Select Browns Players (8.17.24)
QB DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON
The interception looked like it was tipped – what were you seeing there and your thoughts?
“Yeah, me and Jamari (Thrash) talked about it. I saw the coverage a lot sooner than he saw the coverage. Obviously, running in the crowd, I would have liked him to take the middle a little bit sooner, give me eyes, but without practice and reps, it’s kind of hard to get on that same timing. I have to put it in front of him regardless and give him a chance to make the play.”
How about the 4th down pass to him? That was pretty sweet.
“I told him pre snap to speed it up. Their back was going to push over to the boundary and to expect the collision. If he wasn’t going to be there then I had to reset to my other reads. He did a good job releasing off the line, just gave him a body ball to work with.”
How do you feel these two games went for you from the standpoint of the reps you’ve taken – obviously you didn’t get to do as much during the joint practice?
“I’m still in the hunt, still fighting for more reps and more opportunities. Again, trying to take advantage of the ones I had today. I felt like I could have had some of those back and want some of those back. Just trying to go back, watch the tape, get ready for Monday’s training camp. I think that’s where my mind is at now.”
On that fourth down pass to Jamari Thrash, was that your best play today?
“I was moreso proud of Thrash, understanding the situation, the down and distance. Working the dude at the line and to be able to get inside of him. I was moreso happy with Thrash.”
RB D’ONTA FOREMAN
Did that make it even bigger for you to be out there today, you know just after going through that [injury], coming back and seeing how much you were utilized in this game today?
“Yeah because I think it puts a lot into perspective about you know, like how fast life can change and how things can happen. So to be able to still be healthy and to be able to come out here and play the game that I love to play, you know stuff I’ve been working hard for – I’m just very thankful for that, you know. Can’t say that enough.”
How did it feel on that opening drive to be the guy to kind of finish off what was a pretty productive one for you guys and get that touchdown?”
“I mean it was great, I feel like in those situations you know I gotta get in there you know. Just me with my stature and my frame, me being a bigger back it’s like I take those personal. I was actually mad I didn’t get in on the first one. I feel like I don’t need two times to try it you know so, I definitely had to get in the second one but it worked out.”
Is part of what your role will be for this team this year especially like down near the goaline, kind of being that power guy that sort of finishes off drives like that?
“Yeah I really don’t know to be honest. I mean right now, they have me doing a little bit of everything, everybody mixes in and does a little bit of everything. Whatever my role is, I feel like I’ll be effective in my role and do everything I can to help the team for sure.”
Did that mean a little bit more to you tonight knowing like you kind of said that moment sort of put life into perspective and knowing that things could change. Did it feel good just knowing you know I still get to do this thing and be out here?
“Yeah no doubt, I mean I’m thankful to be able to walk. I mean you know it isn’t even just playing football, I’m thankful to just be here, be alive, be able to be myself, you know what I mean? And like I said, things happen so fast in life you know you just gotta be thankful for you know every moment, every day, every situation you get. You gotta be thankful for it and try to do the best things you can while you’re here.”
DE JEREMIAH MARTIN
You had a sack today, how good did that feel?
“It felt good. Felt good to be back. It’s what we’ve been working on in practice. Being in a room full of guys like Myles Garrett, Ogbo [Okoronkwo], Zadarius [Smith], Shelby [Harris], and all the vets in the room. They push the young guys to do what we do.”
As you guys go through training camp and into these preseason games, does it seem like things are feeling more like real football for you guys?
“Oh yeah, no doubt. You get to hit somebody, you get to tackle somebody. At practice you don’t really get to bring anybody down to the ground, but in the games it’s live, full tilt, so it’s fun.”
How did it feel after this week of joint practices to be able to take it to the field?
“Everyday was literally a gameday, you’re giving it your all. When it’s Browns against Browns you want to take care of each other, but when it’s another opponent all you see is red. We’re friends outside of this, but between the lines it’s straight football.”
One more preseason game for you guys, out in Seattle, what do you hope these first two games allow you guys to do in that last one?
“Just continue to build on this week, just to build to next week, and just keep going and keep growing as a team, so that way when week one comes versus Dallas that we all ready, full tilt.”
C NICK HARRIS
You’re back here with the Browns, you got some training camp reps in, you got some feel for this Browns team. How does it feel to be back?
“It feels good. Everybody was very welcoming of me coming back. It felt good to hear everybody saying what’s up. Not only the players, but the staff, the equipment staff, training staff. It’s always good to be welcomed back in such a hectic little time”
You’re someone that knows how difficult it is with injuries. A couple of tackle injuries today, how tough is that for you guys, and where do you think that goes from here?
“Obviously you never want to see that happen in preseason, you don’t want to see it happen at all, but I think those guys will do a good job coming back. It’s next man up, that’s how this rolls. We have good depth to help us out in that area. Hopefully those guys will be good, rehab back and be fine”
Kevin said earlier this week, some of the breakdowns in joint practices were miscommunication issues, people lined up the wrong way, do you guys feel a little bit stronger after those joint practices of knowing what needs to be done as an offensive line?
“Absolutely, I think joint practices are very helpful in that the team you’re going against is going to do whatever they want. They’ll throw any and every look at you, and you have to have answers for it. Obviously going into the first day they’re giving us stuff that we haven’t seen, they have a completely different defensive structure than we do, so obviously it’s good to have those practices to get base rules because they run a defense that we’re going to see often in the NFL, so it’s good to get those rules, go through those reps, make some mistakes, and then go back in the film room and iron out the kinks. I think it’s very helpful in that.