Tag Archives: OTA’s

On if he talked with Browns WR Josh Gordon about his traffic stop or if there was any team discipline because of it:
“That’s a club issue right now. We’re not going to make any comments on his current situation.”

On whether Gordon’s recent traffic stop is troubling:
“I just think any time there’s issues off the field, regardless of the player, it can be if it’s a pattern.”

On if Gordon has been engaged in football activities to his satisfaction:

“Very much so. Very much so. He comes out, he works hard in practice, puts in a day’s work, solid in the classroom. When he’s in the building he’s been solid.”

On if he sees Gordon’s situation weighing on him at all:
“That’s probably a better question for him, but I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t. It would be human nature.”

On if the Browns are going to stand by Gordon once this is final:
“Your key statement there is, ‘once this is final.’ I’ll be consistent in what I’ve said. Until we hear from the league, we’re going to be business as usual. At this point, there’s nothing to act on.”

On when he expects to hear a decision by the NFL on Gordon, whether 10 minutes or five months:
“Yes. We don’t know. That’s part of it, and I think everybody can sense the frustration but it’s a difficult thing. Until it happens, we have a plan in place for all eventualities. We’re just like everybody else, still in a holding pattern.”

On if he feels the Browns have a good support system in place for players with off-the-field issues:
“I think that we do. That’s one of the things that I’ve been impressed with in being here so far. I think the hiring of (Browns director of player engagement) Jamil Northcutt was very much under the radar and very important. I think he brings an outstanding background in his ability to relate to the players, and be able to really reach all of them. I just think not only him, but (Browns head athletic trainer) Joe Sheehan and the training room…I think the guys around, the support staff have a really good pulse of this team. I think it’s something that I have a real good feeling about. People have asked about that and the sense in the locker room, and for the most part it’s been very positive.”

On if he feels that the league does enough to support players that have had off-the-field issues:
“I do. I think there’s a lot of help available. I think that the mandated programs for rookies are very important. I’ve sat in some of those meetings. It’s very impressive, but there has to be a willingness on the other side. Sometimes guys get the message that it’s too late. In all my time in the league, there’s always going to be a handful of guys that just don’t get it. I think the league’s done more than enough to get the word out. I think the better clubs are the ones that are very proactive instead of reactive, and I think that’s the situation that we have here.”

On if Gordon’s situation is hard because he does well in the building but experiences incidents off the field:
“No, that’s the situation he’s in. It’s not the first guy in the league to be like that, where a guy that when he’s in the building he’s great and has some issues for whatever reason due to circumstances when he’s out of the building. I’m not a stranger to situations like that, and I don’t think the rest of the staff is either.”

On whether the Browns will clear QB Brian Hoyer for full activities next week:
“That’s a meeting we’re going to have either Friday or Monday with Joe (Sheehan). Being cautious, I would say if I had to make the decision today I’d lean toward just keeping it the way we’ve been doing it and being in what we’ve called ‘Spartan mode” where the [defensive] line plays run, takes a couple steps and stops, just to kind of keep bodies from being around him. I just think from a risk-reward standpoint it just still doesn’t make a lot of sense to expose him at this point.”

On Hoyer:
“I think he’s looked pretty good. I think he’s shown the ability to make all the throws. He’s just, as all the quarterbacks are, settling into the new offense, the terminology, the reads. You saw a bunch of throws today where it wasn’t just him, but the receivers weren’t on the same page with the quarterbacks and vice versa, and that’s just growing pains. That’s going to come over time, anytime you’re installing a new offense.”

On if Browns QB Johnny Manziel showed signs of ‘Johnny Football’ in a few plays during practice:
“It is. It’s difficult when he’s got the red shirt on and the defensive guys know they can’t tackle him. It’s hard to get glimpses of that. That’s truly what you get, but we’ve done some things – as you probably saw – some designed rollouts with him. He’s shown when he can get in the open field that he can run through an angle and he can eat up some ground pretty quickly.”

On if he noticed anything on the interceptions Manziel threw during practice:
“I don’t know. Until I watch the tape and get with the offensive coaches, I’m not sure. I know at least one of them was a result of the wrong route. I know one of them was the result of a misread.”

On if he would rather see the quarterbacks play aggressively and throw interceptions or play more conservative during this part of the offseason:
“I’d rather them test their limits. I’d rather them learn the lesson today when essentially it doesn’t count, learn those lessons that, ‘Hey. I think I can fit it in that window. Oops I can’t.’ I’d rather now than September.”

On if he has noticed anything different in the quarterbacks since last week:

“Not really. I just think they’re in the normal progression of learning it. I think some of the terminology is a little bit bulky for all of them. I think Brian’s ahead with that just because he’s had more experience doing it, but it’s just a matter of some of those play calls are a mouthful. That’s something that all of the guys that are truly new to it have to adapt to.”

On if he gets the sense that teammates gravitate toward Manziel after he makes a good play in practice:

“Yeah, I think that happens. I think that goes back to just when we talk about what we’re looking for in a quarterback. If you said draw me a quarterback, I don’t think you would draw him – shorter guy with big feet and big hands. I don’t think that would be the first thing to go down on the paper, but when they have the ‘it’ factor to them, it’s just a sense. It’s momentum where guys feel it and ‘gravitates’ is a good word for it. We’ve seen the same thing here with Brian, as well.”