ESPN reporter Bob Holtzman was a mainstay of Browns training camp coverage last season.
At this time a year ago, NFL fans around the country fixed their eyes on Berea. That hasn't been the case in 2015. There may be a little less noise from the Dawg Pound, but the businesslike mentality from coach Mike Pettine's team has been evident.
"You can sense it already, and we've only been here an hour," Holtzman said during Tuesday's practice. "There's a different feel than there was last year.
"And I think that's probably a good thing...Last year, there was so much attention focused on Johnny Manziel. This year, it's much more on the team. I think that's probably healthy."
Maybe the Browns aren't as riveting on the national level in August, but there's a reason Holtzman is back in Berea. The veteran reporter has been chatting with sources, and there are people who believe the Browns building off their 7-9 record from a year ago is extremely realistic.
"Just talking to people the last couple of days, I know there's a lot of excitement about the depth they've created here, about Danny Shelton, about the new receivers, about Terrelle Pryor," Holtzman said. "There's a lot of things people are excited about and I don't blame them at all."
Though the roster is deeper and has more veteran credibility, there's still a looming question for the Browns in Holtzman's eyes: What is the long-term solution at quarterback?
"I think I'm not alone in saying they need to figure out the quarterback situation," Holtzman said. "I mean I remember being here last year at this time, almost daily, and all the conversation was Hoyer-Manziel: Who's it going to be? Brian Hoyer is in Houston and Johnny Manziel is still a work in progress. Now Josh McCown is here.
"At some point they need to figure out whether it's McCown or Manziel – or somebody else – but after that, I think the rest of the roster looks really good."
