The Browns have finished Day 8 of training camp. Here's what you need to know:

— Rookie tight end David Njoku did not practice Thursday because of a back issue. "I think he'll be fine," Browns coach Hue Jackson said, adding the club will have a better understanding of what's going on in the coming days. "I think it flared up right at the start of practice. Those backs are kind of tricky," he said. "You start feeling good and things lock up a little bit, so hopefully, I don't think it's anything major. I think we'll be fine. We will definitely take a good peek at it." Njoku, the 29th overall NFL Draft pick, is expected to play a significant role in Cleveland's offense.

— Left tackle Joe Thomas says it's clear why rookie defensive end Myles Garrett — who took first-team reps Wednesday — was the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft this past spring. "He has an athleticism and ability to bend and run that few players in the NFL have," Thomas said. "The way he works at it, the way that he analyzes his game after every practice and the way he studies, it's easy to understand why he was the consensus No. 1 pick." Garrett totaled 31 sacks in three seasons at Texas A&M.

— Jackson reiterated the Browns are in no rush to name a starting quarterback as Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler, DeShone Kizer and Kevin Hogan continue to split reps at practice. "I told you guys, I'm not going to rush," he said. "I appreciate you all. I appreciate our fans, but it's too important of a decision to get right for our football team. I love the pressure you guys put on, but I'm not succumbing to it." With the first preseason game set for next Thursday, Jackson added "who may start (that) game' against the Saints "may not be who's the starter for the season. I still have to go through that process."

— The Browns say two are better than one when it comes to young tight ends Seth DeValve and David Njoku. "In the end, I'm hopeful they can do virtually the same things," tight ends coach Greg Seamon said. "You don't want each of them to be a type that only does a few things specific to themselves when they are on the field. You want them to have a broad-based approach to the offense. I don't think there will be that much difference when we get down the road a little ways." DeValve caught 10 passes and two touchdowns as a rookie.

— Jamar Taylor's breakout season in 2016 earned the cornerback a three-year extension and a newfound home in Cleveland. Taylor, though, said he won't rest on past laurels. "I've settled in well, but I never get comfortable," said Taylor, whom the team acquired from Miami last year. "I never get comfortable because that's when stuff happens that you don't want to happen so I'm always working, I always have my head down. I really don't say too much, I just work my butt off and go out there and go out there and just try to do my job. It's good to be here after last year and just kind of knowing the guys. They know me, I know them and we kind of know what to expect."

— After years as a special teams staple, veteran linebacker Tank Carder is embracing the chance to earn a starting job on the Browns defense. "It's just hard work. I think that's what it all boils down to is hard work, and knowing the defense, knowing the scheme and being able to play in the defense consistently, regardless of what defense it is or whose defense it is," the seventh-year player said. "I think that it all comes down to just hard work more than it is age or just getting older. I guess it all plays part. For the most part, it's just hard work." Carder has taken first-teams reps with the defense since camp opened.

— Poised to play a big role in the Browns pass game, second-year receiver Ricardo Louis said he focused on his conditioning over the summer. "I want to come out and pretty much run all day. I didn't want to get tired," he said. "Sometimes when the team needs you to make plays, everybody is tired. You want to still be able to keep going. That was my goal in the offseason was to come back in the best shape ever." Louis, who trained with Giants receiver Brandon Marshall, is one of several young players vying to contribute this fall. He had 18 catches for 205 yards as a rookie.