Cleveland Browns: 4 things we learned from training camp

Jul 30, 2015; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (18) and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (80) during training camp at the Cleveland Browns practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Browns have been plagued throughout camp with soft-tissue injuries, most notably hamstring strains.

Among the players who have missed time with hamstring issues are Dwayne Bowe, Duke Johnson, Joe Haden, Tashaun Gipson, Robert Nelson and Terrelle Pryor.

That is quite the list.

Related: Terrelle Pryor ready to try slash-player role with Browns

“I think everybody in the league is trying to solve the soft-tissue riddle,” Pettine said when asked about it. “We feel like our protocol is tried and true, and unfortunately, we are still ending up with some pulls. That is something that we are constantly in a state of evaluating. We stress to our guys you have to eat right, sleep well and make sure we are hydrated. It is a source of frustration.”

“It’s hard to be evaluated when you’re not on the field.” – Josh McCown on Terrelle Pryor

The offense has been impacted the most by the injuries as Bowe and Johnson, players that offensive coordinator John DeFilippo called “major pieces” of the offense only returned to practice this week. While there is still time for them to get ready for the season opener, with a potentially easy opening four games, we’d feel a lot better if the offense was clicking right out of the gate.

Then there is the case of Pryor, who has barely been on the field because of his hamstring injuries.

Even if he had been healthy the entire time, Pryor faced long odds to make the Browns roster over players who have spent their entire football lives playing wide receiver.

“It’s hard at this point for me and anybody to say (if he could help), just because we haven’t seen him,” quarterback Josh McCown said. “It’s just unfortunate. It’s hard to be evaluated when you’re not on the field. As the preseason progresses and decisions have to be made, the window of time gets shorter and shorter.”

The thing is, even when the Browns cut Pryor they are not in danger of losing him. The Browns are not going to keep Pryor simply on hope that he can be an NFL wide receiver, especially since they haven’t seen him do it on the field. But that’s the same reason no other NFL team will claim him, so if the Browns want to bring him back down the road he will still be there.

Next: Justin Gilbert simply doesn't get it