Day 4 of Cleveland Browns training camp brought the kind of mixed bag that tends to define early August: a little rhythm on offense, a lot of ball disruption on defense, and more than a few moments that reminded everyone these competitions are still very much alive.
Before Saturday’s practice, both quarterbacks battling for the starting job spoke with reporters. Deshaun Watson said he’d be open to signing a contract extension to stay in Cleveland when his current contract expires, while Shedeur Sanders discussed the differences he sees in himself in year two and how comfortable he feels in Todd Monken’s offense.
The practice itself had plenty going on behind the scenes. Teven Jenkins missed a second straight day, which pushed KT Leveston into work with the starters.
It’s still early, and the coaching staff isn’t making decisions based on camp absences alone, but those missed reps can matter. Last year, Kenny Pickett’s limited practice time ended up taking him out of the quarterback race.
The Browns’ quarterbacks also had a rough day in the red zone once the drills started. Much of the work centered on the team’s first red zone installation, which naturally created a flood of touchdown chances - and, just as often, turnover chances. Because these were 7-on-7 periods, some of the scores were basic, including a Shedeur Sanders-to-Jerry Jeudy touchdown.
But the defense kept cashing in too. Watson threw a short pass to Jack Stoll early in practice that should have been completed, but Emmanuel McNeil-Warren helped knock it loose, tipped it into the air, and Christopher Edmonds finished the play with a pick six. Edmonds ended the day with two interceptions.
Watson also had one of the uglier throws of the day in red zone work, firing the ball straight to Donovan McMillan after he was basically standing there waiting for it. Watson did connect on a few designed rollout touchdowns in those red zone drills, but the turnovers kept piling up around him and Sanders.
Mason Graham continued to make his presence felt up front, with the defensive line repeatedly getting into the backfield. Even without pads, that kind of pressure stands out, and Graham has been consistently part of it.
The Browns ended up throwing five interceptions on the day, and it easily could have been six. In one of the final red zone periods, Sanders had a pass for Jeudy dropped by Grant Delpit.
The day closed with more downfield work to the right side, and both quarterbacks got picked again. Sanders was intercepted by D’Angelo Ross while trying to hit Jeudy.
Some around the field felt that if the target had been Denzel Boston instead, the play might have ended differently. Watson then tried to find Tylan Wallace, but the throw sailed too far and Christopher Edmonds came away with another interception.
There were a few other notes worth tracking. Harold Fannin returned after his personal absence day, while Carson Schwesinger did not practice and watched from the sideline.
Luke Floriea picked up yards on an end around. Jamari Thrash, Kalia Davis, and Joe Royer were also out, with Royer absent for personal reasons.
Dillon Gabriel has been mentioned by media as the most consistent quarterback, though he was picked off by Reid Carrico to finish practice.
For a broader view of who’s been standing out so far, Zac Jackson of The Athletic also offered a list of five players who have impressed through camp.
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Todd Monken has made it clear that rookies, even highly regarded ones, have to win their jobs rather than inherit them, and that approach puts Fano in a delicate spot at exactly the wrong time. There are already questions from some scouts about whether his frame and the move from right tackle to left tackle will complicate the transition, but the Browns still need a real look at him against the starting offensive line before they can know what they have. [Read more 🡒]