Head Coach Todd Monken (5.20.26)
Talking about the quarterbacks, obviously, Deshaun (Watson) took it seemed like a lot of the first team reps, at least early on. Can you kind of establish what the game plan has been with, how you want to run the reps with them, these OTAs?
“Well, actually today, Deshaun, when we two spot, we divide up Shedeur (Sanders) and Deshaun. So, when it was two spotted, we just keep the guys in the same spot. Actually, Shedeur took the first team reps the rest of practice.”
Can you say which of the quarterbacks is ahead at this point?
“No.”
Do you think that as OTAs go along, you’ll just kind of continue to divide them up and let this whole competition kind of play out?
“Yeah, nothing’s really changed other than it’s a different day and you’re firing the same questions. I’m not trying to be – I mean, nothing’s really changed. I mean, we’re going to rotate those guys and play the best player and we’ll see.”
Do you have to alter your practice regimen inside today?
“No, not really. The only thing we had to change was when went two spot full speed, we had to take out, we had to replace some of the shots. So, we basically we were jogging at the shorter routes. We just had to take some of that out. But everything was the same.”
Not just with the quarterbacks, but kind of all your decisions. Has anything changed about your timeline of when you want to have kind of a shape of who you’re putting in where, or is it kind of the same as what you said, just letting it go through the summer?
“Well, you’d love to have it at every position at the end of spring, but you can’t guarantee that. We’ll have it set for Jacksonville.”
Todd, it looked like Denzel Boston made the catch of the day over here.
“That was awesome, wasn’t it? Wasn’t that cool? I mean, I know I’m an offensive head coach, but hell, you know, you get a draft pick and it’s on one of the most talented guys in the league. So, it’s encouraging, right? That’s what you want to see. You want to see your guys, especially some of your younger draft picks, make some of those plays.”
So, he did that in minicamp with the rookies, but now with everybody involved, does that kind of reassure what you’re doing?
“I mean, there’s no other way to put it. You guys saw it. I mean, it doesn’t matter who it is it just happens to be elevated because it’s a younger player that we certainly need to come along. Him and KC (Concepcion). There’s a reason why you draft players, reason why you put them out there and see where you’re at.”
Quinshon (Judkins) looked like he is kind of back to himself a little bit…
“Looked good didn’t he? Yeah, that was fun too.”
Just what do you see from him and where he’s at as far as his progression back from that injury?
“Looked pretty good to me. Obviously, there’s been a couple of days he gets a little sore, which is normal, but no one works harder. And you talk about a competitive spirit, and we don’t even get to see him run. I think his rare trait is he’s a bull, like refuses to go down and we don’t even get to see that here. So, I’m excited.”
Back to Boston for a second. What is the biggest adjustment for him? Is it literally just going against the best?
“I think so. I think learning the offense, I don’t think he lacks confidence. I don’t think it’s that, it’s just the day-to-day work that it takes to play against the best in the world. And I think that’s a learning curve. Everybody’s a little bit different. Some guys, it happens a lot quicker. Some guys have natural confidence and others it takes a while.”
Do you intend to ease in (Spencer) Fano and (Parker) Brailsford with the ones?
“Yeah, the idea is to kind of ease them in as they’re learning, but the other guy’s got to play better. I mean, there was times with the ones – not good enough. So, you’d like to ease them, you’d love to ease them in, but eventually the easing has to end.”
And that could change as OTAs proceed?
“100 percent.”
Todd, as you transition from rookie minicamp with the young guys to OTAs, what is that next phase or stage of their progression in getting acclimated to the NFL and the team? What are you looking for?
“Well, again, what they missed. They missed approximately three weeks up to that from a learning standpoint from an install standpoint. When they came to rookie minicamp I think we installed one and two. So certainly as you stack days of install and learning, you’re going to start to see the benefit of that – we’ll get through eight installs and we’ll see where we’re at. But it becomes harder with each day that you install and the defense installs and the looks that come up every day – that’s just part of it. Don’t overthink it. For the guys, it’s just football. It’s curl flat, it’s four verts, it’s blocking, it’s tackling. Don’t overthink it.”
What about Elgton [Jenkins] and getting him out there? How nice is it to see that group on the field?
“Oh, it’s great. First of all, he’s a real pro. He’s worked awfully hard to get back. It’s been great to have him out there. Like all those guys we signed.”
You mentioned earlier in the offseason the only way to clean up penalties and mental mistakes is to drill it and practice it. How are you guys putting that to work?
“Well, we certainly have the officials out here. They give us a report every day and then we look at it and try to clean it up. We address it in each of the rooms. If you take a guy out for a penalty, that’s all right – we’ll play someone else. Ultimately, you’re not going to be an elite football team if you have penalties. So all you can do is keep emphasizing it, especially with cadence. To me, that’s the biggest thing.”
Now that you’ve had multiple practices with these quarterbacks, has there been anything that’s surprised you about some of their abilities?
“Well, I shouldn’t say surprised – I think more people would be surprised. Deshaun’s athleticism shows up. Obviously he’s had that, but he’s had injuries that have set him back. I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise, but it’s exciting to see – it’s a weapon for him. It’s one of his superpowers, his athleticism. And I think Shedeur’s come miles, in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts. I think he’s really, really come a long way.”
The defense was able to get a couple of picks and knock the ball out a couple times. Did you like their aggression today?
“Yeah, we threw interceptions in seven-on-seven, for God’s sake. I mean, who does that? There’s no pass rush. I mean, it’s embarrassing.”
What have your conversations with Deshaun been like, Todd, with all that he’s gone through to get to this point?
“Well, he’s been great. I think everybody would say it – I’m all for a clean slate. I want the best for every player we have, every coach – I want the best for everybody in this world to have a great life. I think it’s really cool that he still has an opportunity, with a change, to showcase his ability and see where he’s at. I’m all for it.”
Todd, a question about your schedule. You have worked in Jacksonville and Tampa, so you know what’s waiting for you in September weather-wise. Has that affected your training camp plans at all?
“No, I think it’s awesome. Having two back-to-back Florida games – if our guys don’t understand what that means when we come to training camp and it’s hot out, that’s our ability to practice in it and get acclimated in it. I think they already get it. We went out yesterday and we were fine, but they realized it was only 85. It’s going to be 20 degrees hotter. It’s going to be right at 1 o’clock, like yesterday. We’re going to have to be ready to go.”
You seem excited about that.
“I am excited. I think it’s a great start. I think for us I wouldn’t want it any better than that. We get to go down to Florida against a team that, a year ago, was in a similar spot as we are. Where are they going from there? And a team that was a playoff team that had every opportunity to beat the (Buffalo) Bills at home and didn’t. Playoff team, in Florida, 100 degrees, middle of the day – if that doesn’t get our guys fired up for the offseason and to go training camp, I don’t know what will.”
Hey Todd, you’ve known about Deshaun’s athleticism for a long time, but before you got here you probably didn’t know how driven he was. What does it say about him that he still wants to be an elite player after all he’s been through over the last couple of years?
“I think it’s really cool. I know I’ve said that like five times today, but here’s a guy that at this point has made plenty of money – I think we all know that. He’s had plenty of success and has had disappointment in his career, a number of things he couldn’t control from an injury standpoint. But to come back and want to battle, want to further his career and change the narrative – I think it’s really cool.”
Do you feel like the quarterbacks are all bringing out the best in each other? Can you see the competition elevating them?
“I don’t know that. You’d have to ask those guys if that’s what motivates them. I would guess that just the idea of the opportunity to be the starter for the Cleveland Browns – one of 32 teams in the NFL – is enough. But you’d have to ask them that.”
Just for the record, have you had any face-to-face with [Myles] Garrett yet?
“Myles? No.”
Some of the slower walk-through stuff you do at the start of practice to get organized – how important is that in the big picture?
“Well, you can’t beat your guys into the ground, so it’s about getting reps. The start of practice being more of a jog-through allows you to buy some reps and allows you to do more two-spotting. The more you slow the tempo down, the more you can divide your guys up, and that allows you to get more opportunity for guys to learn and develop. So that’s an integral part of what we’ll do now and as long as I’m here.”
You’ve had a lot of experience in college, most recently at Georgia. How much does that college experience help when you have a 90-man roster and are trying to evaluate a large group like this?
“It helps. You’re used to having a bigger roster in college – obviously it’s shrunk now so you’re used to going two spot, trying to find more reps, more walk-throughs. The rules hinder that a little bit because the moment we get on the field, you have two hours and that’s what you’ve got, minus any type stretching but you’re up against it a little bit. Where in minicamps or training camp it’s not the same. But certainly being in college and having a bigger roster forces you to rep all those players. And we’re in the development business – let’s not kid ourselves what business we’re in. You don’t get 15 first-round picks. You don’t get that. You get the picks you get and you’ve got to develop everybody on your roster. Eventually the guys that make your team and your practice squad, they’re all going to play at some point. So I think it’s imperative that we get as many reps as we can within the constraints that we have.”
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