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Cleveland Browns training camp day 16: Myles Garrett returns to practice
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- Cleveland Browns training camp day 16: Myles Garrett returns to practice
BEREA − Myles Garrett was back on the field for the Browns on Friday. It was the first time the All-Pro defensive end had been at practice all week.
Garrett had been in Texas tending to an ill family member . He missed all four prior practices this week, including Thursday's first joint workout with the Philadelphia Eagles .
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About 45 minutes into practice, Garrett walked into the field house to work out. He came back out briefly to watch some practice before returning inside.
Garrett, as is the case with most of the Browns' starters, is not expected to play in Sunday's preseason game against the Eagles. His first appearance in a preseason game is expected to be in the preseason finale against Chicago on April 27.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett gets past left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. during training camp on Aug. 5, 2022, in Berea.
Different look between Browns, Eagles brings them together
It wasn't just Browns coach Kevin Stefanski's Philadelphia connection, nor was it Eagles coach Nick Sirianni's tie to Northeast Ohio that brought the two teams together to conduct two days of joint practices.
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"You look and the reason that you choose a team like the Eagles is they have a different scheme than us," Stefanski, a Philadelphia native, said. "When you get to this point in training camp, our offense has seen our defense quite a whole lot and vice versa. I think it is important as you get into game-planning mode and those type of things, you have to go against a different front. The Eagles have different fronts, and they have different coverages. On the other side, they have a very different run scheme and different pass concepts so you get to a 7-on-7, and our defense is defending concepts that they have not seen to date."
Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio chats with Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce prior to the start of their joint practice at the Cleveland Browns training facility in Berea last year.
The two teams will conclude the weekend with a preseason game at First Energy Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday. That will be the only time there's truly a "score" kept in what happened.
Every play over the two days of joint practices will be graded by the teams' coaches, but they stopped short from declaring a daily overall winner.
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"I don't think you look at it like, 'Who won?' in an intersquad practice like that," Sirianni, the former Mount Union standout, said prior to Friday's practice. "It's, 'Did we get work done? Did we get better at what we wanted to get better at that day?' I thought we did. I think when you're going against a team like the Browns have, it poses challenges and different schemes for our defense to defend and different schemes for our offense to have to go against.
"That was good for us to be able to go against different guys. They've got a lot of good players over there, and to be able to go against different guys at different skill positions and interior linemen and all the different guys they have. So it was good work here and I think we both got, I don't want to speak for Coach Stefanski, but I feel like we got better [Thursday]."
Anthony Schwartz, Grant Delpit , Kareem Hunt among those on sidelines
It was one of the more lengthy lists of players who were on the training bikes at the start of Friday's practice. The newcomers on the list from earlier in the week were receiver Anthony Schwartz, safety Grant Delpit, tackles Jack Conklin and Chris Hubbard , and fullback Johnny Stanton.
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Running back Kareem Hunt was also among those not in uniform on Friday. There was no immediate word on if it was scheduled time off or if there were injury issues with any of the players not in full uniform.
Defensive end Isaiah Thomas (hand), receiver Michael Woods II (hamstring), defensive end Chase Winovich (hamstring) and Greg Newsome II (hamstring) also were on the bikes. They have all been sidelined for multiple practices this week.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney laughs with teammates during the NFL football team's training camp, Thursday, July 28, 2022, in Berea, Ohio. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)
Jadeveon Clowney hurts hand on batted ball
Jadeveon Clowney walked off following one of his best plays during a two-minute red-zone drill after hurting his hand. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a pass that Clowney batted down at the line of scrimmage.
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Clowney immediately walked to the sideline, clearly shaking his left hand. He spent some time with a trainer having the hand examined, but never left the practice field.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni's reunion tour weekend
Sirianni's hometown is in Jamestown, New York. But he really started to make a name in football when he arrived at the University of Mount Union − then known as Mount Union College − and blossomed into a standout receiver his senior year on its 2003 national championship team.
Sirianni also spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons as the Purple Raiders' defensive backs coach. They won another title in 2005.
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Nearly two decades later, Sirianni's professional career has brought him back to Northeast Ohio, albeit briefly, in his second year as the Eagles' coach. He's hoping that's going to give him a chance to catch up, not just with his former coach, retired Mount Union legend Larry Kehres, but with his older brother Mike, another ex-Purple Raider who is the head coach at Washington and Jefferson.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, left, listens to defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, right, during the NFL football team's training camp, Wednesday, July 27, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
"My brother's team, Washington and Jefferson, is joint practicing tomorrow with Mount Union at Mount Union," Sirianni said. "So, if I have some time, I might drive up there with my mom and dad. I haven't been back to Mount Union in 15 years or so, so it'll be good to see that scrimmage and that joint practice. But Coach Kehres is a guy that I keep contact with, because I've learned so many valuable things from him and he's done so much for my career, so I look forward to, if I do get the time tomorrow, getting up there and see him."
Sirianni's parents, Fran and Amy, were in attendance for Friday's joint practice. He was asked by a Philadelphia media member if having his parents in town meant he had to be on his best behavior.
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"Always," Sirianni said with a smile. "Yeah. Always."
Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.
On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Myles Garrett returns to Browns training camp after excused absence
