2019 Cleveland Browns Training Camp

[Phills14]

I didn't watch any NFL games during that period. Although I don't forget that the only two teams to vote against permitting Art to move the Browns were Buffalo...and Pittsburgh. Both owners stood by us, which is one reason I'll always hate Baltimore more.

It helped that the Tribe was really good during that period.

Yea the move was a terrible time for a lot of sports fans here but the blow was at least cushioned by the Indians. The Indians were SO fun back then. They were must see TV every night in the late 90s.

 

[The Oi]

Many great memories of that Indians team. One absolutely brutal and life-changing one in the ‘94 strike shortened year. I was 10 years old that year.

Against TX, Kenny Lofton hit a walk off home run in extra innings just after 11pm. In excitement, I went running down the hall to my parents room to yell to my dad to tell him. Just as I was about to tell him, I noticed something that sounded like an off balance washing machine banging against the wall. But it was coming from their bedroom.

That was the first (and fortunately last) time, I heard my parents having sex.

 

[col63onel]

Well to be honest, had he not gone to Ohio State, would people even be talking about the signing at all? He’s done nothing of note in the league and has dealt with some injuries.

If he had been a Heisman hopeful QB at another school, been a big name as a QB, and still gotten drafted early as a WR, I think there would've been some buzz. Not as much as him being a Buckeye, but part of his buzz is being a former big name.

 

[Randolphkeys]

The Browns leaving was really a difficult period for football fans. Those four years coincided exactly with my undergrad experience at John Carroll, on the East side of Cleveland. So I occupied my time with typical college stuff - trying to score beers, bong rips, and dorm bitches. If I were still living at home with my folks without such entertaining distractions I would have been more angry.

 

[The Oi]

The Browns leaving was really a difficult period for football fans. Those four years coincided exactly with my undergrad experience at John Carroll, on the East side of Cleveland. So I occupied my time with typical college stuff - trying to score beers, bong rips, and dorm bitches. If I were still living at home with my folks without such entertaining distractions I would have been more angry.

Right.

I was more focused on Jolt Cola, FunDip and actually avoiding girls due to cooties at that stage but similar.

 

[BlessEm]

The Browns leaving was really a difficult period for football fans. Those four years coincided exactly with my undergrad experience at John Carroll, on the East side of Cleveland. So I occupied my time with typical college stuff - trying to score beers, bong rips, and dorm bitches. If I were still living at home with my folks without such entertaining distractions I would have been more angry.

I was like 7 rocking my Cowboys starter jacket/ Shawn Kemp Sonics jersey and Penny Hardaway Shoes then just cause. Wasnt till maybe 12 i started to realize the loyalty thing an repping where youre from.

 

[Norm]

I was too young when the browns moved but this thread really shows how beloved the browns are in Cleveland... gosh I can’t imagine them making the playoffs

Freshman in high school. I was devastated, as most of the school was as well. Luckily our teachers were Browns fans too......seems like any Browns fan was graded on a curve that year. If I was home on a Sunday during that time, I'd flip through to see if Metcalf was on, just to see how he did. Other than that, i worked on most Sundays to occupy myself. I did end up starting to watch hockey that year.....knew absolutely nothing about hockey except from my time on NHL 94 for the PS. #16 Vladimir Konstantinov injured almost every player he checked on the game lol. So I watched him......and he was almost identical watching on TV.

I was so naive back then that for 2 years I'd watch every sports channel hoping it was one big hoax that we moved. Met my wife in 98, in 99 she watched our expansion team with me one Sunday, knowing that I didn't watch NFL for years. We got beat really good and I was teared up......she asked if I was sad that we didn't win....i didn't hesitate to reply "I'm just happy to have my team back"

 

[bronko]

Yeah, I never had outright hate for Pittsburgh since the return. Both the team and fans supported us 100%. They loved to hate us. Ravens are my true hate, but I do loooove beating Pittsburgh but they will always have my respect. Rooney was a class act.

I've never had anything against the Steelers, I'm old enough to remember when the Browns were great and Pittsburgh were perennial losers. The Steelers turned it around, and while I wasn't a fan, I don't despise them. What I hate are NE Ohioans who ditched the Browns to jump on the Pittsburgh train when they started winning championships. Bandwagon fans, the worst in any sport. If you're from eastern Ohio and your family rooted for the Steelers forever, thats one thing. If you got tired of Brown losses and decided to root for the hot team of the era, then you aren't really a fan at all, and get no respect from me.

Baltimore is my only hated team, Cinci I just feel sorry for, mostly cuz of assholes like Wyche, Trumpy, and Collinsworth.

 

[Sebastian]

The 1995 season started with such hope after an 11-5 '94 campaign and a playoff victory against the Patriots.

The Browns signed Andre Rison to round out a decent offense with Leroy Hoard coming off a breakthrough season. Coupled with a fantastic defense making them a true Super Bowl contender.

I think they started off 3-1 going into an highly anticipated Monday Night game. A game that stared off with Derrick Alexander running back a kick for a TD.

From there it was all down-hill. They lost 4 of the next 5. And after a humiliating blow-out loss against the Oilers that saw the Browns drop below .500, the impossible happened. Out of nowhere, Modell announced the Browns were moving.

All hell broke loose.

So 1995 was the most Cleveland of all Browns seasons. Starting with legitimate hopes for a Super Bowl, and ending with the team moving with no warning, and no reason beyond Modell's utter greed, and an utter collapse on the field.

 

[inliner311]

If he had been a Heisman hopeful QB at another school, been a big name as a QB, and still gotten drafted early as a WR, I think there would've been some buzz. Not as much as him being a Buckeye, but part of his buzz is being a former big name.

I personally think Dorsey is looking at Braxton as a player that might be able to give something to the team as a #5 or #6 receiver. With how staked this team is now with talented starters at the skill positions, I don't think the team would be looking at him as a #5 or #6 receiver that would be asked to step into a bigger role if someone got injured. I think the slake would be asked to pulled up by other starters or rotation players.

I personally see Braxton as a player you ask to do very specific things and not as a backup for a specific person or position. I think he is a player that can get his yards thru YAC if the coaches can draw up plays give him easy catches and route running.

If Braxton can make the 53 man roster, I think the Browns are a good fit for him. He can get a very specific package of plays for him and learn from guys like OBJ, Jarvis, and Higgins about route running and body control as a WR. Maybe his package of plays are already drawn up by the coaching staff for Duke before he was traded.

 

[billmac91]

I personally think Dorsey is looking at Braxton as a player that might be able to give something to the team as a #5 or #6 receiver. With how staked this team is now with talented starters at the skill positions, I don't think the team would be looking at him as a #5 or #6 receiver that would be asked to step into a bigger role if someone got injured. I think the slake would be asked to pulled up by other starters or rotation players.

I personally see Braxton as a player you ask to do very specific things and not as a backup for a specific person or position. I think he is a player that can get his yards thru YAC if the coaches can draw up plays give him easy catches and route running.

If Braxton can make the 53 man roster, I think the Browns are a good fit for him. He can get a very specific package of plays for him and learn from guys like OBJ, Jarvis, and Higgins about route running and body control as a WR. Maybe his package of plays are already drawn up by the coaching staff for Duke before he was traded.

I don't think Braxton and YAC are words that go together in a sentece, IMO.

Braxton hates contact. And I love the guy....one of my all-time favorite Buckeyes. But he doesn't have the mentality of a slot who can go over the middle and get tough yards. When he catches the ball, he looks for space to make plays for sure, but he's not lowering his shoulder and getting you the tough yards after catch.

And it's unfortuante. While his combine 40 yard dash was a bit slower than anticpated (4.51) his shuttle numbers were elite. He was in that Brandon Cooks league on the short shuttle which is out of this world......and projects success at the slot.

Unfortunately, just not playing the WR position throughout his career, and I think an indoctrinated mentality of preserving his body as a QB, he just struggles at a position where physicality is needed. I give so much credit to former QB's turned WR like Edelman and Randle-El who made a living in the slot, and not being afaid of the big hit across the middle. Both guys were fearless and reliable in the punt return game as well.

I'd love nothing more than to see Braxton make the roster and contribute in specific ways. Unfortunately, like many others, I just don't see it. And it sucks....cause without the shoulder injury he suffered at tOSU, he could be doing exactly the same thing Lamar Miller is doing. He'd be a starter somewhere......I feel for him. And it's unfortunate too.......I think if his shoulder had ever healed to 100% of what it was, and he still had the arm strength, a team actually would've signed him and attempted to convert him back to QB....but the injury and subsequent surgery left too much scar tissue and weakened his arm strength to the point he struggles to throw it beyond 35-40 yards. Dude had a cannon prior to the injury.......I kept waiting for Bill O'Brien to unleash a great trick play with Braxton throwing it, but I don't think it's even advisable for him to attempt those types of plays based off his prior injury.

 

[inliner311]

I don't think Braxton and YAC are words that go together in a sentece, IMO.

Braxton hates contact. And I love the guy....one of my all-time favorite Buckeyes. But he doesn't have the mentality of a slot who can go over the middle and get tough yards. When he catches the ball, he looks for space to make plays for sure, but he's not lowering his shoulder and getting you the tough yards after catch.

And it's unfortuante. While his combine 40 yard dash was a bit slower than anticpated (4.51) his shuttle numbers were elite. He was in that Brandon Cooks league on the short shuttle which is out of this world......and projects success at the slot.

Unfortunately, just not playing the WR position throughout his career, and I think an indoctrinated mentality of preserving his body as a QB, he just struggles at a position where physicality is needed. I give so much credit to former QB's turned WR like Edelman and Randle-El who made a living in the slot, and not being afaid of the big hit across the middle. Both guys were fearless and reliable in the punt return game as well.

I'd love nothing more than to see Braxton make the roster and contribute in specific ways. Unfortunately, like many others, I just don't see it. And it sucks....cause without the shoulder injury he suffered at tOSU, he could be doing exactly the same thing Lamar Miller is doing. He'd be a starter somewhere......I feel for him. And it's unfortunate too.......I think if his shoulder had ever healed to 100% of what it was, and he still had the arm strength, a team actually would've signed him and attempted to convert him back to QB....but the injury and subsequent surgery left too much scar tissue and weakened his arm strength to the point he struggles to throw it beyond 35-40 yards. Dude had a cannon prior to the injury.......I kept waiting for Bill O'Brien to unleash a great trick play with Braxton throwing it, but I don't think it's even advisable for him to attempt those types of plays based off his prior injury.

I agree that YAC and Braxton don't go together so far in his NFL career. If you watch his highlights from when he has played WR both in college and the NFL, I notice he barely ever can stay up right after making a catch that is 10+ yards. He is constantly leaving his feet to make the catch and not getting his body in position to stay balanced.

The things that I see that could work for him are on screen, pitches, direct snaps where he get the ball easily and go. He has an elusiveness when he runs and seems to get thru traffic barely getting touched. Those are the plays at WR that jump out at me. It's how he was such an effective runner as a QB. If the coaching staff that can somehow create plays to take advantage of that, I think they get a very usable player that can move around the field in Braxton.

 

[The Oi]

The 1995 season started with such hope after an 11-5 '94 campaign and a playoff victory against the Patriots.

The Browns signed Andre Rison to round out a decent offense with Leroy Hoard coming off a breakthrough season. Coupled with a fantastic defense making them a true Super Bowl contender.

I think they started off 3-1 going into an highly anticipated Monday Night game. A game that stared off with Derrick Alexander running back a kick for a TD.

From there it was all down-hill. They lost 4 of the next 5. And after a humiliating blow-out loss against the Oilers that saw the Browns drop below .500, the impossible happened. Out of nowhere, Modell announced the Browns were moving.

All hell broke loose.

So 1995 was the most Cleveland of all Browns seasons. Starting with legitimate hopes for a Super Bowl, and ending with the team moving with no warning, and no reason beyond Modell's utter greed, and an utter collapse on the field.

I, for no particularly good reason, still have a 75th anniversary custom LeRoy Hoard jersey.

LEROY HOARD!!!!

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

I agree that YAC and Braxton don't go together so far in his NFL career. If you watch his highlights from when he has played WR both in college and the NFL, I notice he barely ever can stay up right after making a catch that is 10+ yards. He is constantly leaving his feet to make the catch and not getting his body in position to stay balanced.

The things that I see that could work for him are on screen, pitches, direct snaps where he get the ball easily and go. He has an elusiveness when he runs and seems to get thru traffic barely getting touched. Those are the plays at WR that jump out at me. It's how he was such an effective runner as a QB. If the coaching staff that can somehow create plays to take advantage of that, I think they get a very usable player that can move around the field in Braxton.

If at @billmac91's analysis is correct -- and it sure sounded that way to me -- then how well suited is Braxton to being used predominantly on running-type plays where he's pretty much guaranteed to get nailed at the end of each run?

 

[Phil Mixtape]

I, for no particularly good reason, still have a 75th anniversary custom LeRoy Hoard jersey.

LEROY HOARD!!!!

Always liked Sleepy, kinda like Kevin Mack lite . . .