Browns Training Camp: Running backs dinged up and called out
August 11, 2015Ray Rice: Future Cleveland Brown?
August 11, 2015I made it out to Cleveland Browns training camp today and here are some of the things that I saw.
Johnny Lefty
Johnny Manziel had a sore elbow and nobody knew it until he started throwing lefty. Coach Mike Pettine and quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell both said Manziel is likely to play Thursday against Washington and that it was just general soreness. It was still very confusing to see it as it happened live. I was standing with WFNY founder Rick Grayshock and we both kind of looked at each other, “Did Johnny Manziel just throw lefty?” And then I said something really dumb off the top of my head, “Wait. Johnny Manziel is a lefty, isn’t he?” Look, it happened fast. It was a confusing morning.
You can’t make the team while you’re hurt
Mike Pettine talks about earning a spot on the team while injured. More plainly he talked about how difficult it is to make the team from the hot tub. He might have been talking about Terrelle Pryor, because he was asked about Pryor, but it seemed more like generic coaching philosophy than calling a guy out. Mike Pettine has a pretty mean mug when he’s not even mad, so sometimes it’s difficult to tell.
You wouldn’t like to make Mike Pettine mad. (He wasn’t mad here.)
A photo posted by Craig Lyndall (@wfnycraig) on
Brian Hartline talks about home
Brian Hartline spoke to the media and he was asked about being back in front of Ohio fans, and his response was so indicative of the time we live. Hartline talked about how special it was to play for the great fans of Ohio, but only after laying out three or four different times how anything he was saying about fans in Northeast Ohio wasn’t a negative reflection on the Miami fans or his experiences with the Dolphins.
I was distracted the entire time that Brian Hartline was talking because it felt like Kyle Shanahan was still with the Browns. Those two could easily be related.
Brian did quip to the media on his way to the locker room that it’s a little bit different working with the Cleveland media because there’s far much less play-by-play micro-analyzing every single catch, drop, or other opportunity.
Joe Thomas is simply the best
Joe Thomas spoke to the media and it’s a joy to listen to him talk. I’ve criticized Thomas a bit for being such a team guy that you can’t trust anything he says in a lot of ways. I always lean on his support of Pat Shurmur for that criticism. That said, I’ve always loved being at camp on days when Thomas talks. I was there on the day he signed his ginormous extension and he couldn’t have been in a more joyful mood. Today, he was reflecting on the previous day’s practice when there were “700 pounds” on top of his leg and he had to walk off and sit out. Joe Thomas is not only one of the greatest football players in the history of the Cleveland Browns, he’s just a really nice dude who’s quick to lighten the mood.
Joe Thomas talked about his three MCL “tears” during the session and it got quiet as the media kind of shared glances that said, “MCL tears? When?” The follow-up confirmed that Joe Thomas has had three non-surgical MCL tears in his career with the Cleveland Browns and he played through them all. We’re talking about seasons where the Browns won, in order 10 – 4 – 5 – 5 – 4 – 5 – 4 – 7 games. Throughout the careers of Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski and now Mike Pettine, Joe Thomas has played through injuries that almost certainly would have seen other guys sit down, especially considering that the Browns had nothing to play for in most of the seasons.
It doesn’t need to be said, but it simultaneously can’t be said enough. Joe Thomas is a Cleveland sports legend and hero.
Can’t wait to see some live game action on Thursday. Now go listen to a podcast.