Shelton OK with coaches expecting more from him
Browns nose tackle BEREA — Danny Shelton thinks he has improved, but he’s still not making the impact his coaches desire. They’re not the only ones who want better production.
“They’re expecting more,” Shelton said after Sunday’s practice, “and at the same time, I’m expecting more as well.”
The Browns haven’t been able to stop the run on a consistent basis during the expansion era, and through two preseason games, the trend doesn’t seem to be on the verge of ending.
The starting defense allowed 38 yards on eight carries (4.75 average) in a 17-11 preseason loss to the Packers on Aug. 12.
It also surrendered 71 yards on 12 carries (5.9 average) on Thursday in a 24-13 loss to the Falcons.
Fair or not, Shelton will always be blamed when the defense can’t stop the run because he’s in the middle of the line and a first-round draft pick who was chosen 12th overall last year to stuff ball-carriers and command double teams from offensive linemen.
“That always hits me, and even last year it always hit me,” Shelton said. “I’m always the guy who thinks higher of our defense and thinks higher of himself. I need to be at a certain level, and the defense needs to be at a certain level. When we don’t perform like that, it hurts me.
“I’m glad with where we’re at now because it’s given us a chance to be humbled because a lot of people expect a lot from us. We expect a lot from us. For us to face these two teams and not come out with the outcome, it’s putting more of a chip on our shoulder.”
The next test will present itself in joint practices with the Buccaneers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Florida.
Then the two teams will face each other in the third exhibition game at 8 p.m. Friday at Raymond James Stadium.
The Falcons’ outside-zone running scheme, employed by former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, presented problems for Shelton. So did former Browns center Alex Mack, a threetime Pro Bowler.
Shelton, though, expects to make strides against the Bucs.
“They’re more of an offense who’s going to run downhill,” he said. “That’s the type of offense I like playing against, playing real football, facing double teams and getting (in) the backfield.
“It’s going to be awesome to play against these guys.”
Format for practice:
Coach Hue Jackson said Browns and Bucs players will don pads in Tuesday’s practice and shells Wednesday.
There won’t be tackling to the ground Tuesday.
Each session is scheduled to run from 9:55 a.m.-noon at the Bucs’ facility. Two separate fields will be used.
“We’ll have 9-on-7, team, pass scale,” he said.
“We’ll do some situational football. We’ll do a lot of different things to get our team better and help them get their team better.”
Jackson and Bucs coach Dirk Koetter began talking about joint practices shortly after April’s draft. Jackson wants to practice with another team every year.
“I’d like to if we can find a willing partner,” he said.