Defense: I didn’t really get to see the defensive side of the ball, but I will report their progress in the next report.
Hello, Browns Town Fans, this is Greg “Do-It” Pruitt, #34 on your roster and #1 in your hearts. This is my report for the Call & Post as to what I observed at the Browns Training Camp this past Wednesday, August 1st, 2012.
Let me first start by saying that I think the Browns were a better team in 2011 than their record of 4 wins and 12 losses shows.
I think the Browns finally get it. You have to be able to match up with the teams that are in your division (AFC North –Cincinnati,Pittsburgh, and Baltimore). This is a very physical division, and you must be physical to compete.
Running Back: Trent Richardson will bring that to this year’s offense. He is as physical as Payton Hillis, but more elusive – and he can stay on the field on third down and long. I like how he reads holes, and will make life a little easier for offensive lineman, which will, in turn, bring out more effort from the linemen because ofRichardson’s break-away ability.
Quarterback: As much as having two good quarter backs competing for a starting job is good for the team, Brandon Weeden will be the starter this year, in my opinion, although I think that Colt McCoy has a lot of potential as a quarter back. Weeden is probably more developed at this stage in his carreer. By going with Weeden, the Browns are saying they are not willing to wait for that maturity to come with McCoy, at least not as a starter.
Offensive Line: Browns brought in free agents as well as draft picks (Mitchell Schwartz,University ofCalifornia) to improve the line, and like I said above,Richardson’s running skills should also help the line.
Wide Receivers: The Browns have a lot of receivers in camp. I still say that Greg Little is going to be The Man. I thought he has a lot of room for improvement, and I see some of that improvement. Look out for Josh Cooper, a free agent who already has an edge because he played with Weeden at OSU (OklahomaStateUniversity). I like both Travis Benjamin (fromUniversity ofMiami) and Josh Gordon – like I said, there are lots of wide outs and they all seem to have good hands. In time, the cream will come to the top and we will discuss them further after they get some more practice time.
Tight Ends: There is a great group of tight ends, with Benjamin Watson, and Jordan Cameron leading the way. Check your Call & Post for reports on some of the others as camp goes on and I see more reps.
Defense: I didn’t really get to see the defensive side of the ball, but I will report their progress in the next report.
Overall: I feel good about the Browns. They, in my opinion, could have won three to four more games than they won in 2011. These games were lost from inexperience, and that can be corrected. They have a tough schedule, but I think it’s good we will find out right away where we are, if the selling of the team will become a distraction, and we’ve got to get lucky in the injury department.
I expect vast improvement. Go Browns!!!
