Quinshon Judkins didn’t duck the subject when asked about the practice hit Todd Monken had to address. He owned it, and he framed the lesson in simple terms: the Browns have been grinding against each other all camp, but that doesn’t mean anyone should forget where the line is.
Judkins delivered a forceful block on defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. during a non-padded practice, knocking the 290-pound lineman to the turf. Hall looked exposed on the play, and Monken later spoke directly with Judkins about it.
“There is a certain amount of regret at the moment when it happens,” Monken said. “You’ve got to fight to not get hijacked emotionally in a highly emotional game for all of us, whether it’s in our work or our personal lives."
The message landed. Judkins said the priority is protecting teammates even in the middle of competition.
“For me, it was just basically you’ve got to protect the team, got to protect your teammates,” Judkins said. “Even though you guys are out there competing, at the end of the day, we’re not against each other.
You know what I’m saying? So that’s really the main goal.
And that’s what everybody has on this team as far as the vision is to go out there and win each and every football game and making sure your guys are healthy.”
Cleveland’s camp has been heavy on internal contact since the team reported in late July, but that changes Saturday with the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears. Judkins and the starters are not expected to see much action, though the game should at least give the Browns a break from beating up on one another.
Judkins is also trying to keep the focus where it belongs amid the quarterback noise that has followed the team all summer. The battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson has been the loudest storyline around Cleveland, but Judkins said it has not pulled him off task.
“Never,” Judkins said. “I would never say it’s a distraction just because we have a great head coach.
Coach Monken keeps us focused on the things that matter. And it goes back to team.
That’s what’s most important. At the end of the day, we go out there and compete at practice and we have each other’s back.
So we go in the quarterback room, each and every one of those guys, they support each other no matter who throws a pick or who throws a touchdown. They still act the same way.
None of those guys change. So I think that’s what’s important.”
Judkins is coming off a rookie season that put him firmly in place as Cleveland’s lead back. He rushed for 827 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games before his year ended in Week 16 with a dislocated right ankle and fractured fibula. He has since returned to full strength.
Whoever ends up winning the quarterback job will step into an offense that has been overhauled around more young talent. Monken was brought in to help fix a unit that averaged 16.4 points per game last season, which ranked 31st in the league. Along with Judkins, the Browns now have tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and rookie receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in the mix.
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