Starting Tuesday, phase three of the offseason program got underway as the Browns started organized team activities, or OTAs. These voluntary practices will run through Thursday, and then again from June 3 to June 5. To wrap up phase three, they will have a mandatory veteran minicamp from June 10 to June 12.
Because these practices are voluntary, numerous players around the league are not in attendance, as teams are starting installs that veteran players are very familiar with. Although a lot of absences are due to contract negotiations, it's not uncommon for veteran players to skip the voluntary portion of these workouts. For the Browns, Myles Garrett and new receiver Diontae Johnson are not present as the team begins their voluntary OTA workouts.
Myles Garrett creates speculation as voluntary workouts begin
Following a mega-extension this offseason after his trade request, many fans prefer for Garrett to lead by example at these sorts of outings, especially after owner Jimmy Haslam's comments about Garrett's leadership. Instead, Garrett is in Japan at the moment, seemingly house hunting based on his posts on his Instagram story.
While it would be nice to have the face of the franchise at practice with the rest of the team, Garrett's absence or attendance at OTAs in May isn't likely to have any effect on how the upcoming season plays out. In all likelihood, he will have another defensive player of the year caliber season as the anchor and centerfold of the Browns' defense.
Read More: Former Cincinnati Bearcat named as one last offseason move for Browns
There's an argument to be made that the extra reps available for younger players could be a net benefit for Cleveland without Garrett. Heading into year three with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Garrett knows the bread and butter of the defense and exactly what his responsibility is on every OTA install-level package.
Admittedly, it would be nice for Garrett to be front and center for this part of the offseason after hearing the owner question his leadership, and the drama that ensued this season during his trade request. Overall, he's a future Hall of Famer primed for another elite season, and the number of wins this upcoming season probably won't be affected by whether or not he's present at voluntary workouts in May.