The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Higgins, Callaway vying for starting nod
“We like the group we have here right now. It’s a very young group, a very talented young group, and we need to get these guys better.”
— Browns coach Hue Jackson
Corey Coleman has shuffled off to Buffalo after being traded to the Bills on Aug. 5 for a seventhround draft choice in 2020.
Running back Duke Johnson wants Coleman’s old job as a starting receiver, but can’t have it, Browns coach Hue Jackson says.
Rookie Antonio Callaway wants Coleman’s position, too, and so does Rashard Higgins, now in his third season.
At some point the Browns expect Josh Gordon to walk into the locker room, slip into his uniform, and do what he does best, which is run fast and catch footballs with the ease most people breathe.
Jackson, though, said trading Coleman is not connected to any expectations regarding Gordon’s potential return. Gordon is absent because he is seeking counseling to help him deal with his sobriety after battling substance addiction.
In conclusion: The Browns expect to be just fine without Corey Coleman.
“I wish Corey well,” is all Jackson would say on the matter after practice Aug. 6. “I appreciated the time coaching him while he was here, and, like I said, I wish him luck.
“We like the group we have here right now. It’s a very young group, a very talented young group, and we need to get these guys better.”
Callaway and Higgins split wide and Jarvis Landry lined up in the slot in some formations during 11-on-11 drills in practice Aug. 6.
Johnson, the fourth-year player from the University of Miami, is one of four players left from the 16 drafted by former general manager Ray Farmer in 2014 and 2015. He led the Browns with 74 catches last year. Tight end Seth DeValve was second with 33 receptions.
“I enjoy wideout and have more fun playing wideout than I do running back,” Johnson said. “When the ball gets there, catching is catching. It depends on how much separation you create between yourself and the defender. It’s the same to me.”
Nice idea, but it won’t happen.
“Let me make this clear; Duke’s position won’t change,”
Jackson said. “That’s first and foremost. But will Duke get the opportunity go out there as a back in our packages and play receiver? Yes he will. Duke is a very vital part of what we do on offense.”
Meanwhile, Callaway is eager to take advantage of an opening on the depth chart. The fourth-round pick from Florida has looked smooth running routes and has displayed reliable hands in training camp. He views the Coleman trade as a vote of confidence from the coaching staff.
“It helped open the door for me to have more opportunities to show what I can do at the next level for the first time,” Callaway said before practice. “It gave me confidence to push harder, do the extra.”
Callaway caught 54 passes at the University of Florida in 2016. He did not play in 2017 because of alleged involvement
in credit card fraud. Numerous other off-the-field issues redflagged his draft status, but the Browns considered him worth trading picks 114 and 178 to New England for pick 105 to risk it on Callaway.
“He has talent,” Jackson said. “I think he’s starting to really get the system, learning how to do things the way we want them done. He’s really looking forward to Thursday night (preseason opener vs. Giants). I’m glad he senses it, because I do, too. I want to make sure he goes out there on Thursday and plays the way we think he can play.”
Higgins caught six passes as a rookie in 2016, was cut on Sept. 3 last year, signed to the practice squad two days later and elevated to the 53-man roster on Sept. 16. He played in 15 games with four starts in 2017 and caught 27 passes.
Higgins caught seven
passes for 95 yards vs. Baltimore in the second game of 2017 and three for 68 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers in the final game of the season. He caught 17 passes in the 13 games in between.
“Rashard made some plays for us and there were games he disappeared a little bit, and then showed back up again,” Jackson said. “The biggest thing he learned is how hard you have to work every day. I think the wakeup call for him was when he was released. He came back and worked his tail off,
“Again, this is week to week. He’s going to the opportunity to showcase his talent Thursday night. Every guy at that position has to play well.”
Jackson has not ruled out signing another wide receiver. Former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant remains a free agent.