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What to take away from 'start' for Browns rookies at their introductory minicamp?
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- What to take away from 'start' for Browns rookies at their introductory minicamp?
BEREA — By the end of Sunday, the Cleveland Browns' rookie class will have wrapped up their first three days of actual NFL life. It'll also be the end of the training-wheels portion of their ramp-up to the season, with the veterans coming back into the building going forward through the final month of offseason work.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski best summed up the reality of rookie minicamp at the end of the first practice on Friday.
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"We look at it as this week is the start," Stefanski said. "Then going into next week, it's really ramping these guys up as quickly as possible so that when they get dropped into the general population, they kind of know what the system's about, they know what the coaches are about, they know what to expect in the meeting room. All of this is a process. They're going to be overwhelmed today with information and that's OK.
"We have time to work through it. It may feel like they're drinking out of the fire hose with some of the things we give them, but that's a very natural reaction to getting new information. A lot of it, there's no secret to it, there's no snap your fingers and figure it out. It's just, sit down and spend as much time with the playbook as you can."
So what was exactly gained from rookie minicamp , at least the two days of availability which were provided? Here's a few quick thoughts on what happened and what was said.
Special teams may be the best way onto the Cleveland Browns ' roster
Oct 7, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Anthony Sambucci (5) runs the ball while defended by Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Nathaniel Watson (14) during the first quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
This isn't the mid-2010s anymore. The Browns haven't stripped the roster down beyond even the studs for the rebuild.
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A look at the depth chart, at least as projected months before the start of training camp, doesn't show many true paths for the rookies. That's not just starting roles, either.
So the simplest way for many of these rookies — acknowledging there's always room for a surprise or two — to get on the field will be through special teams. General manager Andrew Berry may bristle at the term "redshirting," but it absolutely fits and even the rookies themselves understand that's the reality.
"Yeah, I mean I do whatever I need to do to get on the field," sixth-round pick Nathaniel Watson, a linebacker out of Mississippi State. "So if I got to learn how to play lineman, I'm going to play it."
Former Streetsboro, Ohio State DT Michael Hall Jr. has set the bar high for himself
Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. (51) attempts to sack Indiana quarterback Brendan Sorsby (15) before a pass Sept. 2, 2023, in Bloomington, Indiana.
If there was a rookie who would be expected to contribute quickly, at least based upon how they were acquired, it would be second-round pick Michael Hall Jr. The former Streetsboro High School and Ohio State defensive tackle certainly has tried to push himself to achieve those by trying to make the adjustment as smooth as possible.
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"It's not overwhelming," Hall said. "I knew what I was getting myself into. They're holding me to a high standard and I hold myself to a high standard. I am my worst critic. Just happy to be out here and I gotta get on top of my A-game for sure."
The high standard that Hall has set for himself? Why "rookie of the year," of course.
Hall acknowledged that was among the questions he was asking his coaches this weekend. Specifically, it was "What it takes to be the rookie of the year."
However, he's not apologizing for those expectations, though. In fact, he's got questions for anyone who doesn't have those expectations.
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"I feel like anyone has that goal," Hall said. "You'd be a fool not to in this business."
Former Michigan guard Zak Zinter 's leg is just fine, thanks for asking
Michigan football staff checks on the injury to offensive lineman Zak Zinter during the second half against Ohio State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
The rookie whose injury history seemed to matter the most coming into the weekend, at least from the outsider's perspective, was that of offensive guard Zak Zinter. The third-round pick out of Michigan, in case you hadn't heard, was coming off a broken tibia and fibula suffered in last November's game against Ohio State.
The Beacon Journal asked Zinter about the injury and the attention it was receiving on Friday, and it was clear that he was ready to talk about football and not the injury.
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"I mean, I broke my leg," Zinter said at the time. "It is what it is. You play in the trenches, injuries happen and all that kind of stuff. But I mean, I think my resume still stands for itself and my leg stronger than it was before. There's a little rod in there that's not going to break even if someone tries to break it."
Still, there was some reason for conversation around Zinter's leg this weekend. The on-field work he did at rookie minicamp was the most work he's done since the injury.
A day-and-a-half into his first NFL weekend, Zinter reported no major issues.
"Obviously a little sore just being back out there," Zinter said, "but I'm not as sore as I thought I was going to be, so that was nice when I woke up."
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns rookie minicamp: Initial impression on draft picks' 1st weekend
