Camp thoughts Vol. II

 

Mack Wilson is having a training camp with the Browns this summer he will never forget. At least the first two days, that is.

 

On Monday, the first day of 14 padded practices in preparation for the 2020 National Football League season, the linebacker horse-collared running back Nick Chubb to the ground, causing a concussion.

 

Then less than 24 hours later, Wilson suffered what is being described as a significantly hyperextended left knee while defending a pass and was carted off the field.

 

There is speculation that surgery is a possibility, which could mean the second-year linebacker, who was slated to start on the weakside this season, might miss the entire 2020 season.

 

In the Chubb incident Monday, the running back apparently hit his head on the turf as a result of the rough Wilson tackle. He was immediately evaluated for a concussion and placed in concussion protocol Tuesday. The coaching staff and several teammates reportedly upbraided Wilson immediately after the hit.

 

Tackling to the ground is no-no in the early stages of padded practices before being slowly eased into the defensive regimen. The coaching staff thought it had made certain that members of the defense knew that. Guess not.

Some thoughts: First of all, you do not tackle the star running back that way early on. Period. Too many bad things can happen. Chubb, who needs all the work he can get, must now sit out and await the green light from the medical staff.

 

Concussions are funny. They can last just a few days or, depending on the severity, as long as weeks, even months. And with the NFL extra cautious when it comes to concussions, Chubb must pass strict protocols before he can return.

 

Fortunately, it happened early enough in camp where he should not miss much time. All he can do now is watch Kareem Hunt take his reps in practice and hope he is a quick healer.

 

Wilson was remorseful after the Monday incident, tweeting, “I just practice with a lot of passion, my intention is to never hurt anyone on my team nor any other player I’m going against. We good though keep the comments to yourself. #NoBarkALLBITE.”

 

As a result, he was punitively dropped a notch on the depth chart and was working with the second unit Tuesday when he suffered the knee injury.

 

Wilson is the only player in the linebackers room who was a regular starter last season as a rookie. He replaced injured veteran Christian Kirksey in game three and played the rest of the season, winding up second on the team in tackles with 82.

 

The seriousness of this injury further weakens a position that was weak to begin with. The Web site profootballfocus.com ranks the Browns’ linebackers 31^st in the NFL, just ahead of the Los Angeles Rams linebackers.

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It is being reported the Cleveland defense is clearly the better side of the football after two days of camp. That's the way it should be after two days. If it were the other way around, that would be a problem.

 

Defense is all about aggression. There is no rhythm to speak of. What they do for the most part is react to what the offense is attempting. Offense is all about timing and cohesion. Just one blown assignment can throw off the rhythm of a play

 

Right now, the Browns’ offense is in the embryonic stage. Two new tackles, one a rookie; a rookie center filling in for the injured starter; a brand new system that takes time to master; and a serious lack of rhythm due to the newness of that system.

It’s only natural the defense is better now. That should begin to change in about a week. If it doesn’t, trouble looms because that side of the football is the Browns’ best chance to play in January.