CLEVELAND – With Cleveland Browns training camp starting, newsnet5.com has you covered with all of the information you need. We will have a daily blog to follow the events in Berea and also bring you information on Twitter at @andy_baskin , @terry_brooks and @gdowning14 .
Day 1: July 31
6:23 p.m.–Browns owner Randy Lerner has made an appearance out at camp. He is watching the action and talking with Holmgren. Lerner’s appearance at camp might be a surprise to some, as he does not usually show up around the practice field.
5:57 p.m.–No sign of Joe Haden out at practice. Not sure if he is going to make it out to practice at all.
One person who is at practice is team President Mike Holmgren. He is watching practice from the golf cart because of his recent foot surgery, and has driven around the facility to visit with fans and keep an eye on the drills.
5:49 p.m.–Team is out stretching and getting ready to begin the second session of the day.
5:33 p.m.–The team is getting ready to head back on the field for the second practice of the day. It should be the first time that first-round draft pick Joe Haden sees the field, fresh off his new contract signed this afternoon. Check Twitter for updates throughout practice, and there will be more to come later.
4:24 p.m.– Without question, Colt McCoy is the most popular fourth-string player in Browns training camp. The rookie quarterback from Texas has been a fan favorite since he was drafted in the third round, and that showed Saturday.
Even though he was the fourth quarterback in the rotation to get reps, McCoy drew cheers nearly every time he touched the ball. Once practice was over, he jogged over to the sidelines and was the first player to sign autographs.
“I’m having a lot of fun,” McCoy said. “I really like the atmosphere. In college, we only had one open practice. You come out here and there’s fan screaming and yelling, and it kinda gets your juices flowing, and I like that a lot, I really do.”
As a backup, McCoy does not have the pressure of some previous Browns quarterbacks who were expected to start as soon as they arrived in Cleveland. His focus is more on development, getting a feel for the NFL game, rather than trying to win the starting spot right out of camp.
“I’m learning, I’m working,” he said. I’m watching Jake, I’m watching Seneca. I’m putting on tapes of Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and just learning.
“As a rookie, that’s what you have to do. I’m just constantly being filled with lots of film, lots of time in my notebook writing things down, and I think that’s what it takes to ultimately get where you wan to go.”
1:30 p.m.– Joe Haden has signed a deal with the Browns, according to multiple reports. The deal is reportedly worth $50 million, $26 million guaranteed.
1:00 p.m.–First, to let you know, Twitter is probably the best way to get quick updates and information from us out at camp. You can follow Terry Brooks @Terry_Brooks , Garrett Downing @gdowning14 , and me @Andy_Baskin for constant updates. You can also see those Twitter updates on the right side of this page.
It was a fairly uneventful first practice, which is great. We are still waiting to see when first-round pick Joe Haden will put on the pads. The other big story is that rookie running back Montario Hardesty twisted his knee before camp and is going to be out for a couple of weeks.
That’s not good for a guy that looked like he was going to get some serious consideration for major playing time this season. The injury occured a couple days ago, coach Eric Mangini said.
The most noticeable things that stood out… Evan Moore and Ben Watson both looked rock solid catching the ball today out of the tight end spot. Moore turned a few heads, along with a nice 40-yard catch by Syndric Steptoe from Colt McCoy.
The weather in Berea was perfect. I was did not walk away from camp with a headache like I had last year, when camp was blaring with music. I will say that Mangini looks good and doesn’t look like he is carrying the weight of the world on his back. Look, the team is running his offense and his defense. It appears that the team picked up some parts that fit his style, and hopefully he can pick up where he left off at the end of last season.
After talking to, and listening to a few players after the practice, here’s what I gathered: No matter what Jake Delhomme did last year in Carolina, he is over it. We all hope that translates to the field.
Listening to the man, you have to respect for the way he approaches the game. He talked about being here to enjoy training camp and win the job. He said he taking it one day at time, one snap at a time. Even if he doesn’t throw one pass this year, he looks like the perfect man to lead by example on the field.
Delhomme is the kind of veteran Colt McCoy needs, which is what ever other rookie quarterback has lacked since the team returned. They now have a veteran to learn from, on and off the field. I had reservations about the