CB Martin Emerson, DE Alex Wright & WR David Bell 2022 NFL Draft: Browns’ Day 2 Selections Introductory Press Conference (4.30.22)
On first impressions of Cleveland and their experience today:
Bell: “It has been busy, but it has definitely good being able to get names familiar with faces. I have gotten the chance to meet a lot of great people, but most importantly, I am just ready to get to work. It has definitely been good getting shown around the facility and all.”
Emerson: “Just coming in, getting to meet everybody and put some names and faces together, it is good to see the new family. It has been great.”
On confidence in the ability to succeed at WR despite not being the fastest of all WRs:
Bell: “I don’t really think it will be an issue for me. I have never been the fastest going back to high school and college, but I really take a lot of real hard look into my craft. I like to be really technical on how I can beat defensive backs, and that is one thing I take pride in. Knowing that I am not the fastest, I have to find different ways to win.”
On return to the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus after doing an in-person visit during the pre-draft process:
Wright: “I am glad I am back because this was like my top visit that I liked the most out of all of the visits. Just getting to meet everybody again, even down to the equipment people. It is fun to be back. I am glad I am back. Just here to work.”
On what made the Browns the best visit his best before the draft:
Wright: “Just the vibe around everybody. You could tell it was genuine, and you could tell I really felt like I was wanted here. Just being able to sit down and talk with everybody about not just football but about, life also, outside of football. That is what kind of stood out to me.”
On if he has heard from DE Myles Garrett yet:
Wright: “I have not heard from Myles yet, but like I said, I am going to be looking at the phone hoping he will text me. We will see.”
On what he hopes to learn from WR Amari Cooper:
Bell: “I hope to learn a lot, not just on the field but off the field, too. He has had a successful career in both. Most importantly, how he has been able to take care of his body and how he was able to translate from college to the pros and have success as soon as he stepped on the field. That is definitely something that I want to ask him to just pick his brain so I can be the best that I can be this upcoming season.”
On if he knew WR Donovan Peoples-Jones prior to joining the Browns:
Bell: “Yeah, I used to watch him when he was at Cass Tech. I watched him back then. I watched him at Michigan. The same, he has definitely had a successful NFL career up until this point, and he is going to continue to have the same success in the next few years. I am asking the same exact questions like how did you get to where you got to where you have gotten to? What did you do to separate you from the rest of the guys.’”
On the Browns trading CB Troy Hill to the LA Rams today:
Emerson: “I did not know. I did not know that, but it does not change anything for me. Just come in, compete and do whatever I can for the team.”
On if he has played a lot of slot CB:
Emerson: “I have. I practiced at (Mississippi) State. A couple of games, I played the slot but not really much.”
On the rich history of DBs with Browns:
Emerson: “Yes, I know it is a rich tradition here. The Cleveland Browns always have great defensive backs. Also, back in Pensacola, Florida, where I grew up, he was here a couple years back – (former Browns and free agent DB) Damarious Randall. That is my guy.”
On if he prefers to go by MJ:
Emerson: “Yeah, I like MJ better.”
On what Randall told him about playing in Cleveland:
Emerson: “I really did not get the chance to talk to him. He called me last night, but I was so busy. My phone was just going crazy. He just told me congratulations. I am going to talk to him later.”
On his production at Purdue, being one of the best WRs in this talented draft and of the Big Ten and if that says a lot about the way he plays the game:
Bell: “I think it definitely does, just the competitive nature that I have on the field playing in one of the best conferences in the league and for me to be named the best receiver in that conference. The first round, you had (Saints WR) Chris Olave, (Commanders WR) Jahan Dotson and (NY Jets) Garrett Wilson go so to be able to beat those guys out and to outperform them last season, it definitely is a huge accomplishment for me. It is something that I strived to do.”
On playing with QB Deshaun Watson and how that will help them:
Bell: “I think for me personally, he already solidified the type of great quarterback that he is. The success he had at Clemson and the success he had in Houston, he going to continue to be great. He is definitely a top-five quarterback in this league. Of course, you could say I am biased now, and I can say he is No. 1. It is definitely going to be fun to learn a lot from him. I am going to try to stay close to him so I can understand the playbook better. Hopefully, I can become his best friend.”
Wright: “Making sure that he keeps and boosts his awareness. Just try to get back there to chase him as much as I can. Boost him out of the pocket. Just trying to keep him on his feet. The more I can keep him on his feet, the better that is going to make him at what he needs to do and that is going make me better at what I need to do. The more we both keep progressing and getting better then there is no negative. That is always positive because that is the ceiling, and there is no ceiling for getting better. We are always getting better, whether is awareness, where it is bending corners or whether it is chasing or giving effort. Just getting better on both sides of the ball.”
On if he remembers anything in particular about playing against CB Greg Newsome II, who he said was the best CB he played against in college:
Bell: “It was hard to film on him because the previous year, he was out. I only got to watch like nine plays so I was kind of out there freelancing. He definitely got the better of me. I am definitely looking forward to getting my one -n-one matchups in practice. He is a real patient corner and really technical. That is what the best DBs do. They are really technical, and I consider myself a technician, too, so there are definitely going to be some battles in practice.”
On confidence he can contribute as a rookie:
Emerson: “I put om a lot of work for my craft. I work hard. I am just going to come in and be the same person every day, go as hard as I can as possible and make everybody around me better from the receivers to the quarterbacks to the DBs. I am just going to learn, keep filling my toolbox and go from there.”
On if he has met CB Denzel Ward or other members of the Browns secondary yet:
Emerson: “No, I have not actually. I have not talked to anybody in the secondary yet.”
On whether he looks forward to meeting members of the Browns secondary:
Emerson: “Yes, ma’am. All of them. I am looking forward to meeting all of them.”
On the biggest challenge of playing inside CB:
Emerson: “Probably the biggest challenge is there is just more field to cover. On the outside, the sideline is your friend. There are not too many routes a receiver can run from the outside, but the inside is a bigger challenge, I would say.”
On if Browns coaches have talked with him much about moving inside:
Emerson: “No, sir.”
On if he left his necklace at home:
Bell: “Yeah. I left the necklace at home. My grandpa, he wanted to wear it around for a little bit (laughter). I decided to let him have it for a day or two.”
On if he heard from Dijon Anderson’s family after his draft selection, referencing his high school friend who passed away in 2017:
Bell: “His mom was actually at my draft party. She did not know that I had on the back of [the necklace] ‘RIP D3.’ She did not know that until after I showed it to her and then she busted out in tears. It was definitely an emotional moment. I am always trying to keep his name alive because he was just a big brother to me, not only a big brother but to a lot of people in our community. I am just trying to make sure he lives through me, and I am going to continue to do that the next few years in NFL.”
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