On if it was a tough decision to cut 49ers RB Shaun Draughn:
"Yeah. I've talked about it: Shaun was a guy who was well liked, just not a flashy guy but was solid for Tabes (Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor) on special teams. It ended up being a numbers thing with us. As I've said before, anybody that knows Shaun, Shaun is well liked, works hard. It's the kind of guy you root for just not when he's playing against you."
On if Draughn's reputation preceded him in San Francisco:
"(49ers assistant special teams coach) Richard Hightower was a coach that was here along with (49ers offensive assistant coach) T.C. McCartney, who was a coaching intern. When we made the move with Shaun, I'm sure spoke up quickly."
On Browns WRs' status for Sunday's game:
"Much better than we thought. If you had asked me this question 10 minutes after the game, it would have been a very different answer. We feel good. It's good to see Gabe (WR Taylor Gabriel) back out here running around, and (WR) Terrelle (Pryor) looks good, doing some good things. I don't know if he's ready to take on a full role, but there's a chance that there will be some involvement in the plan there. We didn't think we would have Travis, and he's ready to go. I'd say we feel a lot better about it today than we did early in the week."
On what is holding WR Terrelle Pryor back from having a full role on Sunday:
"Just having this being his second week here, you get to this point of the year practice wise and the volume isn't what it is early in the year. We start to scale it back. He's just got to play. The credit to him – I said this earlier in the week – he came back in great shape, came back in really, really good shape and retained a lot of what we're doing. You say, 'Hey, it's going to be sooner than later.' More than likely, it's going to be sooner."
On TE Gary Barnidge's contract extension and the importance of keeping him with the Browns:
"I can't say enough good things: a guy that does everything right, he's great in the building, great with his teammates, does a ton of work in the community. Look at the Walter Payton (Man of the Year) Award he just got. I couldn't think of a guy who's more deserving. He's a great example to our young guys – do the right thing. He very easily could have just gotten typecast into a role and 'Hey, that's what I am. I'm a No. 2 tight end' and really not had higher aspirations for himself. He just worked his tail off. It's a good story. In a season where there hasn't been many, Gary's been a real bright spot."
On Barnidge and WR Travis Benjamin's optimism about the Browns' future and wanting to stay with the team:
"We brainwashed them (laughter). It's a credit to their character. They see it. They see the work that's put in and how hard, how detailed we are and what we're doing. It's nice to have guys come out and say it. We all know that it's a bottom line business and we're associated with our record, but we feel like we're doing some pretty good things around here and it's nice to have players that recognize it."
On if DB Donte Whitner is playing as well as he did last season:
"I wouldn't say there's been a significant drop-off with Whit. I just know with missing time with the concussion, that was a setback. The whole secondary, it's just been tough. I don't know how many games we've had the exact same lineup. That's been tough for that whole group overall.
On if Whitner's role changes with DB Joe Haden out:
"I wouldn't say they've changed. We're in some different coverages. We're probably not as aggressive with our safeties as maybe we have been in the past when Joe was out there."
On seeing improvement from the 49ers offense when led by 49ers QB Blaine Gabbert:
"We do. It is hard. You look at the overall numbers because we are this many games in, the recent history they have done some good things and they have some momentum coming in. We can't get too concerned with where they are statistically. They have some weapons. They have some receivers that have done good things in this league for a long time, and the quarterback is playing well within their system."
On who will start for DB Joe Haden:
"It will be (DB Charles) Gaines to start. It will Gaines and (DB) Tramon (Williams) with (DB) K'Waun (Williams) inside."
On why Gaines will start over DB Pierre Desir:
"It is close, and we could see Pierre. Gaines is the guy we are going to roll with."
On if Gaines has made strides since his first game:
"He did, other than the obvious one that he got beat on third-and1. He competed and did some good things. Even the one ball that he caught, that was a comeback that they ended up measured it short and they went for it on fourth down and got it, he was in good position and it was a well thrown ball. The one thing about Gaines is that he is confident. He has that corner mentality that he can hit the reset button. He is a young guy that we think has a future here, and we are getting to see him play."
On if the competition between Gaines and Desir is based on practice performance:
"Gaines is ahead of him and really hasn't done anything to give that up."
On if Pryor will need to be eased into the game:
"He is trained primarily this week as the split end, the X receiver, but we can move him around some. There is some flexibility in the system. Flip (offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) does a nice job of putting guys where they need to be to run the routes. He is not fully versed on the entire route tree so we are not going to put him in that position where he has to run everything. The positive thing is the way he came back here. We can potentially work him in early and get him some playing time between now and the end of the year."
On if Pryor returned to the Browns as a better WR in terms of the technical aspects of the position:
"He has. He worked. He just wasn't doing aerobics stuff. He was working at his craft. He is better. We have all noticed it."
