Off-season thoughts (Vol. XXXIV)

The Browns spent their second day of mandatory minicamp Wednesday traveling down the road to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. It was more of acquainting the 90-man roster with their teammates as well as the shrine itself. 

The workout was informal. No helmets. No pads. Just shorts, jerseys and caps. Nothing fancy. Maybe a half hour of practice inside the stadium. 

A great many of them had no idea how special this franchise was in the second half of the 20th century with 17 Hall of Famers and numerous championships in the old All-America Football Conference and National Football League. For the longest time, the Browns in the glory years correctly called themselves "The Greatest Show in Football."

All the current group knew was the misery the franchise and its fans suffered after the NFL unfairly and unjustly allowed it to be ripped it away from Cleveland in 1995 and transplanted to Baltimore before finally getting it back in 1999 as an expansion team.

It also was an historical indoctrination for them into what and who preceded them into the pantheon of greatness as they toured the Hall. The only member who did not tour was defensive end Myles Garrett, well on his way to becoming a member of the Hall five years after he retires.

The two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler (in five seasons) made news late last week when he declared he would not step inside the Hall until deemed worthy of induction. "Until I have my face (he probably meant bust) in it, I don't want to go (in)," he said.

That didn't stop him from making the trip and practicing. "I understand his feelings on that," said head coach Kevin Stefanski, who obviously rubber-stamped Garrett's absence inside. 

Perhaps this is Garrett's way of keeping his eyes focused on the ultimate reason he plays this game; a self-motivating reason to play it at the highest possible level as consistently as possible. With the exception of a helmet-swinging incident in 2019 against Pittsburgh that led to a season-ending six-game suspension, he has put up Hall of Fame numbers.

Despite getting double- and sometimes triple-teamed, Garrett has racked up 58.5 sacks in just 68 regular-season games, including a career-high and club record-breaking 16 last season. It's a pace that ranks right up there with the all-time greats.

Bruce Smith, who played 19 seasons with Buffalo and Washington, is the all-time NFL sack leader with 200 in 278 games, or 0.72 a game. The late Reggie White in 15 seasons with Philadelphia, Green Bay and Carolina is right behind with 198 sacks in 232 games, or 0.853 a game. Both are Hall of Famers.

Garrett checks in with 0.860 a game, arguably the best per-game stat in history in the category. At  this pace, he'll surpass Smith and White in about a dozen years if he lasts that long. He'll need good health and longevity to reach that territory.

Then he can finally take the trip inside.