Opening statement:
"What a day! It is good to get out. Beautiful weather, isn't it? The intensity is ratcheting up a little bit. Guys are battling. That is what you are looking to see. I love when it is uncomfortable for the quarterback because that is when the quarterback has to make good plays is when things are off schedule and things are not going as well. That is when you find out. That is the makings of quarterbacks and the makings of football teams.
"This is rookie minicamp. Guy are working hard. They are learning a lot of different schemes offensively, defensively and on special teams. As I said yesterday, I see the talent. It is so apparent in the things we do, the guys we have here, how they play and how they conduct themselves. It is exciting. To get this group with the rest of the team will be fun. As I said, nothing has changed. We have a ways to go. We will keep working at it."
On DB Howard Wilson sustaining a fractured patella:
"It is unfortunate. He will be out for a while, significant time. We will deal with it accordingly. His spirits are high. He understands it. He understands what he is dealing with. He has already started the process of getting his mind beyond that so he can get himself back as soon as he can."
On if Wilson sustained the injury in practice yesterday:
"Yes, late in practice. It wasn't a collision or anything like that. It just kind of happened. It is part of it."
On if Wilson's injury will require surgery:
"It potentially could. We will see exactly where all that is here today."
On if Wilson could miss the entire 2017 season:
"Hopefully not. Once we know exactly how significant it is, we will kind of go from there."
On DB Jabrill Peppers returning to the field and first impressions of him:
"Oh man, he is a football player. I like Jabrill. What you saw is why we put him on the team. He is an energy bunny. He likes playing the game. He likes to be around the football. He likes to be in the mix of it all. Those are the kind of guys that we put on this team, and I am excited about that."
On the excitement special teams coordinator Chris Tabor showed when the Browns selected Peppers:
"That was true. I am sure you guys saw that. That was true."
On Tabor's excitement as an indication Peppers will be involved in the return game:
"That is accurate. I think that goes without saying. The guy has potential to be very dynamic that way. We are going to give him an opportunity to be that."
On how much more was placed on QB DeShone Kizer's plate for Day 2 of rookie minicamp:
"A ton. He handled it OK because I have to see how much he can handle and how much can he learn overnight, in the morning and go back out and do it at a high level. That is the challenge of playing quarterback as I said yesterday. There were some steps in the positive. There were some steps that he has to continue to work at. That is the evolution of a quarterback, of a young quarterback as they start out."
On how Kizer has responded to coaching:
"He takes coaching. He takes coaching well. I am not babying him – that is for sure – because the other teams won't baby him, either. He just has to get used to it, and I think he has. He has been outstanding that way. He gets it. He knows that my charge for him is a consistency level at a high level all of the time, and that is not going to happen in two days. I don't expect it to happen in two days. How long is it going to take? I don't know that, but I know we are going to do everything we can to get him there."
On how the Browns will split reps between QBs:
"They will all get reps. Obviously, (QB) Cody (Kessler) will start this out. He deserves the opportunity to. (QB) Brock (Osweiler) is here and (QB) Kevin (Hogan) is, too, but this young man (Kizer) is going to get reps. The only way to get better is to get reps. I will find a way. I have been through this before a few times. We will get these guys reps, and he has to get some because I have to continue to evaluate him."
On if any of this weekend's tryout WRs have caught his attention:
"Yeah, they have because they try hard. I have to watch them a little more to find out a little bit more about them to know and see if they have a chance to stick here and really can contribute to our team."
On if he is worried about the WR position, given the Browns didn't draft anyone at the position this year and some believe the team is thin at the spot:
"I am worried about everything. I am being very honest. We drafted [four] guys a year ago. We have to develop them. We have a really good coach (senior offensive assistant Al Saunders) coaching them. There are some guys that need to step up. This is rookie minicamp. The season is a long ways away. A lot of things are going to happen and can happen. I don't think that (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Sashi (Brown) has said that this is our ending team. Like he said a long time ago, we are always trying to uncover every opportunity that we have to make our team better. We will continue to do that as we move forward."
On seeing production from DL Myles Garrett and what DL Larry Ogunjobi has shown:
"First, I am going to take that Myles question again. Did you see that guy come off the edge that one time today? Holy smokes. Oh my gosh. Ogunjobi, he is a physical presence on the inside. I like our young guys. I love our young D linemen – him and (DL Caleb) Brantley and obviously Myles. Those guys are talented players. It is competition. Guys have to step it up all over the place, but these guys have to keep proving themselves each and every day."
On if there was any concern Garrett might hit Kizer when he turned the corner:
"I would hope he wouldn't do that (laughter). The guy has flashed and shown exactly why he was drafted where he was drafted. What we have to do is continue to let him be who he is and play the way we think he can. It is exciting to see. I haven't been around a lot of guys like him. It is fun."
On if he would like to have a veteran WR added to the team:
"I would like to see us be the best we could be at every spot on our football team to be very honest with you. I don't shy away from that. I don't think Sashi does. Our executive team doesn't either. Like I said, the season is a ways away. We will do and add more pieces to our team as we see fit. We will have those discussions. Sashi has been great that way. If it is something we need or something we feel will help us be better, we will do that as we move forward."
On where Osweiler stands heading into the next stage of offseason workouts:
"He is competing. He is here. Like I said from the beginning, if a guy is in our locker room, we are going to treat him like any of our other players – that is the right way to handle it – and give him an opportunity to compete and see what they bring to the table. In this league, we all know you can't have enough good quarterbacks and enough guys to train at the position. You never know how it is going to unfold and things do happen. He is competing. He has done a good job. He is doing great in the room with the guys. He has been as good as a person in the building. We are going to continue to allow him to do that and see what he has to show for it first and kind of go from there."
On RB Matt Dayes playing with a chip on his shoulder after being drafted late:
"Oh yeah, he wanted to go earlier. Those things happen. Hopefully, he keeps that chip on all season and he will show us why we drafted him. That is what this is all about. Hopefully, a lot of our guys have chips on their shoulders. There was a year ago that none of us feel good about. We will hopefully keep those chips going."
On if RB Isaiah Crowell has returned since signing his tender:
"The veterans are not here yet so I can't answer that until our guys are all back here and working out [Monday]."
On if he is happy that Crowell signing his tender is complete:
"That part of it I am. Now, we need to get to football as fast as we can."
On if due to Osweiler's experience, he will be second QB behind Kessler:
"I don't look at it that way. Brock is learning our system and learning the things that we do at the position. I think the other guys have done it. They have been through the process with me and understand how to play. That doesn't mean that he can't have an opportunity to exceed or succeed anybody. This thing is open. It really is. Cody has done a great job. That is really why I brought his name up first. He has really improved. He has worked his tail off. He deserves the right and the opportunity to walk into this building and walk out there first. They have to take it from him. They better take it from him because I know him – he is not going to give it up. It will be fun. That is what competition is all about. Until someone takes something from someone and shows that they can do it at a high level play in and play out, then we have to keep going in the direction where we're traveling."
On if that is for OTAs or mandatory veteran minicamp:
"I think it starts in the OTAs. We will let the mandatory minicamp show itself when it is time to get there. We have a lot of work, as a football team, as an offensive unit and as a quarterback room to get to minicamp. We are just going to let it sort itself out but give guys opportunities to showcase their talent and abilities."
On TE David Njoku:
"I like him, but he has to play consistently every play. He has taken a lot of snaps out there. In fairness to the guys, we didn't have the numbers at tight end so I know he's a little tired, but it gives me a chance to love on him in a different way and push him a little bit. That is just what this is. Guys have to understand that it gets like that sometimes in the game. You start with 53 for a season, and we don't even have that many at the game. You have to be able to push through it. He did, and he is talented."
On if it is a significant blow to lose Wilson:
"Absolutely. Anytime you lose a player that you drafted and on the first day when you are trying to see what he is and how he can contribute, that is hard. Again, I lean on Sashi. He will go back and we will look at ways and explore ways to get our team better in that area. I feel good about that, but I feel bad for the player because he worked hard and was excited about being out there."* *
