Hue Jackson expected better.
It was the first day, but the Browns coach wanted to see a better finish to Thursday's practice. Yes, it was the first day of training camp. And yes, the temperatures were balmy and sticky, a contributing factor in why a number of players were hampered with cramps.
Jackson, though, expects better from a team he expects to be significantly better than the previous two he's coached in Cleveland. It's why he restarted one of the final periods of practice when it didn't meet the standard he expected.
"We have got to continue to learn how to finish on both sides of the ball, and keep making plays," Jackson said. "They get it. We will just keep pushing and get to where we need to be."
Jackson said he understood that most of his players were fatigued by the end of a practice that stretched for more than two and a half hours. Offseason workouts are a good tune-up, but they're nothing like a hot, sticky practice at the end of July.
"They have not been pushed like this," Jackson said. "This is pro football, you have to work through those things. For the most part, I think that our guys did some good things. But again, I have a standard that I want these guys to attain each and every day. We just have to keep working toward it."
-- Browns rookie wide receiver Damion Ratley suffered an apparent hip injury midway through the practice, Jackson said.
If Ratley is to miss an extended period of time, he'll be the third wide receiver sidelined in the last week. Josh Gordon announced Monday he wouldn't be attending the start of training camp and Ricardo Louis was ruled out for the season Wednesday following offseason neck surgery.
A number of other players, including defensive lineman Caleb Brantley, dealt with what appeared to be cramping issues and were forced to miss portions of the practice.
-- The first 11-on-11 play of practice, a goal-line drill, didn't go as planned for the offense, but it still resulted in a touchdown.
Tyrod Taylor dropped back and fired a quick pass to his left. Myles Garrett timed his jump perfectly and swatted it out of the air. The deflection, though, landed right in the lap of Taylor, who made a move and spun into the end zone.
-- Thursday's practice was Jackson's first official session in which he didn't also serve as the offensive coordinator. It was a different feeling for the coach, who hired veteran coordinator Todd Haley to the position in January.
"It is different. I told you guys that it would be different. It is still a work in progress for me, but I still feel good about the things that I saw and the help that I could give – and the input I could give and different things," Jackson said. "Again, I have been in every meeting; special teams, offense, defense, all of it. It has been good, but I have work to do and our team has work to do."
-- Shon Coleman picked up where he left off in OTAs as the first-team left tackle. The competition, though, remains far from over, and second-round pick Austin Corbett remains in the thick of it, Jackson said.
"I think we need to get the pads on, and watch guys compete and kind of go from there," Jackson said.
Former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson, whom the Browns signed shortly after minicamp, and undrafted rookie Desmond Harrison, who is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, are also in the mix.
