Martin Emerson’s injury, QB competition and more
Day 7 of the Cleveland Browns Training Camp wrapped up. It was a productive day, as the team was back in pads Wednesday morning after being in shells yesterday. A productive day as I was able to attend the session and watch practice at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea.
Here are the takeaways from Day 7 of Training Camp.
Mason Graham looks everything as advertised
I know it’s early and they haven’t played a game yet but rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham has looked sensational so far. The rumors of Graham looking out of shape during rookie OTA’s was blown out of proportion as he doesn’t look out of shape in any way. Watching the OL/DL drills and then watching the team period, it feels like every play he was a constant disruption in the backfield along the interior. Cleveland’s interior was an issue last year, but it’s a strength and Graham will be a force along the interior aside from Maliek Collins.
Sanders gets reps against the 1st team defense
As reported by multiple beat reporters at practice, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders got the long awaited reps people have been clamoring for. Difference? It was against the 1st team defense as he worked with the 2nd team offense.
From my vantage point, Sanders held up well. He wasn’t perfect but the fact that he didn’t look overwhelmed going up against the 1st team defense says a lot about his preparation and his approach. I would’ve liked Sanders to be a little more quick in terms of getting the ball out, but he used his legs more than I thought. He’s not necessarily someone who has uber athleticism but he has shown he can extend plays if given the opportunity.
Sanders made some nice throws throughout the session but the reps against the 1st team defense is something that was noticeable.
Live tackling at training camp for the 1st time under Stefanski
For the first time since head coach Kevin Stefanski has been the head coach of the Browns, there was live tackling at practice today. Is it a good thing that the team is tackling with pads? Yes. Is it risky? Also yes.
Live tackling at practice has it’s pros and cons, the players loved it and it helped raised the intensity of an already intense training camp so far. Football practices vary based on the gear that they are in, the team was in jerseys and shorts on Tuesday but went back to full pads on Wednesday so the intensity varies when it comes to that.
Browns search for a nickel corner starts after Emerson injury
With cornerback Martin Emerson being ruled out for the season after suffering a torn Achilles on Tuesday, the Browns cornerback room underwent some reshuffling. Cornerback Greg Newsome now bumps to the outside while the team looks for another nickel corner to fill in with Ward and Newsome.
Cornerback Cam Mitchell had a rough day today but it’s training camp, it’s how it goes. Myles Harden, who played sparingly last season could see an extended look, same goes for Nik Needham who didn’t play at all last season as he was recovering from a knee injury he suffered in 2023. Could the team look for another corner to help bolster the room? Likely but the search for the starting nickel cornerback will probably take a while to figure out.