him up and going, but he put in the work. He has done a great job, and it is good to see him out there. ... All of those guys, and we will keep monitoring those guys as we go. The goal is to finish this training camp healthy and ready to go, but we have to practice football and we have to do football.”

• He likes what he’s seeing how of WR Corey Coleman.

“He looks explosive. He looks like the old Corey. My goal is to keep him that way and see if we can keep him that way throughout camp, throughout these preseason games and get him to the season playing like we think he can play. ... [He has progressed significantly], no question. He is telling other guys how to get lined up. A year ago, he could not do that. I think it was spinning for him a year ago. It is tough. If you really think of a rookie player coming into a new environment, learning a new language, new coaches, the National Football League, playing against the best of the best, your draft status, having to compete at a high level play in and play out and be at your best all of the time, that is hard. That is hard for anybody, but that is what he has to do, and he gets it. I think he is taking on that challenge, and he is ready to go.”

• It’s never to early to fall in love with Myles Garrett, and Jackson didn’t hold back praise for the No. 1 overall pick:

“Obviously, he is a good player. As I told Myles, he has to do it every day, keep working at it, keep his head down, stay humble and keep working. I think the young man will do that. ... [His humility] is outstanding. I give credit to our executive team because we drafted the right one in my opinion. Not only is he a great football player, but he is a great person, a great young man who loves football and wants to be great and is willing to do whatever it takes to be really good. I am glad he is a part of our organization.”

• When asked about the quarterback performances in general, Jackson didn’t single anyone out, so I won’t quote that section. He did compliment the group for “throwing some good balls, not turning it over, and not fumbling any snaps” despite it being the first day of practice. Later on, Jackson was asked specifically about rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer:

“[Yes, Kizer is improving]. I think he is understanding the offense. I could take you back to his days at OTAs – he struggled calling the plays. The words were a lot simpler. The language was a different. I did not see as much of that today. That is improvement. Obviously, he made some good throws and did not turn the ball over. Those things are good. Again, it is just one day. We are not going to make decisions on guys in one day. We have a lot of work to do.”

• Hue’s entire transcript and conference can be seen here.

Corey Coleman

• The second-year receiver is healthy heading into camp, and he tried to make light of the cause of his hamstring injuries:

• Despite not really wanting to answer questions about it, Coleman addressed the offseason incident that he was tied to:

Myles Garrett

• We learned that when Garrett first hurt his foot at minicamp in June, it was because he rolled up on QB Brock Osweiler’s foot. However, after a few weeks of rest, he was fine and a full-go for camp. Garrett also said that he leg-pressed 1,450 pounds in that video that went viral.

• Although he wants to be humble, he’s also eager to not only go up against LT Joe Thomas, but he wants to beat him.

Jabrill Peppers

• The topic of versatility will always follow Peppers around, either complimenting the wide range of roles he’s taking on, or questioning why he’s not being used at all of his possible positions.

Christian Kirksey

• What should we expect to see from Gregg Williams’ defense? He talked about how Williams is finding the right fit for everybody and making sure, no mater whether its youngsters or veterans, that everyone is comfortable so they can “cut loose and have fun.”

• The outside linebacker also talked about the potential that he sees in DE Myles Garrett:

“He is a guy that just goes out there and goes to work, works hard and proves that he could be on this team. He is just an overall great player for us. You just see the flashes, whether in the weight room or him exploding out of his stance, things like that, you can just tell that a guy is going to be a good or have the ability to be good. Now, it is all up to him to see how badly he wants it and we will see what he can do in training camp.”