There’s something new going on in Berea

Influx of talent, especially at quarterback, has the Browns feeling better about themselves with training camp set to start

It’s that time of summer again — when the Browns return to training camp and hope springs eternal.

Training camp begins at 2:35 p.m. July 26 at team headquarters at 76 Lou Groza Boulevard in Berea. Admission is free, but fans must have tickets to attend. Each practice is scheduled to run for about three hours.

The Browns, record wise, are in the darkest period of their history. They are 1-31 the past two years under head coach Hue Jackson. They won just three of 21 games prior to his arrival.

But the past is the past. The Browns have a veteran quarterback in Tyrod Taylor (22-20 in three seasons at Buffalo), a reconstructed secondary, new blood at receiver in the form of Jarvis Landry, a retooled backfield with veteran Carlos Hyde plus rookie Nick Chubb and a refurbished linebacker corps with veteran Mychal Kendricks and a nowhealthy Jamie Collins hoping to return to form after injuries prevented him from playing all but six games last season.

“This is going to be a good team moving forward,” John Dorsey, in his first full season as Browns general manager, said July 25 during a press conference in Berea. “The whole key to training camp is going to be come to work every day, work on the little things that will get you better.

“There’s talent here. Now they have to come together and understand the task at hand.” Browns GM John Dorsey

“I’ve always said you come in as teammates, you’re going to leave as family because that way if you have singleminded purpose with single goals, you understand how to get things done. And then as the season goes along, I’ve always lived by the mantra of each week is 1-0. Let’s be competitive week in and week out. Let’s be competitive in the AFC North. There’s talent here. Now they have to come together and understand the task at hand.”

Not everything is sunshine and roses. Coach Hue

Jackson announced wide receiver Ricardo Louis will miss the entirety of the 2018 season after undergoing neck surgery to repair a 2017 injury. Also, fellow wide receiver Josh Gordon is absent for a reason no one will reveal. Dorsey and Jackson say they expect Gordon to play for the Browns in 2018, but neither will speculate on when he might return.

One other change — the Browns have an offensive coordinator (Todd Haley) for the first time since Jackson was named head coach in January of 2016.

“Well, my role has changed,” Jackson said. “I have now taken on the ‘CEO’ aspect of it. I kind of oversee

it all. That was tough — being very honest with you — when you have to step away from something you love doing. But as I said earlier, it is not about personal wins for me anymore.

“I’ve done all of that. It’s about organizational wins. I brought Todd Haley here for a reason, to help this organization get to winning.”

Jackson reaffirmed his commitment to Taylor as the starting quarterback. To that end, Taylor will receive most of the practice time with the first team. Rookie Baker Mayfield will have to learn in a backup role.

“I don’t envision any situation where all of a sudden (Mayfield) is getting a bunch

first team reps — unless, God forbid, something happens,” Jackson said. “At the same time, there might be a day where Tyrod, all of a sudden, maybe does not go, and Baker’s out there and people go, ‘Oh my gosh.’ It would not be that. Let’s not turn that into now he is going to be the starter.

“I’m committed to making this work the way we have it, because I feel it’s best for the organization and best for the player. If the player (Mayfield) supersedes that, it will show itself.”

Shon Coleman will open training camp as the starting left tackle, Jackson said. Greg Robinson and Austin Corbett will compete for the job.

RON SCHWANE — ASSOCIATED PRESS Jarvis Landry, left, and Tyrod Taylor during an OTA June 5 in Berea. The additions of Landry and Taylor are some of the reasons the Browns feel positive as training camp is set to open July 26.