Cleveland Browns: Training Camp Day 11 recap

The Cleveland Browns practiced for the last time prior to their preseason opener as the session was moved inside due to weather.

As NFL preseason action commences, the Cleveland Browns have a different attitude they’re starting with in 2016. There is always excitement as the preseason opener approaches, but this training camp has consistently provided fans with they optimism they always seek.

Friday’s game against the Green Bay Packers is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, so with a travel day scheduled for Thursday, Wednesday’s practice was the final session before the first true competition.

Though there are a lot of decisions to be made by the coaching staff as far as playing time for Friday, the underlying feeling is excitement no matter what. The reason for this optimism is head coach Hue Jackson. Jackson truly looks forward to the opportunity of competing against a true opponent and seeing this roster come together.

“I’m very eager to see our whole football team,” Jackson told the media in his post practice press conference. “We’re going to put a team out there that’s going to go out there and play hard and execute our offense and defense and special teams.”

Clearly, Jackson is taking Friday’s game very seriously, as some players will be trying to prove to him that they belong on the final roster. It will be a critical opportunity for both those who are trying to make the roster as well as the players who have comfortably secured a roster spot but are still competing for a starting role.

Wednesday’s practice was closed to the public and moved inside due to weather. Even though conditions didn’t appear to be ideal, coach Jackson appreciated the fact that the team needed to endure some adversity.

“I kind of like that, you know, sometimes when things aren’t going well,” Jackson said. “That’s the way football is sometimes.”

But even though the team needed to move inside, it was still a productive practice. The competition at right tackle continued, the starting role still open to four players. While it appears that Spencer Drango has the early lead based on his position on the first unofficial depth chart, Shon Coleman, Austin Pasztor, and Alvin Bailey are still getting reps at the position.

In the midst of all of this however, many see the competition as a healthy aspect of training camp, and one that will make the offensive line stronger as a unit regardless of who comes out on top.

Some positive news on the injury front came Wednesday, as Seth DeValve was activated and practiced. The rookie tight end is competing for a spot at tight end, along with one of camp’s biggest surprises, Connor Hamlett.

As for Hamlett’s progress, Jackson commented on the big tight end during his press conference. Although Jackson complemented the young player and acknowledges that he has “made some plays,” he wants to see him improve his blocking skills. This shouldn’t be an insurmountable task for Hamlett, given the advantage he already has with his size. But it seems that Hamlett still needs to prove a lot to the coaching staff, and he will get a golden opportunity to do so Friday night.

As for the quarterbacks, no decision has been made, and evidently no thought has even been put into any decision thus far as to how long starter Robert Griffin III will play on Friday. It would be safe to expect a typical preseason opener for the starters, as they will likely be pulled following the first quarter or sooner.

What was very interesting Wednesday at practice was the increase in snaps Austin Davis got, at the expense of rookie Cody Kessler. While it would seem that the Browns would want to keep Kessler, today’s events show that the competition for the third string quarterback role is not over.

Presumably either Kessler or Davis will be cut or traded unless Josh McCown is traded, so the competition between them will be an interesting aspect of training camp both on Friday night and moving forward.

Though not much has been revealed by any of the coaches thus far pertaining to Friday night’s game, coach Jackson did inform the media that receivers Andrew Hawkins and Corey Coleman will not participate. He did assure the media that the injuries are minor though, and that the actions taken to keep them out of the preseason opener are mostly precautionary.

As for how the coaching staff is treating the preseason opener following the final training camp practice preceding it, Jackson is already showing why his preparation is superior to Browns coaches of the past. When asked about his goals for Friday, Jackson worded his response very simply.

“We’re going to put a team out there that’s going to go out there and play hard and execute our offense and defense and special teams,” Jackson said.

Jackson also made his expectations of all his players, even starters, clear for Friday night. Overall, the excitement for the game is the most dominating headline entering the travel day Thursday.

“We’ve done certain things in practice, but we’ll find out a little bit more about our guys come Friday,” Jackson told the media. “We need to see a lot of these things show up versus an opponent.”

Next: All quiet, for now, on the safety front

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Friday night in Green Bay, and the Browns next training camp practice will not be until after the preseason opener.