00:00from the Chronicle Telegram, BrownZone.com.
00:02He is Scott Petrick, working hard.
00:04Hi, Scott. How are you?
00:05Hello, Scott.
00:06I'm good. How are you guys?
00:08Good. Scott, just before we get to the Browns game on Sunday,
00:11what was the big press conference this morning?
00:13What did you have going on?
00:14Yeah, it was like the groundbreaking kind of for the building
00:18that's right next to the practice fields
00:20where they're going to have some university hospital stuff.
00:23And then there's this cool thing we got a tour of.
00:26It's called Browns Experience.
00:27And you can go in this, they call it the cube.
00:31It's like virtual reality, and it puts you inside the stadium.
00:35And you can, like, sit or be where your seats are going to be
00:38and get what the view looks like.
00:40How'd the press box look? Did you sit there?
00:42They did not let us up there.
00:44Oh, that's why.
00:45We're not as good as it is at this.
00:47I'll tell you what, the new stadiums, the press box,
00:49are never as good as they are at the old stadium.
00:51No, that's true. They always seem to be up in a corner.
00:54Yep, a corner is the way it goes.
00:56Yeah, that's all right.
00:57You know, you still get to watch the game.
00:58All right, let's get into what we saw on Saturday.
01:01So what did you think?
01:03I know your headline from your analysis is
01:05Shadur Sanders will get the chance.
01:07He deserves this week, and it's up to him to capitalize.
01:10So you still think this is open competition, right?
01:13I do.
01:14And the main reason I say that, guys,
01:16is because if they knew that it was going to be Deshaun Watson week one,
01:21then get him all the reps right now.
01:22Then it wouldn't make any sense to go through with this
01:26and continue the competition
01:28and give Shadur Sanders reps this week,
01:31reps in the joint practice against Buffalo on Thursday,
01:33and then the first half Saturday.
01:35Now, you can say the first half Saturday might not be as meaningful
01:38because probably a lot of starters from both teams won't play.
01:41But the reps during practice this week are meaningful.
01:43And Todd Mugget said yesterday,
01:45Shadur was going to go get the first team reps Monday, Wednesday,
01:48and then split them Thursday.
01:50So if it's still an open competition, then, yeah,
01:52I think that signals that it's still an open competition.
01:55I think it's been really close the whole time.
01:58I know that Watson played better on Saturday in different circumstances,
02:02but I don't think he played better enough where you go,
02:06it's his job.
02:07So I do think Shadur still has a chance.
02:09I thought it was interesting that Todd said yesterday
02:12that it's only fair.
02:14You used the word fair to talk about Shadur getting stuff this week.
02:19What's fair about pro sports, Scott?
02:21I thought that was interesting.
02:23Yeah, it is.
02:24And I do think Todd has been really careful about that,
02:29that it is a legitimate competition,
02:31and they're trying to split the reps as evenly as possible
02:33and make it as equitable as possible.
02:38But, yeah, you're right.
02:39It doesn't have to be.
02:42I don't know if that's because it's such a high-profile competition,
02:46such a high-profile person in the competition,
02:49or that he just feels like with this position that you need to be as fair as possible.
02:56And I keep going back to it.
02:57It's not like Sean Watson has played great since April, right?
03:01He hasn't.
03:02I think he's played really well, or well, over the last week and a half.
03:08You know, it started on the Wednesday, I think, in the second week of camp.
03:11And since then, I think he's been pretty good, and he's gotten better.
03:14And I thought he was solid in the game Saturday.
03:18But he hasn't been fantastic, and I think Shadir Sanders is getting better.
03:22And the one, I don't know, gripe, the one area where Watson has an advantage over Sanders
03:28is the operation and, you know, getting it out of the huddle
03:32and reading the defenses, which it's important.
03:35There's no doubt about it.
03:36But I also think that's an area where Sanders will get better the more he does it.
03:41And he's a year-two guy coming from a system in Colorado where they didn't huddle.
03:45So you would expect him to get better at that,
03:47but he's only going to get better if you give him those opportunities.
03:51So that's why I think it does make sense to keep this fair,
03:54and why I think it does make sense to continue it through this week at least.
04:00What do you want to see from Shadir?
04:03Let me backtrack.
04:04What do you think the joint practice is going to mean then for both of these guys?
04:08Because it sounded like Todd said they're going to split the joint practice.
04:11Yeah, I mean, that's what he said.
04:13It's going to be important because you're going to get a really good team.
04:15You know, and Buffalo's a Super Bowl contender.
04:17How do they handle it?
04:19And, you know, the coaches will tell you they value those joint practice reps
04:23even more than the preseason games sometimes.
04:25So it's going to be important.
04:27You need to see, again, it sounds so, I don't know, lame to keep talking about it,
04:32but the operation is important, right?
04:34Do they get out of the auto?
04:35Do they have to take a delay of game?
04:36Is he reading the defense right?
04:39And that's the thing.
04:40It's not like Watson has been perfect in these areas.
04:42You know, they had to burn a timeout, and he had to delay a game Saturday.
04:46So both guys have had issues.
04:48I think Shadir Sanders has had more issues in that area.
04:51So you want to see that run smoothly.
04:54It be a clean operation.
04:56And then you want to see avoid the turnovers.
04:59And Sanders has done a good job of that overall through camp.
05:02Obviously, he had the one terrible throw Saturday that led to an interception.
05:05You know, you can't have those.
05:07So does he protect the ball?
05:08And then does he move the team?
05:11Does he complete?
05:12Does he still have those big plays?
05:14Because that, to me, has been the separator for Sanders,
05:17if you're talking about what's his biggest advantage over Watson.
05:19It's the consistent downfield throws that he's able to connect on.
05:24And we saw the one to Luke Floria on Saturday.
05:28In fairness, the offensive line starters only played two series,
05:32but I don't think the offensive line play was very good.
05:35What does inconclusive in a preseason game mean about the offensive line
05:39that's been revamped?
05:41Yeah, I think they just need more time together, more time on task,
05:46ask more reps in game situations or joint practice situations.
05:51You know, Todd Munkin said that they haven't solidified the five guys,
05:54but it sure feels like they have at least four of the five,
05:57that it's going to be Elton Jenkins at center.
05:59You know, Parker Brailsford, the rookie out of Alabama,
06:02hurt his wrist or hand, so he hasn't been out there in a while.
06:05And, you know, if you're a rookie low pick
06:07and you're trying to win a starting job,
06:09you can't miss this kind of time in camp in the preseason.
06:11So I'm assuming it's going to be Elton Jenkins at center
06:14and probably Tevin Jenkins at right guard.
06:16You know, KT Levinson still has a chance.
06:20But they can move forward with, okay, these are probably the five guys.
06:24And then you try to build that up.
06:25You know, Spencer Fano, I think, has been coming on strong at left tackle,
06:28which is a really good sign.
06:29And, you know, Munkin talked about it.
06:31I think part of the reason the line didn't look good,
06:33at least from a run game standpoint, was they didn't scheme it up.
06:36They hadn't played against the 3-4 front yet in camp
06:39because the Browns, you know, have the 4-3.
06:42So he doesn't have any doubt that they'll be able to run the ball.
06:45You know, pass protection I think was okay.
06:48But you would hope that it would get better
06:50the longer these guys work together.
06:53Scott Petrack joining us, Chronicle Telegram, brownzone.com.
06:56With the offensive line in mind here,
07:00at the beginning of camp, DeJuan Jones is getting first-team reps
07:03ahead of Spencer Fano.
07:05And then you hear George Warhop before all this say,
07:08you know what, I think the guy could be a starter.
07:09And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
07:11What did DeJuan play with the 17th string on Saturday?
07:15It was fourth quarter.
07:16He was not in there even with the second stringers.
07:21Scott, what's up?
07:22Because we heard Munkin even say, you know,
07:25going from starter to making the roster
07:28in a previous comment about DeJuan.
07:30What do you think is going on?
07:31Yeah, I've been thinking about that too, Jeff.
07:33It's weird.
07:34It makes me think, makes me wonder about a couple of things.
07:37And nobody's told me this.
07:39One, do they think they can trade him?
07:41And, you know, you play him late in the game,
07:43maybe people can get a look at him.
07:45They want to see more of Austin Barber, see where he is.
07:47Can he be the swing tackle?
07:49And he had his struggles.
07:50I thought Jones struggled too when he was in there in the fourth quarter.
07:53You know, maybe it's hard to be motivated when you're with the first team a week ago
07:57and all of a sudden you're, you know, getting the last reps,
08:00you know, close to the last reps of a game.
08:03So those are my two thoughts that maybe Jones didn't take the quote-unquote demotion well
08:09and or the Browns are looking to see if they can get something for him
08:12because you might be able to, for a guy with that size and that potential,
08:18he feels like a guy who could be traded.
08:20But in order to do that, if you're the Browns,
08:22you have to feel good about your backup tackles.
08:24And that would start with the rookie third-rounder, Austin Barber.
08:28It's funny because you say that, and then I wonder about, like, Tillman too.
08:34And Cedric Tillman, if he's on the trade block too
08:36or where he fits into the future of this team.
08:38Yeah, I'd be, I would expect Cedric Tillman to be traded.
08:43They have their top five.
08:45You know, I think you can throw Tylan Wallace in there
08:48is a guy who's going to make this roster.
08:50So that's five out of maybe six spots that they keep at receiver.
08:54Is it going to be Tillman?
08:57And I think you could get something for him.
08:58I'm not talking about getting a pro bowler,
09:00but you could get something in return.
09:03And I just feel like that's the direction that's headed.
09:07You know, he's shown up at camp.
09:09You know, he's made plenty of plays.
09:11He got hurt right at the end of the,
09:13he didn't practice the last practice they had last week.
09:16So I don't know where that stands right now,
09:19but I don't feel like he's going to make this team
09:22or be on this team when the regular season starts.
09:25Yeah, I was hoping for Luke Floria too,
09:27but the fact that Munkin called him 81 yesterday,
09:30it was like, oh, he doesn't know his name.
09:32Oh, man.
09:32Yeah, you don't think that's a good sign?
09:34That's a bad sign.
09:40I don't know, I'm on a big team,
09:41but at least leave him on the practice squad.
09:44Come on, man, local guy.
09:45Give him a shot.
09:46I'll tell you what, I mean, you know,
09:47obviously Luke's got, he shows up in practice.
09:51He really does.
09:52Now he's small and I don't know if he's the fastest guy in the world,
09:54so there's certainly things he has to overcome.
09:57But he continues to show up,
09:58and I do think he'll wind up on this practice squad.
10:01All right, well, that sounds good.
10:02That's a hopeful thing.
10:03All right, Scott, thank you.
10:04We know we appreciate you,
10:06and I know we hoped to have you on earlier,
10:08but I do appreciate you still doing the show with us here
10:10a little bit later in the day.
10:11Thank you, thank you, thank you.
10:12Thanks, Scott.
10:13Thanks, fellas.
10:13All right, we'll talk to you later.
10:14Scott Petrick, super friend of the show.
10:15Make sure you read him every day.
10:17ChronicleTelegram, BrownZone.com.
Comments