This content is from the Athletic.
They've been doing a great job so far and have recently added Buckeye coverage as well for those on the fence about adding the app. I suggest you do! I certainly won't post all of their content as they try to get off the ground in the Cleveland market, but maybe a few interesting tidbits here and there.
First, here is a quote from Zac Jackson in his mailbag piece "Askin' Jackson" regarding his impression of DeShone Kizer in the early going:
To add some context, Zac had some serious question marks regarding Kizer in his immediate post-draft piece a few months ago. It seems everyone is noticing that this kid may be a mega-steal. Time will tell, kids. Let's be optimistic--there's plenty of room on the Kizer wagon.
Below is Dustin Fox's latest write-up on camp from today. Interesting breakdown on Kizer--and he does note he wouldn't be surprised if Kizer ends up winning the job.
Fox's film room: On the road at Browns camp in Berea, and liking DeShone Kizer's play
Dustin Fox
July 31 2017
BEREA, Ohio — Four practices into training camp, so it is time to take the film room to Berea and the Browns' training facility.
I’ve had the chance to be at several practices the past few days, and I have some observations of what I saw. First and foremost, this camp has a different feel than many practices in the past. It feels like we are watching a professional football team that knows what they are doing.
The thing that jumps out is the tempo of practice. The players are always on the move between drills without much down time in between. This is coach Hue Jackson’s philosophy. He wants to move quick and get their work in.
Some have questioned why the practices have been cut back a bit the past couple of days, and he actually gave a pretty good explanation as to why that is the case. He claims there have been studies done to show that early in camp, as the body starts to fatigue, legs become tired and soft tissue injuries occur. I feel like the “soft tissue” injury has been a running joke in Berea for the past decade. Jackson is trying to avoid that this season. OK, let's dive into a few of my early thoughts in camp.
Safety DeValve
Early on, it appears that tight end Seth DeValve might be a serious weapon in this offense. A fourth-round pick in 2016, DeValve looks set to break out. He only caught 10 passes last season, but looks as a key target in this offense. With the team starving for a legitimate threat at wide receiver, DeValve might prove to be that answer. He has tremendous size and athleticism to go along with his sure hands. It seems like every 11-on-11 period he's a target and making plays.
Kizer ups and downs
So far in camp the main story line has surrounded the quarterbacks, and why wouldn’t it. It has only been 20 years since we have had an answer at the position. DeShone Kizer looks the part, and he certainly speaks the part.
I have been pleasantly surprised by the way Kizer has played thus far. Obviously he has had his ups and downs, but when his throws are on, they look the best of all the quarterbacks by far. He’s a big kid who stands in the pocket and can deliver the football. The kind of quarterback that fits in the AFC North.
There will be a competition but don’t be surprised if the rookie from Notre Dame ends up winning the job. Keep in mind it’s early, but so far he's played about as well as you can expect of a rookie learning his first NFL offense. Courtesy of Jordan Zirm (Twitter @clevezirm), who was taking in practice as a fan, I have a couple of clips of Kizer to show you.
This first clip is an example of just how pretty of a ball Kizer can thrown. This is a three-step drop fade out of the gun. He recognizes the corner is playing a trail technique in cover 2-man. This means he has a small window to fit the ball in between the corner and safety playing over top. As you can see, he has tremendous touch on this throw.
The next clip shows the ups and downs of Kizer’s play so far. This should be an easy throw from the gun as he’s trying to hit the slot receiver on a quick out. Because there is pressure and he holds on to the football a little bit too long, he fades away from the throw. You can see the ball is clearly off line.
I think these clips do a good job of showing what we have seen through four practices. Some good. Some bad. The good news is that he is showing signs of coming along nicely thus far.
Gregg William’s scheme
The early impressions have been positive for Gregg William’s defense. Nobody has yet to get a beat on what defense he has played so far. It’s obvious his base defense will be a 4-3, but after that, it’s anybody’s guess. Gregg has lined up guys at positions that has everyone confused. And that is a good thing. He’s lining up players everywhere trying to find where they fit best. I have the sense this defense is going to be fun.
For example, one snap Sunday, linebacker Jamie Collins was lined up in the A gap showing blitz, then backed off and ended up running with the slot receiver all the way down the seam. That's the type of stuff you can expect this fall.
Overall, I think camp is off to a good start, and I can’t wait to see these guys in more “live” action come the Orange and Brown scrimmage Friday. I’ll be back with more highlights from this week’s practice as well as the scrimmage in next week’s Fox’s Film Room. Talk to you then!