The weather wasn't ideal for the beginning of Browns training camp, and Hue Jackson hated that it couldn't cooperate enough for the practice to be open to the public. Still, the Browns coach found plenty of positives from the perceived predicament.
"It got a little humid out here, but it was kind of fun for me just to have our guys be in the elements," Jackson said. "We have to be a football team that can play in all different types of elements, whether it's rain, snow, mud, whatever it is. We have to be able to rise to the occasion and go play.
"Sometimes when a little adversity happens – you know we started outside, had to go in, come back out -- guys have got to re-find themselves a little bit. I thought we did."
Here's what else stood out on Day 1.
-- Rookie LB Emmanuel Ogbah was at a new spot Friday, moving from outside linebacker to defensive end. A 4-3 defensive end at Oklahoma State, Ogbah lined up as an end in Cleveland's 3-4 to give the coaches a look at a potential option to fill the void left by Desmond Bryant.
Bryant on Thursday was ruled out for the season with a pectoral injury he sustained during a personal offseason workout.
"We're going to try a little bit of everything," Jackson said. "We're going to put our best players out there on defense. So obviously, we are going to try him there, we're going to put him back at outside linebacker. We're just trying to find a lot of different combinations now that Des is going to be down to see if we can put our best guys out there."
Even if Ogbah doesn't stick at defensive end, Jackson said it could benefit the Browns in the long run because of the "flexibility" it would give defensive coordinator Ray Horton as he draws up schemes.
-- One of the first things Jackson mentioned during his post-practice press conference was ball security. It wasn't the best day for Cleveland's offense in that area, as the defense pounced on a handful of fumbles throughout 11-on-11 drills.
"Obviously, the defense did a great job of getting it out," Jackson said. "I think that is going to be one of the things that I preach to our football team about. I think it's one of the keys to victory. On defense, we have got to take the ball away. On offense, we can't give it away."
One of the players on defense who was quick to pounce on those opportunities? Third-year nickel back K'Waun Williams, who was active throughout the practice, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble.
-- Offensive lineman John Greco (hamstring) was among the handful of Browns dealing with minor injuries Friday. Linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
"Guys that have little things here and there, we're going to do everything we can to take our time," Jackson said. "Putting guys out here healthy and making sure guys can practice over a duration of time is important. I think we'll be fine. I think he's just working through some things and we'll get him back out here soon."
-- The Browns picked up the pace early and often during the practice, jumping into a fast-paced 11-on-11 drill during the first 30 minutes of practice. It was symbolic of the entire two-hour session, and Jackson wants to see more of it.
"We want it to even be quicker," Jackson said. "It is just kind of who we are and how we go about it. I thought the quarterbacks handled all of the different things that I kind of threw at them the first installation, pretty good. Tonight, we have got to go get another installation. We just keep throwing all this good stuff at them. Then, we have got to put it together and see where we are in a few weeks."
-- First-round rookie Corey Coleman joined veteran Tramon Williams to field punts during one portion of practice.
In May, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor discussed what makes Coleman such a prime candidate for the position and why he doesn't shy away from using a player who is expected to have a significant role on the offense.
"I'll be honest with you, I never think of them as first-round draft picks," Tabor said. "If that's the best option and best player that you have, that's what you're going to do. If that's going to help you win, that's what you want to do … I don't get caught up in where a guy's at, just from this standpoint: (Pittsburgh wide receiver) Antonio Brown for the Steelers might be regarded as one of the best players in the NFL, and he's their punt returner"
