Deshaun Watson Shines First Day of Minicamp
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The first day of Cleveland Browns minicamp proved to be a great one for Deshaun Watson and the offense. What the team hopes to be a preview of things to come, Watson only had one ball hit the ground the entire day and was able to find a multitude of receivers in the end zone, showcasing what they hope is a vibrant, dynamic set of weapons.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski was quick to put some cold water on it, reminding everyone this is how Watson should look in 7 on 7 and team periods without pads.
"Yeah. I think you've always gotta be real careful, former defensive back speaking now. 7 on 7 is geared to the offense. You should complete balls in 7 on 7, so I'm the head coach, not the offensive head coach."
Stefanski is 100 percent right, but on June 6th with so much anticipation surrounding Watson's ability to be the franchise quarterback they gave up so much for, this was a positive step. Part of that positive step was an unexpected amount of work from wide receiver Amari Cooper.
"Since he got out there and starting doing indie, he honestly looked exactly like the old Amari to me, which is a guy that works really hard, comes off the ball with explosive movement, catches everything, so he's looked like himself. We are just gonna be smart with how we bring him along."
Watson found Cooper multiple times throughout the day, including a few in traffic and tight quarters. Cooper was great for the Browns in his first season, looking to build on it and be even better this year. It helps that the Browns have so many viable targets in the passing game.
WATCH: QB Deshaun Watson Making Big Plays as Browns Start Mandatory Camp
Donovan Peoples-Jones made multiple plays in the end zone, drawing praise from Stefanski for his consistency.
"As you know, Donovan is such a trustworthy target for the quarterbacks. He's always exactly where he needs to be from a routes perspective, a depth perspective and then have ball skills like he does and throw it to a spot where only he can get it and he has the wherewithal to get his feet down. Donovan, I think we talk about him like he's a young player. He's a pro now and that's what pros do."
Elijah Moore, who is loving life with the Browns, continues to shine in these pad-less practices. He can operate inside and outside. They've put him in the backfield now multiple times. That's something they did with DPJ last year against the Baltimore Ravens. Moore might be better suited for it, but it could also be a way to make up for potential talent deficiencies the Browns could have at running backs.
Speaking of the backs, Jerome Ford caught a touchdown pass out of the backfield. Nick Chubb did some work on the side today, which continues to allow the rest of this group to get reps. Combined with OTAs while Chubb was working out in Georgia, that could prove valuable for when the team gets to minicamp.
This was the first day David Njoku was in attendance. He also hit pay dirt in the end zone. Marquise Goodwin and Jaelon Darden are both speedsters that caught passes from Watson.
Even as there is continued speculation surrounding DeAndre Hopkins as a potential free agent addition, Tuesday's minicamp showed the Browns have weapons and competition, which was the goal for general manager Andrew Berry heading into training camp. The Browns will likely wait to see how these three practices go before they revisit that topic since Hopkins wouldn't participate anyway.
For now, the Browns are excited about who they have and Deshaun Watson is showing signs that he might be finding his comfort zone.
