Editor's note: Tony Grossi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN 850 WKNR.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
Ward improving: Denzel Ward is dealing with a hip flexor injury that flared up early in the Kansas City game, but after completing a limited day of practice, he said, “I’m getting better. I should be good.”
In the nick of time.
Here comes Atlanta’s Julio Jones, the latest in the Murderers Row of receivers that have been lining up against the rookie cornerback since the Browns’ schedule was released in April.
Jones (6-3 and 220 pounds) is not the biggest wideout among Ward’s challenges – Tampa’s Mike Evans (6-5 and 230) measured bigger – but he may be the most physical. Jones has 60 receptions for 933 yards, but only one touchdown as defenses have routinely doubled him in the scoring zone area.
On Wednesday, safety Damarious Randall, recalling his years as a cornerback with Green Bay, said, “Julio is the best receiver I’ve ever faced. Big, fast, strong, you name it. He’s pretty much what you want in your typical receiver nowadays.”
Ward is characteristically unfazed.
“He is a bigger receiver, so we just have to find a way to eliminate the big plays out there,” he said. “It’s the NFL. Players are going to make plays. Julio’s going to make his plays. It’s just about limiting those big plays.
“I personally haven’t played him, so I look forward to it this week.”
The fact Randall will be back in the lineup after missing one game should help Ward contain Jones, especially if Randall returns to his free safety position. But with the Browns down two cornerbacks, it’s possible Randall could reprise a return to cornerback, as he did in the Tampa game.
“The schemes will change dependent upon the situations of the game,” interim coach/defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. “It depends on the down and distances of the game. Those are the types of things that you do each and every week, but you have to be much better with his physical and big presence. He has a body like a lot of tight ends in the league. He can separate himself from coverage because he is bigger than most guys who have to cover him.”
Sir Duke: Duke Johnson led the Browns in receptions with 74 last year, but was on pace through the first eight games under former coordinator Todd Haley for 40. In the first game with Freddie Kitchens calling the plays, Johnson was nine of nine in targeted balls from quarterback Baker Mayfield.
You would expect that to continue.
“Some of Duke’s [targets] last week were designed plays, some were Baker doing a good job of finding his checkdowns,” Kitchens said. “I had a coach tell me one time, ‘If you don’t throw it, they won’t cover it.’ They get paid for stopping you. If you’re going to stop yourselves by not using an attribute you may have, then they’re not going to cover it.”
Kitchens was a descendant of Haley with both Dallas and Arizona and was the natural replacement to continue the Haley offense after he was fired. He said the system is the same, but conceded, “Todd and I did have different views from the standpoint of some things.”
Brownie bits: What’s the possibility of any of the DBs in the batch of waiver claims this week seeing much action against Atlanta – cornerbacks Justin Burris and Phillip Gaines, and safety Jermaine Whitehead? “We started at 6:30 a.m. way before all of the meetings, and they will be here real late at night. It will be their ability to comprehend and their ability to understand,” Williams said … The coach would not tip his hand on the competition between erstwhile rookie left tackle starter Desmond Harrison and Game 8 revelation Greg Robinson. “We will make that decision at the end of the week, but it looks good,” Williams said.