The Good and Not So Good From Cleveland Browns' Training Camp So Far

The Cleveland Browns are taking the practice field for their third training camp session on Friday afternoon. But here's the good and not so good from their first two practices.

Jul 30, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) throws a pass during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Browns have had just two practices this summer with the whole team on the field for training camp.

So far, Cleveland’s defense is in front of the offense. 

That’s good – and not so good for the Browns.

It should have been expected that this offense would start training camp very slowly. Throughout camp, it could be hard for chemistry to be developed as the offensive line, wide receivers and quarterbacks will be rotating starting snaps, as plenty of positions and roster spots are up for grabs on this depth chart.

Deshaun Watson started the competition by getting reps with the starters on Wednesday. He threw back-to-back interceptions, and hasn’t been overly impressive in either day of training camp. Shedeur Sanders received the bulk of the starting reps on Thursday, as his father, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, watched practice from the sidelines.

Browns head coach Todd Monken wants to see both quarterbacks practice with the team in full pads, which hasn’t happened yet. The Browns are allowed up to 16 padded practices this summer, so it’s very likely that this competition will bleed well into the summer, and probably into preseason games.

This offense needs to take a step in the right direction during Monken’s first season in Cleveland. Through two practices, the rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston have both flashed. Quinshon Judkins looked fully recovered from that late-December leg injury. But the quarterback position remains a massive question mark for this season, and that’s not very good.

The good news is that the defense looks solid.

Ahead of Cleveland’s second preseason game against Buffalo, the Browns will host the Bills for joint practices in Berea. That’ll be a real test for new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg's group.

Even without Maliek Collins, who is still rehabbing last year’s injury, and Myles Garrett, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason, Cleveland’s defensive line looks dominant.

This offseason, Browns general manager Andrew Berry completely rebuilt Cleveland’s offensive line. As the Browns work to piece together that new fence around Watson and Sanders, Rutenberg’s defense has been able to make life difficult on the offense.

Without former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Garrett on the sideline, the Browns need this defense to stay a top-ranked unit in the NFL. Newly-minted Denzel Ward, who inked a two-year extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback for the second time in his Browns career ahead of training camp, intercepted Watson on Wednesday. Grant Delpit earned a contract extension of his own, giving Rutenberg plenty of options at safety with Ronnie Hickman and rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren all expected to play major roles.

Even though the offense is still a work in progress, the Browns are likely relieved that the defense still looks good. Next month’s joint practice against MVP candidate Josh Allen’s Bills will be a very good test for where this team is at on both sides of the football.