3 Reasons This Week Is the Most Important of Browns Training Camp

The Cleveland Browns face a very important week of training camp practices.

Last week, the Browns had their first week of training camp. On Sunday, they received their first day off. But the team will have six straight days of practice starting on Monday, and they’ll check three very important boxes this week.

Let’s take a look at why this week is so important to the Browns.

Monday: Pads come on

Remember back in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine when head coach Todd Monken said in a perfect world, the Browns would name a starting quarterback at the end of spring practices?

Well, following the end of Cleveland's mandatory veteran minicamp, Monken wasn’t ready to name QB1. Part of the reason why? Because the 60-year-old head coach wanted to see Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders compete with pads on.

Monday is the first padded practice in Cleveland. Per the collective bargaining agreement, the Browns will only be allowed to have up to 15 more padded practices once this one is in the books.

It’s a very small sample size for Watson and Sanders to impress this coaching staff with pads on.

But further, the Browns will want to see their new-look offensive line take a step forward against a defensive line starring Jared Verse that has dominated the first four days of camp. Now that the pads are coming on, the Browns will be able to get a feel for their fifth offensive lineman starter competition, too.

Thursday: Final day of installation

On Saturday, Monken stated that it’ll take him four more practices to finalize Cleveland’s installation process this offseason.

That means Thursday will be the final day where the Browns will be learning Monken’s new offense and defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg’s new defense.

It’s been difficult for the Browns to start real, authentic evaluations on some of their position groups this summer because the team is still learning. It’s called practice for a reason. But after Thursday, everything will be installed and the Browns will begin ramping up their evaluations.

Friday: The real quarterback evaluation starts

Monken isn’t overreacting to Watson’s six interceptions in his first four training camp sessions, or the mistakes made by Sanders along the way.

Friday’s practice will be the first time where Monken’s installation is complete. The Browns will practice on Saturday, completing six straight days of work before another break on Sunday. But next week? The Browns have a real work week, as they host the Chicago Bears for their preseason opener on August 15 at Huntington Bank Field.

You can see how time will be of the essence for a Browns team that will need to name a starting quarterback ahead of Week 1 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in September.

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