Head Coach Hue Jackson:
Opening statement:
"I'm hot. It is hot and humid out there today. It was a good first day. Just an extra day for us. Good to get everybody here and out on the grass. Not what I want – that is what I told them – we have to keep going, but we do not really hit at all until Wednesday. It was a good extra day for our guys, a lot of work. We just have to keep getting better."
On decision for the left side of the Browns OL:
"Have not really worked through it yet. We are just working. Right now, it is the way that is has been. Nothing has changed in that way. We have a week. We do not play until Sunday. We are going to figure it out and put the best five guys out there."
On if he will announce the starting Browns OL prior to the game:
"I will make an announcement before the game, no doubt."
On if it is unusual to not state the starting OL at this point of the year:
"No because I know what it is. I already know what it is. You just do not know what it is. That is all. I have a pretty good idea of what it is going to be. I have to keep saying it, keep having the guys work every day together and go from there."
On if it will be a big transition for OL Joel Bitonio if he returns to LG:
"I do not think so. I am sure that it is a little bit. He has been working. He has been working at tackle. He has been working at guard. I think that we will be fine. Whatever we decide to do is going to be what is best for the football team."
On how WR Josh Gordon looked at practice:
"Good. He is a big guy, a big guy that can catch and run. It is good just to have him back out there with his guys, running around and catching balls."
On how much Gordon did at practice:
"He did what we asked him to do today, which is good. He is right on schedule with where I think he should be by the time that we get ready to play."
On if Gordon's performance in practice reflects that he was away for most of training camp:
"No because he is very talented. It does not look like he has missed anything. At the same time, we know he has. He has to get himself ready to play football. I do not know by Sunday if he will be exactly ready just to play football. As I have said before, he is not going to start the game. We will kind of go from there, but he is going to play."
On if injured players returning to practice will be available Sunday, specifically LB Genard Avery, TE Seth DeValve, DB Damarious Randall and Gordon:
"I think so. Yes, everybody should be up and ready to go."
On the Browns WRs including three rookies and if the room needs more experience:
"It is a young group, but they have talent. They are not the guys that have to go out and play right now. We have been there before where there have been young guys that have had to go out and do it. We still have (WR) Jarvis (Landry). We have Josh (Gordon). We have (WR) Rashard (Higgins). (WR Antonio) Callaway, (WR Derrick) Willies and (WR Damion) Ratley – I know those are who you are talking about – they are young players, but they are talented. They do not have to shoulder the load."
On the Browns roster heading into Week 1:
"I think that it is a good roster. We just have to play the way we know that we can play. It starts with how we are in practice, how we are in meetings and how we get ourselves ready to play. This is going to be a real good experience for them this week because we are playing a game that is for keeps. We have a lot of work to do."
On what separated WR Derrick Willies from other WRs competing for a roster spot:
"His talent. We think that he is very talented. Big guy that can run. Has athletic ability. Has made some plays. Obviously, he can do some things on special teams, so that makes a difference."
On the current roster compared to 2017's Week 1 roster:
"Honestly, I would rather not look back. I just feel really good about this group. We have to get ourselves ready to play. It is a big time game this week. This is against the best team in our division. It is a huge game."
On if Callaway will start at WR in place of Gordon:
"Yes. It is not as much in place of him. Antonio has been here so he is the starter right now."
On what Callaway has done to earn the starting spot against Pittsburgh:
"When he is playing, he has done some good things. He just has to keep doing it in practice. The biggest thing is that he has been here the most. Josh has to earn that back. I do not think that I have ever just given anybody anything. He gets it. That is not a problem at all. I think he understands that. At the same time, Josh is just getting back out here, too. Let's bring Josh along the right way so that we can have him here for 16 games this season."
On if Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell not reporting affects the Browns' gameplan:
"It has nothing to do with us. I plan on him being there. We are playing a really good Steelers offense, a really good Steelers team. He is one of those 'B brothers' (Bell and Steelers WR Antonio Brown). At the end of the day, I anticipate him being there."
On if packages specific to former Browns LB Mychal Kendricks are now 'put on the shelf':
"I am not going to say that they are on the shelf. As you guys know (defensive coordinator) Gregg (Williams), there are always moving pieces. The things that we do out of those packages are still alive, but it might just be a different person doing it."
On what OL Desmond Harrison has done to be in consideration for the OL:
"He has improved. It gives you another option to look through to see who are the best five guys to put out there – him, (OL Gregg) Robinson. Robinson has improved. I have seen a lot of good things over the last week and a half. My job is to make sure that we put the best players out there, period. Whatever position it is, that is what we are supposed to do. In those situations, that is what we are going to do."
On Harrison's skillset:
"Athletic. You guys have watched him. I do not want to talk about him too much. You have seen him play in games. The guys is big, long and athletic. He has talent."
