WORD FROM MINICAMP
1. It’s hard to make major judgments when players are running around in shorts and helmets as is the case in minicamp. But certain things can be noticed. Is the player quick? How does he catch passes? Does he know how to run routes? How does he pick up coaching?
2. Which brings me to Jerome Ford, picked in the fifth round by the Browns. One of the goals for the Cincinnati running back is to show he can catch passes out of the backfield. He knows with Nick Chubb being the focal point as a runner, a back who can catch the ball is an asset to the team.
3. Ford impressed with his ability to do just that. Kareem Hunt also excels in that area. Hunt is a free agent after the 2022 season. We’ll see if he sign an extension. Hunt is paid $6.2 million this season. The Browns could stay with Ford in 2023, who’d be a cheaper option on a rookie contract.
4. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler: “Ford has room to improve his eyes and timing at the line of scrimmage to be more of a creator, but he has an effective blend of size, strength and speed with upside catching the football. He can provide a punch to an NFL team’s depth chart.”
5. Ford had a remarkable senior season for the Bearcats. He rushed for 1,319 yards (6.1-yard average) and 19 TDs. He rolled for 187 yards in 18 carries in Cincinnati’s 35-20 victory over Houston in the American Athletic Conference title game. Cincinnati then faced Alabama in the playoffs, losing 27-6. Ford was respectable, running for 77 yards in 15 carries (5.1-yard average).
6. I talked to several rookies when they were made available to the media. Ford emerged as one of my favorites. He plans to embrace the role of playing on special teams, something he did early in his career at Alabama and then at Cincinnati. He said he likes to cover punts and kickoffs. He’s confident, but knows the Browns are loaded at his running back position so he must find other ways to fit in.
7. In 2022, Hunt counts $6.2 million on the salary cap. Chubb is $5.2 million. Then Hunt becomes a free agent in 2023. These numbers are from overthecap.com. The rest of Chubb’s contract: $14.8 million (2023) and $16.2 million (2024). Most of that isn’t guaranteed. But it’s easy to see why the Browns could be looking at Ford for 2023.
8. Third-rounder Martin Emerson Jr. came as advertised: A long-armed cornerback skilled in man-to-man coverage. David Bell was solid as a receiver, good hands and a smart route-runner. Both players could be very important in 2022.
9. Undrafted free agent receiver Mike Harley impressed the coaches during workouts. The 5-foot-11 Harley is the Miami Hurricanes’ all-time leading receiver with 182 catches. He had 57 receptions last season. At Miami, he was considered a very “high character” player. He was at the school for five years, taking advantage of the extra COVID season.
10. Some fans wondered about the signing of Alcorn State QB Felix Harper. My guess is he will be one of several QBs they will look at over the summer for a practice squad berth.
ABOUT JADEVEON CLOWNEY
I heard the Browns have made significant progress in re-signing Clowney. Nothing has been finalized, but I hear both sides are feeling positive about the direction of the contract talks.
I didn’t hear what type of deal was being discussed. My guess is it’s another one-year contract. He’s signed a one-year deal in each of the last three seasons: 2021 Browns ($9 million), 2020 Tennessee ($12.2 million) and 2019 Seattle ($8 million).
Clowney is 29. He played 14 games (most since 2018) and had nine sacks, his best output since 2018. It’s important for the Browns to have someone such as Clowney at the other side of the defensive line from Myles Garrett. Opposing offenses need to account for both guys in the pass rush.
UPDATE: After I wrote this early Sunday AM, Clowney agreed to a 1-year, $11 million deal.
ABOUT BASKETBALL TO FOOTBALL
Remember Malik Smith, mentioned in my story last Sunday about the rookie from Cleveland Heights who hadn’t played football since fifth grade?
He is the brother of Tyreke Smith, the Ohio State defensive lineman drafted in the fifth-round by Seattle. Malik earned an invitation to OSU’s pro day and then a invite to try out with the Browns. The tryout lasted the weekend, and now he’s back on the market.
It’s hard to switch to football having been gone that long.
The media often cites Antonio Gates Sr. as a college basketball player who became a star NFL tight end. Often ignored is Gates was a star high school football player who originally went to Michigan State as a dual-sport athlete. When coach Nick Saban said he wanted Gates to only play football, he quit the team. It was a long, winding road that ended with Gates eventually becoming a basketball star at Kent State.
The point is Gates was a big time high school prospect, a top recruit. His son, Antonio Gates Jr., is headed to Michigan State on a football scholarship. Other tight ends who came from a basketball background include Jimmy Graham, Darren Fells and Julius Thomas. But it doesn’t happen that often. The transition is demanding.
The Browns have Marcos Santos-Silva in camp. He was a basketball player at Texas Tech who last played football as a high-school freshman.
Some fans may remember Jordan Cameron, a tight end drafted in the fourth round by the Browns in 2011. He was a two-sport high school star. He went to BYU to play basketball, but was a redshirt as a freshman. He switched back to football, and later played at USC.
Cameron caught 80 passes for the Browns in 2013, but began to suffer from concussions. He signed with Miami in 2015 and retired in 2017 at age 28 due to the concussion problems.
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