Included below are select quotes from interviews with the following Browns players during today's media availability:
· DB T.J. Carrie
· QB Tyrod Taylor (full transcript)
· DB Damarious Randall
DB T.J. Carrie:
On his conversations with DB Damarious Randall following Randall's Twitter posts:
"It has been interesting. He has definitely done a couple of things that the Dawg Pound does not like, but it is something that he has to deal with. I think to us, it is something that we laugh and joke about, and definitely something that we have to continue to watch for – just anything that we do in the media, you know what I mean? We have to take a stance and own where we are at in our stomping grounds. If you do have other opinions, try to keep those off of Twitter."
On if he is a Warriors fan having spent the previous four seasons in Oakland with the Raiders:
"I just kind of answered that question so we are going to move forward with that."
On if he might get involved with the Twitter activity:
"I think I might retweet and get me a jersey, too (laughter). That is something that we laugh and joke about, but in all seriousness, when we get on this field, it is all about Dawg Pound football. It is all about the Browns. It is all about us preparing each day, day in and day out."
On what he has learned about the Cleveland fan base:
"I think that the Dawg Pound and the fan base that they have is exceptional just from the standpoint that they are so loyal. The fans that are willing to stand by you when it is not going as well, when it is cold and it is snowing, those are the loyal fans. Those are the fans that are excited, and they are really ready for us to embrace this 2018 season and really give them something to root for and to come out and be loyal to who they are."
On DB Denzel Ward:
"Very savvy rookie, very savvy. Very confident. I think that when you come into this league, confidence is probably one of your best friends in the sense that you are playing with grown men. If you are not confident with who you are as yourself, you lose that ability to play instinctively and very fast. As you can see, he played exceptionally well today, had a number of pass breakups, a number of great plays out there. That is something that we as defensive backs feed off of, continuing to make plays. We are always going to embrace those things no matter who it is. From that standpoint, I will continue to encourage him to do well. This is a competition. Just because he may not be where he wants to be right now, if he keeps making plays, the cream always rises to the top."
On determining the rotation of the CBs in the secondary:
"I think that our play is going to speak for that. I think that (defensive coordinator) Coach (Gregg) Williams, he is unorthodox in a way that he is always switching the depth chart up. You come into work and you might not be where you are expected to be, but I think that he wants to see how you rise in those situations. He wants to see which players can handle which situations, which players are able to go against the good receivers and the receivers that we have here – the shifty ones. It is, in a sense that he is so unorthodox that it keeps us all on our P's and Q's, and that we all come out here and try to dominate. I think that is the biggest thing. That is something that we are feeding off of."
On how he would react if moved from the first group to the second group:
"That has already happened. Like I said, that is an unorthodox thing that he does. I have kind of seen it differently from a standpoint where he is moving everybody up and out. You just never know."
QB Tyrod Taylor:
On lessons from DB Damarious Randall's tweet:
"Don't hit send (laughter)."
On what the public response to Randall's tweet says about Cleveland's fan base:
"Passionate about sports as they should be. Rich tradition in the Browns for sure. The Cavs have made history a number of times. The Indians have done things that are special, too. He should have been smarter, the whole situation about the tweet. Whether you feel that way or not, don't tweet it."
On how much Randall is hearing about the posts in the locker room:
"We have not really talked too much about it as players. We addressed it in the team meeting room. I think he understands what he did. I do not think it hit him at the time just because it is you using your phone, but you do not really realize the impact that you have. As a professional athlete, people are always watching and always critiquing. It is just a lesson learned for sure."
On how much Randall will hear about it if the Cleveland Cavaliers do win the series:
"He will hear a lot about it because he will owe a lot of people. I don't know the tweet word for word. I just know that he definitely learned from the situation and that he will better moving forward."
On if he is a Cavaliers fan:
"I am a basketball fan. I grew up in Virginia – no professional sports, football or basketball. I am really close friends with (Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer) Allen Iverson so whatever team he played for I was a fan of. I like LeBron. I love what the Cavs have been doing. I like Golden State. I like Houston a lot. Like I said, I am a fan of basketball. It is kind of hard to be a fan of a particular team these days, with a bunch of the 'super teams.' I can understand people from Cleveland because they have had that professional sports team in their city. I think Damarious is from Florida so that is probably a better question of how he became a Warriors fan."
On messages from Cavaliers F LeBron James comments about his teammates, which was played in a recent team meeting:
"Just a true leader. He is never selfish about his accomplishments. He realizes that it takes a team for him to be the person that he is. He appreciates his teammates. How that can relate to us is that not one person is bigger than the team. We are going to need each and every person on the team healthy first and foremost but doing the right job to be able to execute and go win games week in and week out."
On if he has had a social media moment that he regretted:
"No, I just think of my mom's face, if it is something that is that controversial or she would not approve of it. Like I said, you have an incredible impact on people. People are always watching. It is even worse at the quarterback position for sure. You just have to be smart in those situations. Hopefully, he learned from that tweet."
On fan bases in Cleveland and Buffalo:
"Both are passionate about their sports. I am excited about playing in front of the Cleveland fans, as well as I was in Buffalo. I know that they are very passionate about their sports – sellout crowds bring tons of energy, and that helps players get into their zones even more."
On DB Denzel Ward and his pass breakup against WR Josh Gordon during Wednesday's practice:
"Guys are out there competing and bringing their best each and every day. Josh is an incredible wide receiver, and Ward was able to make a great play. Commend him for that. We are challenging each other each and every day to get better. I think I have seen that in guys at every position each day."
On offensive coordinator Todd Haley and how his demeanor compares to previous offensive coordinators that he has encountered:
"Everyone is different. He is true to himself. You can see how he is feeling in the look on his face. More importantly, he is a very smart guy, knows a ton about schemes and knows how to break defenses apart. Of course, we are not game planning now, but we are just listening to him in the meeting rooms on why they were doing certain things versus certain defenses. I am definitely excited for when we get a chance to gameplan and get a chance to go against different defenses, and how fun it will be."
On what he has learned about Gordon being around him on and off the field:
"I have actually known Josh for a couple of years now. Cannot remember what year it was when I originally met him, but he is a quiet person. He is confident person. He knows who he is, but he is kind of shy in a way off of the field. On the field, he is a competitor. Of course, he is a physical freak. As far as what he said when we were walking off of the field, he said that he is 226 (pounds) or something like that. You do not really see that at his position. He moves well, has confident hands and loves to compete. I love that about him. He feels that he is open every play. We are going to continue to keep pounding away at this playbook, getting on the same page and continuing to grow as teammates.
On if Gordon looks like a player who has only played a minimal number of games within the past three seasons:
"No, you could not look at him and guess that. Like I said, we are all learning a new offense, and we are going to continue to keep building chemistry."
On his level of excitement to play his first Browns game with the talent on offense:
"I am excited, very excited. Of course, I am excited for Week 1, but there are steps up to that point. We have to finish out a strong OTA, a strong minicamp and get into training camp. Like you said, when you look at the talent on the offensive side of the ball, there is tremendous talent at every position. I am excited to get the ball to those guys and seeing them make plays."
DB Damarious Randall:
On if he is 'looking into bank loans,' in reference to his tweet about the Warriors and Cavs:
"I am actually into enjoying a very good NBA Finals series."
On when he first became a fan of Golden State Warriors G Stephen Curry and what he admires about Curry:
"Since he has come out of college, Davidson College, I have been a real, real big Steph Curry fan. Just his passion with what he has been through with the injuries involving his ankles, what he has overcome and who he is today."
On if he knows Curry personally:
"No."
On if he was having fun with the whole exchange:
"I am definitely having fun, although I did not think that the tweet would go as viral as it did. That just kind of goes to show that this Cleveland fan base is great. I am actually excited about it, just to know that the fan base is like this. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when the Browns start winning a bunch of games."
On what he will do if the Cavaliers win:
"I guess we will just have to watch the series and see."
On his feelings toward both Curry and Cavaliers F LeBron James:
"I am not anti-LeBron. I am actually a big LeBron fan, as well, but when he is going against Steph, I would rather Steph over LeBron. At the end of the day they are both great, great players. I definitely respect everything that LeBron has done for this community and for this city and state. He is one of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball if you ask me."
On if he has paid attention to the level of attention the tweet received:
"Honestly, my phone freezes every time that I go on Twitter. I would have to ask one of my teammates or if they were to come up to me. I did not really know that it got that crazy because every time that I go onto Twitter my phone literally shuts down."
On if he has heard from Curry following the posts:
"I have not. Hopefully, Steph is locked in and ready to play in the finals."
On having the most re-tweeted tweet by an NFL player:
"I do not know – do I get a trophy for that (laughter)?"
On OTAs:
"OTAs have been great. Just being out there with my team and (defensive coordinator) Gregg (Williams), just kind of learning the defense and running up and down the field. Everything has been great."
