At the beginning of rookie minicamp, cornerback Trey Caldwell described himself as a sponge ready to absorb any and all tips of the trade from Browns veterans who've been there and done that.
"It's very important because once I soak in that information, I just have to play fast on the field," he said in April. "The plays will come. I just have to go hard and make the best of this opportunity."
It's an approach that's served Caldwell, whom Cleveland drafted in the fifth round this spring, well so far as the Browns began training camp on Friday.
And now, Caldwell, who totaled 143 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions in four seasons at Louisiana-Monroe, finds himself in a crowded defensive backs room where he's competing for a spot on the 53-man roster.
"I'm a physical corner, I'm a really good tackler, press coverage, special teams. I'm versatile," he said.
After the draft, Browns vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry described Caldwell as an "athletic, fast, feisty corner."
"He can play outside and can play inside," Berry continued.
That versatility could prove beneficial for Caldwell as he vies with fellow cornerbacks such as Jamar Taylor, Charles Gaines, Pierre Desir, Tracy Howard and Eric Patterson for a coveted spot on the 53-man roster.
"I'm excited about this group. It's a very young group with two veterans, really," defensive backs coach Louie Cioffi said in June.
Take a look at the first day of Browns Training Camp, which took place Friday in Berea.
"There's a lot of opportunity for guys, both at the nickel position and the corner position. You can never have enough corners in this league. This is a passing league. The more guys we have that can compete and be ready to play for us, the better off we will be in the long run."
At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Caldwell said he figures to be playing nickel. "(The coaching staff) probably envision me playing nickel since I'm a smaller corner, going against the smaller slots, the smaller receivers," he said. "That's where they kind of envision me."
To be sure, Caldwell is out to earn a spot on the team by any means necessary. And he'll get his shot to over the next few weeks.
"I always have the mindset that I'm trying to take a spot. I'm trying to make something out for myself. I want to be a starter. I've just got to put in the effort and learn from the vets. Learn from Joe Haden – he's an All-Pro corner," Caldwell said.
"It's kind of surreal to think about that I'm one of his teammates now. I've just got to learn from the vets, take advantage of this opportunity and do my best."
