Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (6.15.21)
Statement on being formally presented with the PFWA’s 2020 NFL Coach of the Year Award:
“I appreciate that. As you know, I do not want to talk about 2020, but in this instance, it gives me an opportunity to talk about our players and our coaches. As everybody knows, I thought they did an outstanding job last year in tough circumstances, and they never blinked. They made me look good. I appreciate the recognition for our staff and for our players.
Opening statement:
“With that, I will just kind of dive into today. I thought it was really good work out there. Absolutely beautiful day on the fields here in Berea. Got a lot of really good work in. The individual drills, the seven-on-seven, the team periods, I thought we covered a lot of ground. We ran a lot of plays. A ton of communication was going on out there. I was really pleased with the work that we got done. We have another one tomorrow and then one more on Thursday.”
On how WR Odell Beckham Jr. looked in practice today:
“Looked good to me. Did some individual drills. Did routes on air. He is still progressing through. I think he is seven or eight months-post ACL surgery, and he looks a lot different than I did seven or eight months-post ACL. I think it was just the doctor he had, but he looks pretty good to me (laughter).”
On the prospects of Beckham being fully ready for training camp:
“I think we will see. He looked good today. Day 1 of minicamp and then we will progress and make sure that we are having obviously dialogue with the player, the training staff, the medical staff, etc.”
On DE Myles Garrett missing the last 11-on-11 period and if the Browns OL and DL were doing a conditioning test during one point of practice:
“He was excused. No, that is not a test. When you are working so much seven-on-seven – this is a passing camp with the way the rules are set up it is for the passing game – so while we are doing seven-on-seven, the O line and D line were doing some striders but in no way a test.”
On if the coaching staff talks during the offseason about playing RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt together more and the prospects for it in 2021:
“We talk about a lot of things in those meetings. We want to obviously do different things throughout the course of the season and give the defense different looks. It could be two running backs; it could be three running backs. We will just have to wait and see.”
On the NFL rules for the PUP list as it relates to a player participating in minicamp and being fully cleared from a medical standpoint:
“Honestly, I do not know the particulars of that rule. I am just not sure.”
On QB Baker Mayfield’s current understanding of the offense compared to this time last season now that they are back together on the field:
“I would tell you, yes, this is the first time I am in person with him, but we have been on a lot of Zoom calls together. Throughout the course of this offseason program going all of the way back to April, we have installed the offense, we have watched tape together and we have added new plays and talked about old plays. We have a pretty good feel for where Baker is and really where a bunch of the guys that are returning. We have room to grow. We have work to do. Today was a step in that direction.”
On if there a specific example of something that is better now in comparison to last offseason:
“The first thing that comes to mind is the cadence. It is really hard to practice that on Zoom. That was something we really did not practice, per se, until July of last year. Obviously, with the offense in Year 2, we are able to do things and different cadences, whether it be first, second, third down or fourth down for that matter, that we are ahead of where we were last year, but there are going to be people in the stands this season, God willing, so that means the silent count and some of those different things you have to do are definitely going to show up this year where they did not last year.”
On DEs Jadeveon Clowney and Takk McKinley being on the field today, along with DE Myles Garrett and DT Malik Jackson, and his reaction to seeing those DL members together:
“I enjoyed seeing 90 guys out there. Good to be around the players. Good for the players to be around each other. I think we got a lot done just in terms of team building, strengthening relationships and meeting new players. You mentioned Jadeveon and Takk, they were meeting some guys for the first time today. I thought it was really good for those guys to be around each other. Particularly the defensive line, I think it is a competitive group. (Defensive line) Coach (Chris) Kiffin and (assistant defensive line) Coach (Jeremy) Garrett push them, and I think you see in their individual drills they are having fun. It is a high-energy group.”
On if the Browns are seeing their teachings from virtual meetings translate to the field well during minicamp or if it is a work in progress:
“It is definitely a work in progress, like everything. Like all of us, we definitely can get better. The guys on the offense have a strong understanding of what we are doing. We ran some things today that were from Install 1, and we ran some things today that were from Install 7. It really ran the gamut. Just wanted to get some things live, and get the quarterbacks a feel for it, get the receivers, etc. There is an element of making sure that we are getting live reps of some things right now, and see if we want to continue to do them and see if there are things that we want to try in training camp as we move forward.”
On an update on the length of Chief of Staff Callie Brownson’s suspension and if Brownson will return for training camp:
“She will be back for training camp, but I am not going to get into the specifics right now.”
On if he has seen some of the work Beckham has posted on social media during the rehab process:
“If you can believe it, I have not seen what he is doing on social media (laughter), but I saw it in person, and that was better. He is moving around. Once again, went through individual, went routes on air and looked good to me.”
On the pace of this year’s minicamp seeming significantly different than how they were structured many years ago:
“You are right. We are trying to be really smart about our pace, particularly when we are in team periods. I think the days of going full speed in those periods, it just does not make sense. There is injury data to back that up, and just thinking about helmets and shoulders, the guys are not wearing shoulder pads so it is hard to protect themselves. We feel like we can go full speed in individual to work on our technique, and we can go full speed in seven-on-seven and take care of each other and stay away from collisions. When we get to those team drills, we are really putting an emphasis on alignment, assignment and communication, and then we are just going to slow it down post-snap.”
On if it will take some time to get used to the adjusted pace of minicamp, given it is much different from when he entered the NFL:
“You just have to be able to adapt. I think the players and the coaches did a nice job today. We are going to get back to training camp, and early on, we are only going to be in helmets and then the pads will come on and start to progress into what looks like a normal team drill. I just think that is part of us taking in all of the information and making sure we get really, really good work in without exposing any of the guys to undue injury.”
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