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How did Browns QB Deshaun Watson look throwing the football in Thursday's OTA session?
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- How did Browns QB Deshaun Watson look throwing the football in Thursday's OTA session?
BEREA — Some may view it as the Great Unveiling. The Browns, though, are likely to view it as another step in the process .
Thursday's OTA session was the first time Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson threw in front of the media since suffering a broken glenoid in a Nov. 12 win at the Baltimore Ravens . However, it was far from the first time he had thrown since he underwent surgery on that shoulder on Nov. 21,
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Watson has been throwing since March 19, when he started his throwing program in Los Angeles . Since the Browns moved into the second and third phases of their offseason program, he had been limited to every other day, especially once OTAs started on May 21.
Thursday was the fourth time during OTAs that Watson had thrown. However, despite the Browns' social media team posting videos from the previous three, it was the first public viewing of the quarterback in action.
"As he gets more and more comfortable and part of that's just the mental side of things, too, that, 'OK, I can start to really open it up more and more because of the confidence,'" offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said after Thursday's practice. "So I think there's a lot of that involved with it as well, but you see him continue each day, ramping it up a little bit more and more.
"He threw the ball down the sideline, a vertical throw today. That's one I haven't seen from him a lot because we haven't pushed him to do that. So that was good to see. I think the more he grows and feels comfortable with it, the more you'll start seeing those things get ramped up more and more."
Watson's active throwing remained limited as he works back from the surgery. The only time he actually threw the football was during individual drills at the beginning of the 90-minute practice.
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Watson's passes Thursday weren't necessarily thrown with full velocity, but they weren't soft-tossed, either. Of course, considering the way his medical team, led by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, has approached the whole process, there hasn't been the expectation to see his fastball at this point.
The passes Watson did throw were, for the most part, on target. The short to intermediate routes were chest-high for the receivers, and he showed good touch on the few deep shots he took.
The best of those was a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Elijah Moore . The ball had the perfect trajectory, falling into Moore's hands in the end zone with room for him chop his feet before going out of the back of the end zone.
"He looks good," Moore said afterward. "Yeah, it looks good. … I watch him work his ass off every single day, you see what I'm saying? That's all that we could ask for is for him to work his ass off. So I think he looks good."
The 7-on-7 reps were entirely held by backups Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley , as were the 7-on-7 red-zone reps. Watson did go through 11-on-11 reps, but faked throwing the ball when called upon.
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None of that concerns Dorsey, who has experience dealing with a quarterback coming back off shoulder surgery. While he was the Carolina Panthers ' quarterbacks coach, Cam Newton underwent a procedure to repair a partially torn rotator cuff in March 2017 and came back that season to complete 59.1% of his passes while throwing for 3,302 yards, 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions for an 11-5 Panthers team.
"I think rehab versus non-rehab-wise, obviously the reps," Dorsey said. "He's not getting the live reps out there on some of those 7-on-7 periods and things like that that we're doing. But I think Kevin does a great job the way he structures practice in the offseason program, one with the rules and doing what we're allowed. But then, two, that really allows Deshaun now to get some reps too from not just strictly standing back behind a mental space."
Even while Watson wasn't getting actual reps with the offense, he continued to do what he did when he didn't throw during the Browns' OTA on May 22. That day, while Winston or Huntley were taking almost all of the active throwing reps, he was behind the play pantomiming what he was supposed to be doing.
Winston, who was signed by the Browns in March, started his career as the No. 1 overall pick and a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before spending the last four seasons primarily in a backup role with the New Orleans Saints . He talked Thursday about what he's seen out of Watson in the time he's been in Cleveland .
"I've seen intentional leadership of him taking mental reps like he is one of the best quarterbacks in this league," Winston said. "I've seen a consistent growth and just him focusing on his shoulder routine, focusing on building that strength back, and when he throws it, he spins it. So I haven't seen anything of lack. I've just seen him just continue to grow, continue to lead these guys because it's challenging when you're not getting the reps.
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"It's challenging to have a presence when you're sitting back from afar watching, and he's done an incredible job just staying locked in, staying focused. I smile when he's communicating to the receivers in the back, communicating to the offensive lines, talking protections because that is football, and he's not missing a beat."
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 QB Deshaun Watson looks comfortable as throwing rehab continues
