Cleveland Browns Training Camp Recap: Day 2 – Guardian Caps

What are these things?

Here is Thursday’s practice report for the Browns from Berea:

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report – Day 2 (7/28/22)

1. Schwartz Leaves With Knee Injury: Injuries are the deflating part of training camp news, but we start today’s report with the fact that WR Anthony Schwartz walked into the fieldhouse with a trainer after tweaking his knee during practice. After practice, the Browns’ post-practice notes said that he would be further evaluated.

2. Guardian Caps: No, we’re not referring to Cleveland’s baseball team. Something that I learned today was that the NFLPA now requires something new called “guardian caps” to be worn over helmets for the first few weeks of camp. It is mandatory for offensive linemen, defensive linemen, tight ends, and linebackers — basically the players who will be engaging others for blocks. The caps are designed to soften the blow on hits and reduce the chances of sustaining a concussion.

3. Drill of the Day: It’s always fun trying to discover new drills in camp, and here is one that I don’t recall seeing in all the years: two assistants using props to try to break up a ball thrown to a wide receiver. It’s the receiver’s job to concentrate and pull the ball down amidst the “hands” being in the way.

4. Peoples-Jones Trying to Shine Again: You may recall that WR Donovan Peoples-Jones was the star of camp last year, with highlight after highlight each practice. I wouldn’t say he went on to have a bad season, but all of those camp highlights didn’t end up translating to regular season highlights. Well, for the second year in a row, Peoples-Jones is making a positive impression on the media in attendance. The clip below isn’t necessarily a highlight, but it is of him catching a pass from QB Deshaun Watson.

5. Highlight of Practice: Especially when the drills in practice are so light right now, you hate to even label something a highlight — and I full well acknowledge that this clip is something I could run and easily catch on a pass from my brother. Nonetheless, it shows some of the touch that QB Deshaun Watson has, as he completed this pass to WR Demetric Felton:

6. Stefanski on Nick Harris: Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talked up the valuable reps that C Nick Harris had over the past few years in practice:

On what the Browns have learned about C Nick Harris:

“With Nick, as you know, he practiced so much because (former Browns and free agent C) JC (Tretter] was really on a pitch count, if you will, and we were being careful with JC’s knees throughout his career. With Nick, we saw a lot of him. There were a ton of reps that we got with him. He got to in the meeting room be able to study with JC with (offensive line) Coach (Bill) Callahan, (G) Joel (Bitonio), (T) Jack Conklin, (G) Wyatt Teller and some of the older players, more established players. I think he has been brought along the right way. Then to his credit, he has done everything we have asked him to do. He is another guy who has worked very, very hard in this building to transform his body so I am excited about Nick.”

On how players like Harris getting additional practice reps earlier in their careers accelerates their growth:

“Very much so. There is nothing like doing. You can be up on the board as much as you want, but doing the job is really what will allow you to learn any of those tasks.”

7. Brownies: The Browns’ first practice in full pads will be on Tuesday. … Practice lasted just over an hour. … Per ESPN’s Jake Trotter, the chemistry between QB Deshaun Watson and WR Amari Cooper is a touch off at the moment. … S John Johnson III praised Grant Delpit as the glue of the secondary due to his versatility. … OL Joel Bitonio was a bit surprised that no one has signed C J.C. Tretter with training camps all underway.

8. Next Up: The Browns will practice on Friday at 2:00 PM ET. The first practice open to fans is on Saturday.