Denzel Ward On Participating In OTAs: "The Browns Drafted Me To Be A Leader"

Attendance during the offseason program is always a crapshoot for NFL teams.

With the practices being voluntary, plenty of notable players across the league choose working out on their own during the spring. Then there are player's like Browns cornerback Denzel Ward.

Ward has been present at the team facility for the entirety of Cleveland's offseason program. As one of the key voices of the Browns defense, Ward – even entering his eighth season – feels a sense of responsibility to show up for his teammates.

"The Browns, they drafted me to be on this team - they drafted me to be a leader on this team and that’s a way that I show my leadership coming into OTAs,” Ward said during mandatory minicamp. "If I'm here, I'm a rookie or if I'm a veteran in the league. I just try to come in and help show the guys what it's supposed to look like and how it's supposed to go and if they got questions."

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In retrospect it's not the end of the world when certain veterans choose not to attend the offseason program, which began back in April for Cleveland. High profile names like Myles Garrett, Dalvin Tomlinson, David Njoku, Joel Bitonio and even Juan Thornhill – among a few other players – were absent until mandatory minicamp began this week. Amari Cooper wasn't around all spring either and is skipping minicamp as well due to his contract situation.

Regardless of each player's reasons for not attending, Kevin Stefanski is always prepared to work with who they got this time of year. Having Ward present, however, helps set the tone for the rest of the team.

"I'm still out here working on my game as well," said Ward. "And what better way than to come out here and do that with your guys and your coaches and everything? So just out here learning out here trying to get better, but just trying to set a great example."

Ward's "lead by example" approach seemed to have an impact. Thornhill was the only member of the Browns secondary to not attend the voluntary phase of the offseason program and that was because he became a dad this offseason.

Rallying the rest of the defensive back group to show up throughout the spring is something Ward takes great pride in.

"I think it brings us all together. It brings us all in," said Ward. "If they see a veteran like myself come in I think they look like, ‘okay, if he's in here then I probably should come back as well and get some work in with everybody.’ So I just tried to set is a great example and those guys they teach me as well. So it's not just myself that's out there just trying to coach them up or be the lead person, but they coach me up as well and we help each other out."

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