HC Kevin Stefanski (8.30.23)
Kevin is Deshaun (Watson) practicing today?
“Yes.”
Elijah (Moore)?
“Yes.”
What did you like about the corner (Kahlef Hailassie) that you guys claimed?
“He played well in our game, we thought. He did a nice job, so that certainly caught our eye. Did some work on him over the course of his time there – college, productive player.”
Was it the team’s intent to bring an experienced quarterback (PJ Walker) to the practice squad?
“I think we look at everything, Tony (Grossi), and you look at what’s available and what can make your team better, and certainly we’ll make decisions based on that. But just felt like adding PJ Walker to that room was a good fit.”
Kevin, per report, I guess Cade York is going to sign with Tennessee. Is that disappointing?
“Yeah. I mean, like we talked about yesterday, disappointed how it all worked out. Rooting for him. Not surprised ultimately that he went somewhere else. But that’s kind of the nature of this business, really.”
Are you going into the opener expecting to play (Joe) Burrow?
“Yes.”
Why the stadium tomorrow?
“Well just felt like we needed to get down there one more time. We weren’t there at all in the spring. Only had that one preseason game, so it felt like it’d be helpful for all of our guys just get one more run down there. I think it helps now with Dustin (Hopkins). He’ll obviously spend more time down there, not just tomorrow, but I think it just helps for some of the newer guys and all of us just to get the confines looked at one more time before we get down there on the 10th.”
Happy to have a guy like Austin Watkins Jr. back on the practice squad after the preseason he had.
“Yes. And really, Cam (Justice), I tell you, there’s a lot of guys we’re excited that are back. It just goes into, you put so much work into this thing with these players, and you spend a lot of time in player development and with the meetings and practice. So, it’s always exciting when you can continue to work with guys, and Austin is certainly an example of that.”
Do you have to make a couple of other moves like Alex Wright or a couple of guys to IR? Now that you have the 53 set?
“As you know, Jeff (Schudel), it’s constantly being worked on and manipulated and different things. You move guys around, so it’s constant. I don’t know if that specific move will happen, but there are always corresponding moves.”
You look around the league and it seems like the kicker market was very volatile, I guess, for lack of a better term, this preseason. Do you feel like that’s kind of a one-off thing, or are you noticing a difference in the way teams are kind of approaching that position?
“That’s a good question. I haven’t noticed that, Chris (Easterling), necessarily, but I think, as you know, it’s an important position. I know a couple of other teams made some trades. I don’t know if that’s different than previous years. Not sure.”
What went into the decision to release AJ (Green III). And is he a guy you’re looking to bring back to the squad?
“Yeah. It becomes a numbers game, and I had that conversation with a lot of our players. It’s difficult to make a 53. Sometimes you look in a certain room and it’s hard to make that room. So that DB room is very crowded. Obviously, we now made a move there. We’d love to have AJ back. We’ll see how it shakes out next 24 hours or so.”
Denzel (Ward) still in the protocol?
“Yes.”
Is it radically different, the protocol, for a player who’s got a history concussions?
“I don’t think so, but I also don’t know the exact rules.”
Is it exciting to be a guy like (Alex) Leatherwood, just because he was such a high pick?
“Yeah. I don’t necessarily think about the pick, per se, Scott (Petrak). I just think about the player, the tools, those types of things. And I think Coach (Bill) Callahan, Coach (Scott) Peters, Coach (Jonathan) Decoster – speaking of player development from earlier, we try to spend a lot of time in that area and see take some younger players and develop them. Take some maybe older players and develop them. So that’s exciting for us.”
# # #
***Visit the Browns Media Center for materials provided by the Browns communications department, including media schedules, press releases, quotes, photos, media guides, rosters, depth charts and more.***