TE Darren Fells:
On his first training camp in Cleveland:
"New environments are always a fun experience. Trying to learn the new players and learning a new offense and everything like that. It has been awesome, a pleasant surprise. We have a city who has been yearning for a winner for a long time and such a new group coming in. Just trying to learn each other's habits here and there. It has been fun just seeing the development."
On if he had a timeline for himself when he entered the NFL:
"I always try to set the bar high for myself. I did not come in thinking I was going to be on the practice squad. I always came in thinking that I was going to fight for a starting spot. When I was able to come in after my second year and start, I told myself that I am going to always fight to be a starter. Personal development, I have always tried to improve on all of my weaknesses. No. 1 weakness coming into the league was that being a basketball player, he can't block. I focused on that, and the rest is history form there. I am also always working on my pass game."
On TE David Njoku:
"David has unbelievable talent, one of the most athletic tight ends that I have ever seen. He can jump out of the gym. I have not even seen some basketball players that can jump out of the gym like he can. My message to him was just, 'There are going to be some days that it is going to be a bit of a grind. Just keep your focus and do not let them bring you down and slow you down.'"
On why he played professional basketball before professional football:
"I played basketball in college. It was not my mindset that I can just hop into football and go from there."
On if he played football in college:
"No. Not one snap. Did not even have a football team in my college."
On if his brother, former NFL TE Daniel Fells, tried to talk him into playing football:
"He did not really even attempt to talk to me. He knew that I was a decent basketball player. He thought that my mindset to go to the NBA was set. It was not until I got tired of not being able to hit anyone that I was able to make the transition."
On his decision to come to the NFL:
"It was my fourth year overseas. I just was not feeling the non-contact of the sport. I just started talking to my brother. He played for New England at the time. We had a long talk about whether I wanted to do basketball or give football a shot. I told him that I wanted to try football. I actually had a tryout out of college with Minnesota. I knew that there was a possibility there. He got me in contact with agents and training facilities, and it kind of just went from there."
DB Terrance Mitchell:
On getting more reps with the first team defense and the motivation behind his success:
"I am just doing my job. Go in and try to do it to the best of my ability."
On his mindset getting the chance to be in with the first team:
"Every day is an opportunity to establish yourself and things like that. It is a long season, and we are still really early. A lot of things can happen still."
On the challenges going to a new team:
"I would not say that it is quite difficult. That has kind of been my career, early in my career so I kind of got used to it. I look at it as more of a positive thing. I meet a lot of players, and I know a lot of people around the NFL. It is not too much of a difference for me."
On if General Manager John Dorsey was an advocate to bring him to Cleveland:
"Possibly so."
On the importance of being a Week 1 starter:
"I came here to Cleveland and I have been blessed to play for this great organization. If the opportunity is there to do that, I am going to do my best job in helping us win games."
On competition among the CBs:
"The media really does not know me. Last year, I started for Kansas City for a portion of the season. Sometimes things kind of get discredited, but we are not worried about that right now. It is good. There is a lot of competition, a lot of experience and a lot of skill in there. We all kind of help each other get better."
On DB T.J. Carrie noting his energy at practice and where he gets his energy from:
"I would say the same – I feed off of T.J., too. Everybody's energy feeds off of everybody. Whoever you feed off, it helps you. Yesterday, I fed off of (defensive backs coach DeWayne) Walker's energy. Whoever has the energy gets it going."
