Browns Takeaways from OTAs: Juan Thornhill Uninterested in Past Failures

The Cleveland Browns took the field for their second day of OTAs and spoke to the media for the first time. There are clips floating around the internet to whet the appetite for football, but today was about hearing from players who had been brought in this offseason including Za'Darius Smith, Juan Thornhill and Elijah Moore.

Smith is a giant man with a big personality who was eager to answer questions from the media. Some of that was genuine excitement of starting with a new team. Smith likes the idea of being back in a true 4-3, which is something he played in since he was in college at Kentucky. He wants to be able to play with his hand on the ground more, but also hinted that he could play anywhere including linebacker.

Smith was also prepared for any questions he was going to be asked. It seems like he wanted to set the record straight on his football character and his exit from the Minnesota Vikings. Last week, there were some media reports that suggested Smith wasn't a great team guy. It's safe to say those reports got back to him.

"I'm always a team guy. You can call any player from any facility that I've been in and ask them about who Z really is, you know, but a lot of people make stories up and it just didn't work out. You know, I hated that. Wish I could've stayed and been a Smith bro with Preston, but you know, just happy to be here now man and get a new fresh start and continue my career here." - Za'Darius Smith

No one is going to stop Juan Thornhill from being a fount of positivity. He was asked about some of his interactions with fans and more or less prodding them to believe in this team. And he wasn't interested in pushback from media about what fans (or the media members themselves) have been through.

Unless this is all fake and it's going to disappear at some point, why is anyone against this? It felt like Thornhill was being chided to tone it down without actually going that far. Thornhill has won two Super Bowls in his four years in the league. Stop trying to saddle your decades of disappointment on guys who are excited to join this team.

Critics clamor for leadership and when someone tries to take the initiative, they are then told not to. So long as Thornhill and the team puts in the work, this team can use an irrationally confident cheerleader, especially in the secondary. All Thornhill has said is this team is going to win. If they don't win, Thornhill and other players are going to take heat regardless of what anyone said in May.

.@Juan_Thornhill is all about the power of positivity 🙌 pic.twitter.com/uTKUp2Fhcj
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 24, 2023

The Cavs won 51 games this year, the first time they've won more than 50 since LeBron James played in Cleveland. They were fun, had personality and everyone was excited until they were unceremoniously escorted out of the playoffs by the New York Knicks in the first round. So much of that goodwill in the regular season immediately evaporated.

There is a sense that the coming regular season is almost irrelevant because they need to prove it in the postseason for a portion of the fanbase. And those people can feel however they want, but don't be surprised when players don't feel the same way because it would be a miserable existence not to be able to enjoy any part of an 82-game season.

Football is a difficult, often times brutal sport. I'm here for Juan Thornhill enjoying every step of the way, because it could absolutely have a positive impact on a team. Thornhill has two Super Bowl rings. He's earned it. I'll take all of it.

Elijah Moore is intense and talks as fast as he runs. The more you listen to him talk, the more you can understand how he grew frustrated with the New York Jets. He works hard, sometimes doing three workouts in a single day. He's in love with football to the point football might feel smothered.

So for someone like him to work as hard as he does and put so much into this game only to not get the opportunity to get the ball despite being wide open has to be difficult. Fortunately, the Browns aren't rolling with Zach Wilson at quarterback. The offense the Browns have and Deshaun Watson as his quarterback have him excited. As he noted, he likes being with a quarterback who is as passionate about the game as he is.

#Browns WR Elijah Moore on how much Deshaun Watson loves the game pic.twitter.com/52Stomfj63
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 24, 2023

Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz wore a 51 shirt out to the practice field. It was his way to signal to the team that he liked the way linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk was handling his business. The shirt looked goofy on Schwartz, but it sends a message to the team and recognizes a player who may not know if the work they are doing is drawing notice.

Kunaszyk was with the Browns last year and earned himself another contract largely on that point. He did play some reps on the defense at the end of the season when players went down with injuries in that room.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah participated in the OTA. His season ended with a foot injury. It didn't require surgery, but the team hadn't made it clear when he was going to be back when head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked in April. With a number of players working on the side, it was notable that JOK was healthy enough to get back to work, a good sign about where he is.