BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns held their first full-pads practice of training camp at team headquarters in Berea on Saturday, and it does not look like they will be returning to unpadded on-field work for a while.
Browns coach Freddie Kitchens hopes the effort and enthusiasm shown by the players during the first fully padded practice “carries over” to the next when they take the field for the fourth day of training camp this morning.
“I think they understand that we need to stay in the moment and get better,” Kitchens said Saturday. “I think they understand we need to be a physical football team. I think they understand the division that we play in, we need to be a physical football team.
“I think that is the way they are going to approach each and every day, and I think they did a good job of that. The execution wasn’t there always, but that is fine. We have plenty of time to get the execution. I want to make sure the mindset is right.”
During the early portion of practice, the defense had the advantage as the running lanes were clogged with tacklers, but Kitchens wanted it that way to help toughen up the offense, as he believes the Browns need to run the ball successfully even when defenders know they going to.
Although the defense held their own in the run drills, the first-team offense got a measure of payback in the form of a successful two-minute drive later in the day.
At the end of practice, Kitchens put 1:25 on the clock and had the offense start with a first-and-10 from their own 40-yard line and in need of a touchdown to win the game. It took just three passes from quarterback Baker Mayfield, one to Odell Beckham Jr. and two to Jarvis Landry, to get the ball into the end zone.
“I know we executed, and that’s what happens when we execute,” Kitchens said. “Those guys did a good job. They did a good job up front, Baker had time to throw and they did a good job running the routes and catching the ball. I expect them to execute.”
Known for his punishing rushing style, second-year running back Nick Chubb believes the Browns under Kitchens will be a much more imposing team than in previous years.
“It’s more physical,” Chubb said. “We’re going at it. We hit hard. We’re not shying away from anything and he’s big on that. He wants to be the most physical team on the field and with that first day, I can see we’re headed in the right direction.”
Regardless of who had the advantage for the overall practice or if this year’s Browns are more physical than in previous seasons, Kitchens wants everybody to take care of each other on the field.
“Part of the process of learning how to practice is trying to avoid unnecessary injury but still get your work done in a physical nature with the proper technique,” Kitchens said.
“That is what we are trying to teach right now: how to practice because we have to continue to get better every time we get onto the field. Every time the ball is snapped, we need to get better. The only way you are going to do that is to practice being better. I think we are trying to learn how to do that right now.”
