Reactions to Cleveland Browns Mandatory Minicamp
This Thursday marked the end of a successful series of offseason workouts hosted at the Cleveland Browns facility in Berea, Ohio. After 3 voluntary workouts held on May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6, the team held a final, mandatory minicamp from June 11-13. Takeaways from these workouts tend to be limited, as no contact is allowed and most drills are conducted in the form of 7-on-7s. Think of these 3 days of camp as a mini passing camp, where quarterbacks and wide receivers can get timing down, defensive backs and linebackers can work on their backend communication and lineman can… stretch.
Regardless, it's the middle of June, the US Open has disappointed, and Joey Chestnut isn't going to be at the hot dog eating contest – let’s overreact to OTAs.
What I liked
DW4
Deshaun Watson was spinning it this week, and it looked really good. As a part of his rehab program he has been alternating throwing days with rest days, on which he would take mental reps and not make any throws with his surgically repaired shoulder.
On his throwing days he was able to push the ball downfield, throw across the body and to the far sideline. The most notable throw was actually an incompletion to Elijah Moore - rolling out of the pocket to his left, Watson flipped his hips and launched a tight spiral fifty yards in the air, just beyond the outstretched fingertips of Moore.
Yes - we are at that point of the offseason. An incompletion is newsworthy.
Silly as it may seem, our lead signal caller showing progress in his recovery is very encouraging. Any postseason aspirations this Browns team has will rest solely on his ability to be the 230-million-dollar quarterback he is supposed to be.
You can make all the excuses you want - no pass rush, no threat of getting hit, no in-game pressure - the simple fact that he can put enough zip (oh no, I said the thing) on the ball is enough to make me breathe easy until training camp. (Then I’m back on zip-watch)
What I did not like
Amari Cooper holding out.
Amari Cooper was the only member of the Browns not present for the mandatory portion of the offseason workouts.
I love Amari Cooper. He has a special place in my heart because of how he carries himself on and off the field. He is the wide receiver version of Nick Chubb. Quiet, reserved, focused, ultra-hard working, physical, no frills, no drama, just ball. In contrast to some of the big name wide receivers that have been in Cleveland seasons past, he is a breath of fresh air - a dose of sanity in a position that seems filled with players eager to dance, play selfish football and have a look-at-me attitude.
He is also probably underpaid. And nearly 30 years old.
Which puts the Browns in a tough spot - they just extended their brand new, unproven receiver in Jerry Jeudy, giving him $17.5 million AAV, which highlights the imbalance between production and salary that now exists for Amari Cooper. Jerry is a second-tier guy, getting paid second-tier money - Amari is a first-tier guy, getting paid second-tier money. Jerry had 758 yards for the Broncos last year, Amari had 1,250 yards for the Browns last year. The math just aint mathin.
Amari has a very solid case for the extension he is pushing for. The only question is if Andrew Berry sees it the same way. Andrew Berry might love the culture that Amari Cooper brings to the Browns locker room. He might think his production on the field cannot be replaced by anyone else on the roster in 2024.
He might also think that you don't give 30-year-old receivers extensions. No matter how nice of a guy they are.
In the last five years, there has only been one wide receiver over the age of 30 to make a pro bowl. Keenan Allen, at 31 years old, in 2023.
The reality that I do not want to face as a fan of Amari Cooper, is that he is in the twilight of his career. As much as I would love for him to retire a Cleveland Brown, wide receivers have a short shelf life in the NFL, and the Browns are not in a cap position to be paying players more than they are worth.
In all likelihood, the Browns front office will give Amari the compensation that he is holding out for. They'll add a year or two to his deal, loaded with incentives so it's easier on cap and he can still feel good about his AAV. If his production drops off precipitously, the Browns aren’t tied to him, if he continues to perform, he is rewarded for it.
It's not perfect, but it is better than dealing with a long holdout, dragging into the late stages of training camp.
For the next six weeks, the Browns will fully be in offseason mode - the biggest news stories will be what beach Deshaun is taking the offense to, and what superhuman act Myles Garrett is performing on a basketball court.
Soon enough, the buses will be loading up for the Greenbrier, and the Stefanski vs Dorsey playcalling debate will be open again. We will forget the throws made in OTAs and instead belabor the throws made in training camp.
The 2024 NFL season will be here before you know it. Until then, let's enjoy the offseason.