The Browns finally opened training camp this week, and Todd Monken didn’t hide how much he likes seeing the place come alive once the fans start filing in.
After the team’s first open practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, the head coach said the energy changes fast when the crowd is around.
“It's cool...the vibe's already there because of the start of camp. You get the crowd here, kind of pumps it up.” #Browns head coach Todd Monken on the first open practice for fans today pic.twitter.com/Zg9mULOQPP
Monken expanded on that feeling after Friday’s session, saying, “it’s cool… you go a couple of days, and the vibe is already there because of the start of camp.”
He also said, “I think it’s awesome that after a couple of days, you get the crowd here, it pumps it up, it just does.”
And he drew a direct comparison to his own background in college football.
“It’s a little bit like when you’re in college and you’re in spring ball…it goes a few days and then you get a few NFL scouts, it kind of picks it up a little bit.”
That perspective fits Monken’s path. He spent a large part of his coaching career in the college ranks, including at Georgia, where he helped the Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships.
The early days of camp have already given Cleveland a chance to start sorting through the biggest storylines. The quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders is near the top of the list, and there’s plenty of attention on the rookies trying to make their mark, too.
The Browns had rookies and quarterbacks report on July 23, then veterans arrived on the 28th. Their first full-squad practice came the next day and was closed to the public, giving the team a stretch to start building chemistry before the long season ahead.
Cleveland’s camp schedule runs from July 31 to August 12 in Berea, with the preseason set to begin August 15 in Chicago against the Bears.
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