The Browns haven’t really started preparing for Green Bay as of yet. They are still working on just learning what will become the Cleveland Browns playbook, regardless of what the other team appears to be. Tomorrow the coaches will let players know how much the team plans on going with the first teams, and they will start to work more specifically on things that pertain to playing against the Packers and their style. The Browns’ game against Green Bay on Saturday at 7:30 PM will be televised locally on WKYC Channel 3 as it has been in years past. Additionally, the game will be featured on NFL Network for you out-of-towners that have it.
Colt McCoy continues to impress with his leadership ability and even flashed a bit of competitiveness as he challenged Brian Robiskie to do better fighting for a pass that was broken up by Buster Skrine. Robo was jawing with the defense a little bit on the way back to the huddle as they accused him of pushing off. To add further insult, McCoy made it pretty obvious that he expects his receivers to do everything in their power to try and snatch those timing throws away from the defense. After practice, when asked about what kind of training camp Robiskie is having, Shurmur replied that Robo has been very “steady.”
Greg Little has been hot and cold throughout training camp, but today was one of his better days. He unleashed a beautiful double move and went up and caught a long touchdown pass. He beat the defender on the route and even though Usama Young found a way to recover enough to be there as the ball was arriving, Little used his big frame to keep his hands clear and pull the ball in.
On the injury front, Jabari Fletcher continues to rest his sprained knee. Chris Gocong was out with his stinger, although it is not a big concern. Montario Hardesty again was out of practice. Finally, in an encouraging bit of news Mohamed Massaquoi was out of the cast and into a walking boot. He could be on the practice field in some capacity as early as next week.
Undrafted free agent corner James Dockery was showing off his skills today. He came up huge in the two-minute drills as he fights for a roster spot on the team. He is a tall, fast corner and he had one interception and another breakup that he nearly intercepted as he read McCoy’s eyes and made a great break on the ball. Shurmur was impressed and said he is looking forward to seeing “Dock” in some real live game action on Saturday.
Much has been made of Marcus Benard’s extra weight and how the Browns would have liked him to stay leaner. Still, there is no denying his burst around the edge at times. Even at his larger size he flies off the snap count. Granted, he is working off many of the second team offensive tackles, but he will be one to watch on Saturday to see if he gets a chance to chase Aaron Rodgers.
Finally, the Browns tight ends (as expected) will seemingly have a huge role in this year’s offense. The Browns worked a lot in a set that featured Ben Watson flanking right tackle and Evan Moore in the slot. Evan Moore has had an exceptional camp by all accounts. His hands are great, as usual, and he has been making life difficult for linebackers in coverage.
