The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
‘Baby steps’ being taken in rookie minicamp
The Browns on May 14 took the first step in what is expected to be a march deep into the playoffs when they opened rookie minicamp on a gorgeous afternoon at their training complex in Berea.
Fifth-round draft pick Tony Fields was absent with a foot injury that will keep him sidelined for a few weeks, but even that news wasn’t all bad because he should heal without surgery, Coach Kevin Stefanski said.
“I look out my window and I see these beautiful fields,” Stefanski said on a Zoom call after practice. “It looks a lot better when there are players and coaches out there.
“A beautiful day here in
Northeast Ohio. Great to be coaching these kids. A lot of them are swimming, as you can imagine, with some of the mental things that we’re putting on their plate, but they’re very coachable. This is baby steps, but it’s important to start there with these young players. A lot of really good technique work today.”
Grass was all Stefanski could see every time he looked out his office window last May — unless someone from the grounds crew was on a lawn mower — because the pandemic forced the NFL to eliminate all workout sessions until training camps began.
Only 18 players are in the current minicamp.
The group includes drafted players minus Fields and undrafted rookies.
The workout was the first time top draft pick Greg Newsome, the cornerback from Northwestern, and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the second-round pick from Notre Dame, were on the field together running drills in shorts and helmets. It certainly won’t be the last time.
A pre-practice Zoom call with Owusu-Koramoah was the first chance he had to respond to reports he dropped to the second round because of a heart condition. Adam
Schefter of ESPN reported on JOK’s situation after the Notre Dame linebacker was drafted.
“That was something that I could not control in terms of the reports that came out,” Owuse-Koramoah said. “Nevertheless, what I’m worried about again are the things that I’m dealing with in terms of whatever my heart is and whatever my heart is not — my heart is 100 percent sure. My heart is 100 percent healthy.
“You could see that going through the tests, going through the EKGs and going through the past MRIs and things like that. It isn’t an issue. It isn’t something that I’m worried about. I’m
looking forward to getting on the field and going.”
The rookies have some catching up to do. Stefanski’s staff from last year returned intact and is building and refining what they taught last year in their first season running the Browns. Even the veterans are getting a refresher course on Zoom during offseason coaching.
“Even with the returning veterans, you start at the beginning,” Stefanski said. “I promise you that all 32 clubs start right at the general info Page 1. You talk about the huddle, you talk about the personnel and you talk about the different hook drops and buzz drops on defense.
“You really always start back at the beginning. I just think it’s an important way to teach. We don’t want to skip any steps. These young players are really hearing it for the first time and the veterans are hearing it for the second, third and fourth time. When they (the rookies) enter the meetings with the veterans, then they need to catch up. That’s why we’ll have extra meeting time with them. We will have plenty of time with them individually and try to catch them up as quickly as we can.”
The minicamp runs through May 17. The May 14 workout was the only one open to the media.