Memorable training camp

Is there any question the Browns' 2023 summer training camp will be remembered mostly as the one that featured two play-making undrafted free agents and a fifth-round rookie quarterback who plays the position like a young veteran? Rhetorical question.

It's rare in training camp to see the likes of linebacker Mahmoud Diabate, wide receiver Austin Jenkins Jr. and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson step right up and let their eye-catching performances introduce themselves to not only the coaching staff, but to Browns Nation as well.

And now after three exhibition games, where the Browns overwhelmed one opponent, underwhelmed another and whelmed the third, Saturday's afternoon's finale in Kansas City will be the final test for Diabate and Jenkins, who most likely will see numerous reps after the starters play for about a quarter.

Both arrived as unknowns trying to make the regular roster with the odds clearly stacked against them. They were late signees considered initially as nothing more than camp fodder.  DTR, by virtue of his draft status, was a lock. His solid performances thus far is a bonus that has excited the fan base.

The other two are on the bubble. Or are they?

Diabate is the kind of lean, mean and quick linebacker who appears to fit perfectly in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's attacking scheme. He also has the knack of showing up near the football quite often. You can't teach that. Tackling also does not seem to be a problem. 

Based on what we've seen in three games, Jenkins deserves to make the final roster on a team that predominantly throws the football. He runs extremely disciplined routes; owns terrific hands; wins a majority of 50-50 balls; and he makes plays in general.  

To calm down the excitement for Diabate and Jenkins, it can be argued neither young man has played against starters on other teams. We have no idea how they would fare. But if you use that as a barometer, there's a chance you might make the wrong move and cut a future starter for some other team. 

It won't be easy for these two to reach their goals. The Browns are stacked at wide receiver with Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Bell and rookie Cedric Tillman with Marquise Goodwin nursing an injury.

Diabate, meanwhile, would bring fresh air to the linebackers room. Returnees Anthony Walker Jr. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Sione Takitaki are coming off surgery, Tony Fields is in his fourth season and Jordan Kunaszyk and Matthew Adams are there for special teams.

It's a gamble General Manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski will address over the weekend as they descend into the bunker to decide who winds up on the regular 53-man roster by 4 p.m. next Tuesday. 

From this viewpoint, both deserve to be in uniform and contributing when the Browns welcome the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener Sept. 10.

***

Funny how things work out just when you think you've made one decision and move on to the next. That's exactly what happened Thursday when Stefanski announced Dobbs would be QB2 behind Watson.

While Stefanski fed the media the news Dobbs was the man, Berry and Arizona GM Monti Ossenfort came to terms on a deal that would send Dobbs and a seventh-round pick to the quarterback-strapped Cardinals for a fifth-rounder.

Kyler Murray is recovering from knee surgery and isn't expected back until early November. Ossenfort needed help with the likes of Colt McCoy, Jeff Driskel and rookie Clayton Tune available. Drew Petzing, his offensive coordinator, was the Browns' quarterbacks coach last season and liked Dobbs.

So the two GMs got what they wanted. Ossenfort a seasoned quarterback and Berry, who loves draft picks, another draft pick. And now everybody's happy, especially Browns fans, as DTR moves up to replace Dobbs.

The end.

***

The move was made shortly after Ossenfort swapped productive linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons to the New York Giants for a seventh-round pick. Swapped? More like robbery in broad daylight. It was an outright gift. 

I wonder if Berry was aware of Simmons' availability. The 6-4, 240-pounder was the eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft and played linebacker for three seasons in Arizona, racking up 258 tackles, including 204 the last two seasons, 138 of them solo.

He asked to be switched back to safety this season, a position he played at Clemson for two years before switching to linebacker in his junior season. He's played a couple of exhibitions this year at safety for the Cards and did not look good. That's when they pulled the plug and shipped him to the Giants.

Meaningless

It isn't often you get a chance to see an entertaining exhibition game in the National Football League. In fact, it's extremely rare.

Monday night's nationally televised game between geographic rivals Washington and Baltimore produced such a game. Five lead changes and a last-minute field goal from 49 yards added up to a come-from-behind 29-28 victory by the Commanders over the Ravens.

Most of the emphasis at this time of the NFL season is placed on constructing 53-man rosters, Most teams rest their starters. Entertaining football is a rarity. Winning and losing are not paramount. It's nice if you win; not devastating if you don't.

Preparing for the regular season has become an exercise in getting ready to play 17 games that mean something. No, make that everything.

In the NFL, National Hockey League and National Basketball Association, this is like spring training in baseball. Games are played, but the results do not count until the regular season. Been that way for a very long time. 

So when the Ravens compiled a 24-game winning streak in games that do not count, it rates nothing more than a footnote that deserves far less attention enterting the Commanders game than some members of the media have given it.

I call these exhibitions meaningless because in the grand scheme of life, that's exactly what they are. There is no value to them from a scoreboard standpoint other than reflecting the final score. Victories and losses do not count toward the regular season.

Exhibition results in no way forecast how a team performs in the regular season. I remember the Browns a long, long time ago lost every exhibition game one season and then went on to win the NFL championship (before the Super Bowl).

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh apparently doesn't see it that way. Perhaps stinging a little from the loss, he lashed out at those who consider exhibition football games meaningless, sort of taking it personally.

"You never played the game," he began his rant. "You never were out there in a pre-season game. You never were fighting for a spot on the field. And yet you have the audacity to say the effort somebody puts into that, to fight and win a game like that is meaningless."

Of course, members of the media never played the game. So that means they were never out there. And yes, they weren't fighting for a spot on the field. That's not their job. Their job is to write and report about what they observe. And I wouldn't call it audacious to label games like this meaningless. 

Why not? Because it's true. They are meaningless. Most fans do not attach importance to them. The final score in these games render them meaningless. It means nothing. Always has.

Harbaugh continued, "I can't respect anybody who says that because of the effort these guys put into it. And that's why I'm so proud of these guys for the way they fought. It doesn't matter, win or loss. (There he said it.) It matters the way they went about their business. And I'm proud of that and always will be."

(I wonder how Harbaugh would fare if he had to write a 500-word game story.)

It's been 24 straight victorious exhibition games since the Ravens boss uttered words like that. Sure sounded a lot like he was assuaging the feelings of the players who failed to extend the winning streak.

Many of those players come into training camp knowing they don't have much of a chance to make the final roster. A lot of them stick around in order to get reps and an opportunity to be seen by scouts from other teams. Exposure is what they seek.

Easy and hard

Trimming the Browns' so-called final roster by 4 p.m. a week from Tuesday will be simultaneously easy and difficult. So-called final roster because it will be massaged frequently once the final 53 players are determined and remain in transitional mode throughout the season.

Unlike previous seasons, when roster cuts were spread over a four-week training-camp period, this one will be one and done under the new rules. One major whack. That means 37 of the current 90-man roster . . .  gone just like that.

So why easy and difficult? Easy because this roster is so talented and deep, an overwhelming majority have already played their way onto the roster. Difficult because decisions thus have to be made on whether to keep training-camp surprises by players the front office does not want to lose.

Also making it difficult is the league rule that requires players, unable to play due to injury problems that have sidelined them, be included on the final list before being eligible to be transferred to another status. That includes receiver Marquise Goodwin and defensive linemen Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas.

Which means General Manager Andrew Berry probably will have to scramble and engage in roster maneuvering to open up those three spots. 

By my count, 48 starters and major contributors are locks to make the team. They include nine defensive linemen, five linebackers and eight defensive backs; nine offensive linemen, five wide receivers, three running backs, three quarterbacks, three tight ends and three specialists.

That leaves five spots left with about a dozen players living on the bubble. Most notable on that list are wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr., linebackers Jordan Kunaszyk and Mahmoud Diabate, offensive lineman Drew Forbes, receiver David Bell, defensive linemen Jordan Elliott and Tommy Togiai, safeties Ronnie Hickman Jr. and D'Anthony Bell and return specialist Jakeem Grant Sr.

Watkins and Diabate have played eye-catching football during the exhibition season and would be no-brainers in other situations. It has reached the point, though, where several other crystal-ball practitioners already have them penciled in. Same with Kunaszyk, a special teams standout.

As expected, all seven members of the Browns' college draft class are safe. General Manager Andrew Berry like to keep his selections for at least two or three seasons before dropping the hammer. Undrafted platers like Hickman and Diabate have an outside shot at swelling the rookie class this season to nine.

If nothing else, it will be interesting watching Berry, who doesn't sit still for a moment on days like this, work his magic as he sculpts his roster. That could include, among everything else, the possibility of a deal or two.

This 'n' that

Kevin Stefanski, it would appear, is a very stubborn football coach. Shocking, I know. It is quite evident in his approach to the handling of enigmatic placekicker Cade York.

On the one hand, the Browns' head coach has become almost adamant that York, whose performance last season and early in the exhibition season has been disappointing, will be fine. I'm not worried, he maintains. Thus, you shouldn't be, either.

York has been the subject of numerous questions by the Cleveland media after badly missing, for him, too many easy field-goal attempts. Stefanski is pestered relentlessly, as he should be. Yes this is still the season of meaningless games, but c'mon, this cannot be dismissed.

It's now at the point with the beginning of the National Football League's regular season dead ahead that York's difficulties need to disappear. Stefanski won't publicly acknowledge it, but he knows York's success, or lack thereof, is attached to his job security.

In close games, placekickers become the most important player on the team. They all too often in the waning moments of a close game are the difference between winning and losing and face more pressure to succeed than any other position on the roster.  It's part of the job.

From all other standpoints, the Browns are a very talent-enriched team. The offense is potentially one of the most dangerous in the NFL. The equally-talented defense, which underperformed and underachieved the last three seasons, has a new coordinator who espouses belligerence and attitude.

Questioned once again in the wake of York missing back-to-back field goals in the final two minutes of Thursday night's 18-18 tie in Philadelphia, Stefanski held his ground even when the media suggested  bringing in someone to challenge his kicker.

"It's preseason, so everyone is working through their preseason,"Stefanski said. "He's like any other player on our roster. . . . He's got to work his way through it. . . . You're constantly trying to perfect your craft." 

The question then becomes how much longer will he be allowed to work his way through it? Sept. 10 will be here sooner than you think. Disdaining the possibility of bringing on another kicker lends fuel to the fire.

"That's our decision," Stefanski said in a case-closed sort of way. "Cade is our kicker. (Period. Me) We support him. We have a ton of confidence in him. It's really as simple as that." Thought, but not said: "Let's move on."

Guess here is Stefanski is smart enough to know he can't publicly acknowledge his concern with York, whose terrific kicking in practice is as meaningless as the results of exhibition games. He sees little or no pressure in training camp.

Subsequent negative results in games, where pressure is the great equalizer, suggest the problem with York might reside between his ears. He seems to be thinking (overthinking?) too much, guesses your humble amateur psychologist.

***

Deshaun Watson wants to start the final exhibition game in Kansas City next week and play at least a quarter. He shared his thoughts with the media after the tie in Philly.

"I would love to be out there," said the quarterback, who has played only one series thus far (in the Washington loss) and looked good. "I know Kevin doesn't want to play us the whole game, but get a little rhythm going for maybe a quarter. . . . and just to have that test I think would be fun."

Stefanski declined to comment on the situation. "I'll let you guys know next week," he said coyly. "He's (Watson) not supposed to spill the beans."

It was a bit surprising he rested his starters in the so-called dress rehearsal game in Philadelphia and then come back in the final game with the crew that played in the Washington tie.

As a general rule, playing the regulars in the final exhibition has become a no-no for most teams, mainly because of the risk of possibly losing a starter or two to injury before the regular season begins.

Another guess: Stefanski will gamble and play the starters against the Chiefs for at least two possessions depending on how they fare.

***

It's pretty safe to predict Dorian Thompson-Robinson will shy away from blocking anyone on opposing teams whenever (if?) he gets reps in a regular-season game. The rookie quarterback was rebuked by his head coach after throwing two blocks on the same play in the Philly game. The second one for a blind-side block drew the scolding.

"He knows the rule you can't block back," Stefanski said. "I love the kid's effort. I love the feistiness. I love that he wants to throw his body around. His teammates love that. But I don't love hurting the team with a (15-yard) penalty."

Meh deadlock

A tie in football, someone once said, is like kissing your sister. Thursday night's exhibition deadlock between the Browns and host Philadelphia Eagles was a little more interesting than that. 

The Browns scored their 18 points every conceivable way, posting a safety for the second straight game; Austin Watkins Jr. hauling in another touchdown pass; rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson displaying  inconsistency for the first time. in his first start; and Cade York booting three straight field goals.

York could have won the game with a fourth with two minutes left in regulation. But then he reverted to form, missing two attempts -- he gained a reprieve from the 47 (wide right) when the Eagles were flagged for an illegal formation on the first -- and was wide left with the second from the 42.

It kind of spoiled a dominating -- nearly 39 minutes of ball control -- and yet frustrating all-round effort on both sides of the football from those battling to make the final 53-man roster. The final definitely does not reflect how dominant this one was.

From the outset, it became obvious head coach Kevin Stefanski wanted to see if DRT could handle a heavy passing load. He called 30 passes in the first 44 plays in the first 30 minutes and the young kid was not the sharp quarterback of the first two meaningless games.

He threaded the needle several times to Watkins, but completed only 13 of his 25 throws for 164 yards. The closest he came to the end zone was the opening possession, which was aborted when running back John Kelly Jr. was stripped of the ball at the Eagles' two.

The poise was there, though. He did not panic when cornered, frequently escaping just when it seemed he would be sacked. He even threw a key block on a late first-quarter 11-yard run by Demetric Felton Jr., but overzealously delivered a second at the tailend of the play and was nailed for an illegal blind-side block.

You've got to admire his willingness to do anything to help a play succeed, but I wouldn't be surprised if Stefanski strongly suggests he stick to running and throwing the football. Remember what happened when Baker Mayfield attempted a tackle after a pick a couple of years ago?

Yep, it was the beginning of the end for him in Cleveland and turned him into a professional football vagabond at a very young age.  

Stefanski dialed Watkins' number eight more times after a six-target first half. It included a spectacular one-hand grab and a juggling reception on a 32-yard scoring hookup with Kellen Mond in the third quarter. He finished the evening with seven catches for 139 yards.

Considering what he has done in three games, I'll be stunned if the Browns release Watkins. He's the kind of playmaker this club needs. Granted he's doing this against backups, but no one else is. He has clearly played his way onto this roster.

The swarming and very active Cleveland defense, meanwhile, limited the Eagles to just 27 plays and 102 yards in the first 30 minutes, making life miserable for veteran Marcus Mariota, creating two turnovers along the way, including another Ronnie Hickman Jr. interception. 

A strong eight-tackle (seven solo) effort by outside linebacker Mohamoud Diabate in just a little over a half surely had to catch Jim Schwartz's attention. The 6-3, 225-pounder was seemingly all over the field, making play after play.

Midway through the second quarter, Diabate alertly punched the football out of hands of Eagles running back Trey Sermon deep in Philadelphia territory, setting up York's second field goal en route to an 8-3 halftime lead.

Also catching Schwartz's attention were the six sacks as the pass rush relentlessly hammered Mariota and backup Tanner McKee, seemingly coming from every direction on the field. They were spread among seven players, just two with a chance of sticking around.

McKee revived the Eagles' offense in the second half against the Browns' third stringers hoping to catch the eye of scouts from other teams around the National Football League. Sermon popped a 33-yard scoring dash up the middle to give the Eagles a 10-8 lead on the first series of the second half.

The Mond-Watkins connection regained the lead two series later and York made it an eight-point game in the opening moment of the fourth quarter with field goal number three. McKee knotted it with six minutes left, hooking up with Brady Russell from 22 yards, adding a successful two-point try.

Two ways of looking at York so far: He is getting better. Three in a row definitely substantiates that. But  he lacks the clutch gene so important to those who aspire to be among the best. In the land of woulda, coulda and shoulda, York didn't.

That's it for starters?

If I'm reading the tea leaves correctly, the next time we'll see the Browns' starting units on the field will be Sept. 10 in the regular-season opener at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski has already indicated backups will play the entire Thursday night exhibition game in Philadelphia against the Eagles. That also means they'll probably repeat that effort in the exhibition finale in Kansas City.

It has become almost tradition that starters sit out the final meaningless game to dodge the possibility of a serious injury on the precipice of the regular season. The penultimate exhibition -- e.g. the Eagles game -- is generally considered the dress rehearsal for games that count. Not anymore it would appear.

Ostensibly, the next two games will give General Manager Andrew Berry, Stefanski and the coaching staff the opportunity to determine what the bottom of the final roster will look like as the starters and major contributors watch from the sidelines.

It's an odd decision that conjures up the notion it could backfire. After all, the Browns' starting offense has booked just one possession to date. This offense needs more game reps and it doesn't look as though it's going to receive them.

The starting defense has had just two cracks, the second one lasting two plays and producing a safety. That's not nearly enough to begin a season finely tuned. 

But what, you say, about all the practice time between now and then? Surely that will be enough time to fine tune what needs to be fine-tuned, right? You know, practice makes perfect. Uh, no. It doesn't.

This curmudgeon is a firm believer that great practices, at least those praised highly by the coaches during the week, more often than not do not necessarily transition well to game-day performances. Give me great game-day players who merely tolerate practice over those who practice well and disappear on game day.

Players get tired playing against each other. After the second-game loss to Washington, several starters for the defense exulted how much they enjoyed hitting someone wearing a different uniform. 

With three of the first four games against division opponents, it is imperative the Cleveland offense is ready. One very impressive series is not nearly enough, however, to suggest Deshaun Watson and company will hit the ground running against the Bengals.

Timing is everything on offense. The running game with precise blocking. The passing game that requires exquisite timing between the thrower and the receiver. The tiniest mistake can blow up a play. 

Defense is another matter. Timing is secondary at best. It's all about aggression and attitude on that side of the football. And from what we've seen thus far in two games, new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz seems to have righted the ship after three years of passive defense.

***

Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson will have the first half against the Eagles; future practice squader Kellen Mond the final 30 minutes. 

Semi-excited to see what DTR does as a starter. Thus far, he's been as close to perfect as you can get to the point where the thought of moving the fifth-round pick up to No. 2 behind Watson has entered conversations.

In two games, he has completed 17 of 21 passes for 184 yards, run nine times for 47 more yards and thrown two touchdown passes in six possessions with just one three and out. His poise is off the charts. His accuracy is virtually unerring. His pocket awareness is beyond his years. You can't teach that.

He has yet to face adversity, though. And that's what I want to see. How he handles a situation he's never faced before. It will happen eventually. How he deals with it will be telling. That's what generally separates the average ones from the good ones and the good ones from the great ones.

Tardy notes

Full disclosure: I was unable to access live coverage of the Browns' 17-15 home exhibition loss to the Washington Commanders last Friday night, delaying the latest rant until now after watching it on tape early Monday morning on NFL Network. Observations on the game.

First glimpse of the starting offense, albeit with just one possession, was an impressive sneak preview of what fans can expect once the 2023 regular season commences at home on Sept. 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Although the 12-play, 67-yard, seven-minute drive begat no points, getting to within a yard of the end zone, it was a product of near flawless football, looking a whole lot different than just about anything we saw last season.

Deshaun Watson looked nothing like thd semi-lost quarterback in the final six games of 2022. He was confident as he ran what, for the most part, was a vanilla scheme that didn't produce a third down until the eighth play. That scheme changes against the Bengals.

Watson dropped back to throw five times, completing the only three passes he threw for just a dozen yards, and scrambled for 17 more yards while escaping the pocket, displaying a keen awareness that appeared to be missing last season.

The drive bogged down on third down at the Washington 1 when head coach/playcaller Kevin Stefanski went conservative and the Commanders' defensive line beat the Cleveland offensive line off the ball twice and stuffed Demetric Felton Jr. and John Kelly Jr. at the goal line on plays that had no chance to succeed..

The Cleveland defense rescued the offense, putting up a safety two plays later when ZaDarius Smith drew a hold penalty in the end zone. Those were the only Cleveland points in the first 30 minutes.

Stefanski apparently had seen enough by that time and gave his offense the rest of the rainy evening off and let his other three quarterbacks battle to see who Watson's backup is this season. It's going to be either veteran Joshua Dobbs and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The best Kellen Mond can hope for is the practice squad.

Dobbs right now is the leader in the clubhouse by virtue of his seven years in the National Football League. But anyone with 20/20 vision can see DTR is the better quarterback now regardless of experience.

Dobbs' four series in the first half resulted in three punts and an interception. DTR had the huddle for the first two possessions of the second half that yielded a missed 46-yard field by Cade York (more on that later) and the first touchdown of the evening after Washington took a 17-2 lead midway through the third quarter.

Once again, the rookie was poised beyond his years, He threw with confidence, hitting on all but one of his 10 passes for 102 yards, including a beautiful seven-yard scoring strike to David Bell on a quick slant. The coaches had to notice the difference.

It's only a matter of time now before DTR, who runs the RPO as well as Watson, works his way past Dobbs.

***

In his first two games as a Brown, even though they don't really count, Austin Watkins Jr. is slowly making it difficult for Stefanski and his offensive crew to determine what the wide receivers room will look like this season.

Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Elijah Moore, rookie Cedric Tillman and Marquise Goodwin (when healthy) are locked in. They're not going anywhere. Bell is on the bubble. A few of the others, except Anthony Schwartz, who will be cut, are practice squad-bound.

That includes Watkins. But how do you ignore his eight receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown in two games. Yes, he's doing all this against second- and third-stringers. But he seems to have the innate ability to make himself available and catches just about everything with his hands.

Add a 6-3, 210-pound frame and you have a player who thus far makes plays. It is hoped Stefanski and his minions on that side of the football like what they see and continue to feed Watkins. 

Also bear in mind the buzz this might be People-Jones' final season in Cleveland. This is going way, way, way out on the limb, but Watkins seems to be the kind of receiver who would fit in well with Watson. I trust my eyes.

***

Can't say enough about Jim Schwartz's swarming and very active defense. The starters played the first two series, making life difficult for Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, who fared much better when they became spectators.

Throughout the game, Schwartz mixed up his coverages, every so often allowing members of the secondary to make plays at the line of scrimmage where they helped blunt Washington's run game. Howell later took advantage of a rare zone look from Schwartz, hooking up with Johan Dotson for a 26-yard touchdown on the first of two second-quarter scores. 

On the next Washington possession, old friend Jacoby Brissett, who will probably will be the opening -day starter for the Commanders, engineered an eight-play, 89-yard march, scrambling the final 12 yards untouched when not a single Brown played contain. 

Those kinds of blown assignments were the hallmark of last season's team. Schwartz is the kind of taskmaster, however, who will make certain that doesn't occur this season, if at all. The performance of the starters in this one gives rise to that hope.

***

The two rookie offensive linemen from Ohio State played well. Dawand Jones makes reaching his quarterback almost impossible. His impossibly-quick feet is his greatest asset and his 6-8, 375-pound frame creates poor visibility of his quarterback. His only mistake was a false start when he reacted to the movement of a Washington linebacker off the ball.

Luke Wypler began the evening in the second half at left guard next to center Nick Harris, who replaced starter Ethan Pocic and played until the final quarter. Wypler then moved to the pivot to finish out the game. He and Jones played big parts in the Browns' two touchdowns. Guess here is both young men will eventually crack the starting lineup. 

***

Finally . . . Stefanski after the game said he isn't worried about York, who has missed field goals from 48 and 46 yards, both wide right. He delivered a typical head coach word salad that never really answered the original question. He knows the importance of a reliable placekicker. He's worried, all right, but doesn't want you -- or York -- to know it. . . . Schwartz (Anthony, that is) is as good as gone. The only way he stays is clearing waivers and joining the practice squad. That won't help. He needs to concentrate on his professional career as a world-class sprinter. . . . Question of the week: Are two interceptions by rookie Ronnie Hickman good enough to wind up in the secondary room this season and make it four Buckeyes on the roster?

Test of Wills

Bill Callahan took the opportunity to talk about one of his operatives the other day at Browns' training camp in Berea. See if you can figure out who the offensive line coach was talking about.

"I think he's really progressed," Callahan began his assessment. "We came out of last year's film evaluation, the scheme evaluation from the offseason and saw a lot of positive things. We saw steps."

Think about those last three words as you try to figure out who the well-respected position coach was talking about.

"Now," he went on, "we want (him) to be more physical. We want (him) to be . . . more consistent in terms of the finish. We'd like to see that finish become more violent, more physical. I think we're pushing that."

Any guesses? Here's more.

"He's a great kid," Callahan continued. "He takes constructive criticism well. He takes challenges well, so he's up for it. He wants to get better. He's shown that in the offseason and in training camp. He's becoming a more consistent pass protector."

Hint: It's not third-year tackle James Hudson III. One more clue.

"We've added some things to his repertoire in terms of technique," Callahan revealed without getting specific. "We're really hopeful. I know he's challenged to get better and improve because there are some big things out there ahead for him.

At first blush, you might be thinking he was talking about a second-year player who struggled in his rookie season. Nope even though a lot of what he said pointed in that direction. "Really progressed"; "lot of positive things" "we saw steps"; "he wants to get better."

He was talking about Jedrick Wills Jr., the club's starting left tackle for each one of his three professional seasons. Three years in the National Football League and his position coach is talking about him like he's just starting to get it.

He should be talking about Wills' wonderful accomplishments as the second-most important player on offense, successfully switching to the left side after playing his entire career previously on the right side. He can't, though, because it's not true.

Callahan shouldn't be saying, "We saw steps." That's an indictment, as is "we're really hopeful." That kind of talk should have been uttered in Wills' second season, not his fourth. The former first-round choice is either a slow learner or way too nice to play the position as physically and violently as his coach desires.

(At the risk of being repetitious, you wouldn't be reading this had the Browns done the right thing and selected Tristan Wirfs at No. 10 in 2020 instead of Wills. Wirfs has booked three straight Pro Bowl selections with Tampa Bay as Wills works on his learning curve.)

That the Browns picked up Wills' fifth-year option earlier this year was a bit of a stunner. Hard to believe General Manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski sanctioned it. The only consistency Wills has provided in three seasons is playing below-average football on a weekly (weakly?) basis.

Bear all this mind as Deshaun Watson begins his first full season as the face of the franchise in about a month. His health -- and success -- depend heavily on the performance of the five guys in from of him. He must be protected zealously for at least 17 games.

"He wants to get better," Callahan praised Wills' attitude and approach. Not quite right. Wills needs to get better or else 2023 very well could turn out a lot like 2021 and 2022.

HOF leftovers 

This and that . . . 

At 6-8 and 375 pounds, Dawand Jones sticks out on a football field. You can't help but notice the enormity of the young man.

There are times where you can't take your eyes off him just to watch how the Browns' fourth-round draft choice a few months ago operates, marveling at how surprisingly light he is on his feet as he drops back to defend his quarterback on a pass play.

In the Pro Football Hall of Fame game in Canton Thursday night, the hulking former Ohio State Buckeye played every offensive snap (74), threw in four more on placement attempts and emerged a much better player than most believed. Nary a hold that was accepted nor a false start in 35 dropbacks.

If the Browns had any concerns about Jones handling the load of a full game and the stamina factor that went with it, they were dispelled. 

Playing every snap doesn't happen during the exhibition football season. Coaches play as many young men as possible as they begin to craft the bottom of the roster. 

Jones was close to perfect, although the Cleveland coaching staff no doubt noticed little mistakes that did not negatively impact plays. Yes he was going up against the Jets' twos and threes, but he dominated. He's worth keeping an eye on in the next three weeks.

His performance against the Jets should not have been surprising. He was groomed at Ohio State to play in the pass-heavy National Football League under Ryan Day's pass-centric offense. In the last two seasons, he allowed only three sacks (none last season), one QB hit and 12 hurries.

That he fell to the fourth round stemmed in part from the notion he would have problems handling speedy rush specialists at the next level. But he showed a quickness with his feet in this outing -- looking more like a 275-pounder than a 375-pounder -- that belied it.

He played on the strong (right) side against the Jets, where he also helped the ground game compile 172 yards. It probably won't happen, but I'd love to see him on the other side of the line before the start of the regular season juist to see if he can play there. That's where the lone offensive weakness operates. 

Jack Conklin is entrenched at right tackle. But if Jedrick Wills Jr. continues to wallow in mediocrity at left tackle as he has in his first three pro seasons, I have to think Jones' name has to enter the conversation at some point. Yep, I'm hopping on that bandwagon.

***

Jones' Buckeye buddy Luke Wypler also logged significant snaps (55) after taking over at center for Nick Harris. Whether it was a coincidence or not, the Cleveland attack seemed to perk up after he entered the game on the fifth series.

The result: Seventeen plays, 71 yards, 8:33 off the play clock and the first Cleveland score of the game after a 13-0 hole, running back John Kelly Jr. on the receiving end of a little three-yard flare pass to the weak side.

First possession of the second half, 11 more plays, 93 more yards, another 6:47 off the clock and a 16-yard dash around the right side unmolested by Demetric Felton Jr. rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson clearing the way with a devastating block on Jets cornerback Jimmy Moreland.

Capping it all off, Wypler two possessions later snapped the ball nine more times for 78 more yards in 5:08 and witnessed DTR threading a 22-yard perfecto to wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. on a  beautifully-timed slant to complete the scoring in the 21-16 victory.

That's 37 plays, 242 yards, 18:42 off the clock and three touchdowns, all with Wypler in the pivot. Just sayin'.

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Finally . . . Liked what I saw from rookie defensive tackle Siaki Ika, safety Bubba Bolden, rookie linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, Watkins and Felton. Ika played just 21 snaps, but produced two solo tackles. He sure takes up a lot of space with his 6-3 and 360 pounds . . . Bolden, who had four tackles (two solo) in 27 snaps is a ballhawk . . . The coaches must like Diabate, who led the defense with 84% of the snaps and recorded three stops (two solo) . . . Love Watkins' size (6-1, 210) and hands. He'll be tough to cut . . . Felton bounced around his first two seasons between running back and wide receiver. He's a running back. Period. Proved it on his touchdown run Thursday night. 

Meaningless, but pleasing

The scoreboard at the end of Thursday night's Hall of Fame game in Canton read Cleveland 21, New York Jets 16. An encouraging beginning to the 2023 exhibition season for the Browns.

Yes, every Cleveland starter and/or major contributor on both sides of the football watched from the Cleveland sidelines in street clothes as the second and third units overcame an early 13-0 deficit as head coach Kevin Stefanski provided a sneak peek at what the immediate future looks like.

Of course it was meaningless, as are all exhibition games. But it was difficult not to at least get a little excited about the performances of running backs John Kelly Jr., Hassan Hall and Demetric Felton Jr., who compiled 122 yards of the Browns' 172 rushing yards against the Jets scrubs.

Kelly and Felton, in particular, were strong at the point of attack and relentlessly picked up extra yards when holes appeared to be closed. It will be interesting to watch their battle with Jerome Ford for the backup spot to Nick Chubb.

But the most impressive reveal of the evening answered the question of who will back up Deshaun Watson and Joshua Dobbs at quarterback this season. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who will be known from now on as DTR, was clearly the star against the Jets.

The fifth-round pick out of UCLA was 8-of-11 for 82 yards and a beautifully-thrown 22-yard scoring slant to Austin Watkins Jr. that gave the Browns their first lead at 21-16 in the fourth quarter. It culminated a nine-play, 78-yard five-minute journey. 

In his very first series to open the second half, DTR guided the offense 93 yards in 11 plays in 6:47, Felton streaking the final 16 yards with the quarterback surprisingly delivering the key block for his ex-college teammate.

Along the way, Browns fans were also entertained by his quick feet, displaying at times the pocket escapability and elusiveness reminiscent of Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. He seemed, at least from the game, to know when to leave the pocket, and prolong drives. 

He all but sealed up the backup job in relief of Kellen Mond, who played the first half and led the offense to the first of three clock-chewing scoring drives, but was victimized by an Anthony Schwartz fumble on an end around deep in Cleveland territory in the opening quarter and by a poorly thrown pick.

That led to 10 gift points on the second of Greg Zuerlein's three field goals and the lone Jets touchdown by Israel Abanikanda.  After that, the defense took over. and dominated.

Outside of minimizing the damage caused by the two first-half turnovers, Jim Schwartz's aggressive backup crew was steady, holding the New York offense to just nine first downs, a meager 53 yards on the ground and only 188 yards overall.  

In five second-half possessions, the Jets punted thrice, turned the ball over on downs, were picked off by young safety Bubba Bolden on a desperate last-minute heave, and never got closer than the Browns' 29-yard line.

The defensive staff had to be pleased by Bolden, linebackers Charlie Thomas III and veteran Tony Fields II and cornerback Thomas Graham Jr., who were either in on or in the vicinity of numerous plays.

The only major concern on the evening -- and this is a bit of a stretch -- were the 90 yards the special teams surrendered on kicks; a 45-yard return of a kickoff by Xavier Gipson and the 45 yards on two punt returns by Alex Erickson, 

The pleasing result of this one aside, the evening provided more than a glimmer of hope and promise that the bench strength this season behind one of the league's strongest cores is a distinct improvement from last season.

Trimming the roster to the final 53 men next month, at least based on what we saw Thursday night, almost certainly will be challenging and rewarding at the same time for General Manager Andrew Berry.  Challenging because of its difficulty; rewarding knowing how much stronger the roster will be.