QB Brock Osweiler:
On if he thought he would have a long-term future with the Browns after being traded:
"There was a coach that I played for in college and he told me only worry about the things that you can control. From the time of the trade, that is what I have done, and I couldn't be any more excited to be here. From the day I arrived, you couldn't have been welcomed in a better way. This has been an incredible experience so far. Right now, I'm just trying to work hard, learn the system and be a great teammate."
On the trade and initially seeming like he was a 'throwaway' within it:
"Once again, I don't really make those decisions as far as what I was in the trade, but the facts are I'm here, I'm playing football, I love being a Cleveland Brown and it has just been so great to work with (Head) Coach (Hue) Jackson and (quarterbacks) Coach (David) Lee. I have grown so much this spring, especially in OTA Phase 2. Coach Lee is just tremendous with the fundamentals. Coach Jackson doesn't let us slack off at all, which really keeps you on your game. I have really grown as a quarterback here, and I love being a Cleveland Brown."
On what he was told about his future with the Browns:
"There haven't been any conversations like that. Like I said, I'm only going to work on a fact-based deal. Right now, I'm out here at practice, I'm trying to learn this system to the best of my ability, trying to be a great teammate, doing things with guys outside of the building and working hard inside of it. I'm only going to worry about the things I can control – my effort, my attitude, how hard I work, how hard I study, and that is really what my focus is on right now."
On reports that there was friction between him and members of the Texans organization:
"I am not going to go into Houston at all. My sole focus is on the Cleveland Browns and just on the present time, working hard and trying to be a great teammate here. I am sure players in Houston, if you reached out to them, you can ask them that question. My focus is on the Cleveland Browns right now.
On having an opportunity to compete to become the starting QB:
"That is great. Anytime you are in a competition with other guys at your position, it brings out the best in you, and it is certainly the best thing for the team because the best player at that position is going to play. Ultimately, that should lead to wins for your football team. I think it is great that we are all out here competing every single day. We are all pushing each other. We are all helping each other out. There is no friction in the room or anything like that. We are just working as a unit, which is great to see because I think it is going to bring out the best in everybody."
On what he learned from his experience in Denver and going from backup to starter that can help him with the Browns QB competition:
"Competition goes all the way back to high school for me. I had to compete for a high school starting job. Then in college, I had to compete for the starting job there and then you go to Denver and I started to play because of an injury, but I had to compete for a No. 2 job. Competition has been around my whole life. I think competition is a great thing because it brings out the best in you. Once again, it is the best thing for the football team because the best player ultimately is going to play on Sunday."
QB Cody Kessler:
On Head Coach Hue Jackson saying that he deserves to be the first QB during OTAs:
"Yeah, obviously, there is a sense of confidence you get going into that, but at the same time, I just look at it as an opportunity. The other three guys are great quarterbacks, (QBs) Brock (Osweiler), DeShone (Kizer) and Kevin (Hogan). It is going to be a really good competition. For your coach to say that, obviously, it gives you some confidence, but at the same time, I just look at that as another opportunity. Being able to go out there and be with the ones and get some good reps that I didn't necessarily get last year in OTAs being the rookie and not working with the first group. This year is something that is an opportunity and a chance to go out there and run with the guys that are going to be out there on the field."
On how much he has grown as a player in the past year:
"First and foremost, you know what to expect coming out here and what the practices are going to be like and the competition level. You have that first year under your belt. Last year, I was a wide-eyed rookie, where DeShone is right now, coming out there and getting everything thrown at you and that is why it has been really cool to now go from the rookie standpoint to not necessarily a mentor, but kind of helping him out – he has a bunch of questions and being able to talk to him and have answers for him that I necessarily didn't have last year. Just having that year under your belt of OTAs and a full season and getting to start a couple games makes this process or this transition into OTAs a lot easier than it was last year."
On differences he has noticed as a result of the work he put in during the offseason:
"For me mostly, it is just confidence and being able to make some of those longer throws and push the ball downfield. In all of Phase 2, we threw a ton of deep balls, a ton of longer balls down the field and being able to push the ball down the field and have that confidence and knowing that you can get it there and put a little more on it is something that definitely helps you out, confidence level and everything. Also the mental side of it, being able to go out there and like I said, knowing you can make every throw so now you are focused on what is going on with the defense, what you are going to call, what different calls you can make, change the play and different stuff like that, which I think helped me out a lot and be able to play a lot faster. Being Year 2, obviously, you have a lot more experience, but yeah, I think the way that I worked this offseason can help me out not only physically, but mentally as well."
On where the added zip on his throws developed:
"A lot of core. A lot of core work, a lot of upper-body work but mostly was working with Tom House and those guys out there, and obviously, Coach Jackson and (quarterbacks) Coach (David) Lee, just being able to talk to them, especially Coach Jackson when I was leaving last year and stuff he wanted me to work on. A lot of it was just countless hours in the weight room. I think the biggest thing, too, was mechanics-wise – being able to not get so far forward and be able to get that power from your legs. A lot of my throws last year were completely upper body, and I was throwing a ton of upper body and not being able to get my legs into my throw and being able to stay back on your weight and push off your back plant foot is something that is huge, and that was something that I noticed a lot. As well, it comes with being in the weight room and strength and working on different things here and there."
On how different the ball feels coming out of his hand this year as opposed to last year:
"The coolest part about it mechanically is it feels like I'm throwing it harder but with a little bit less effort. It doesn't feel like I'm putting as much strain on my shoulder and my arm and just trying to throw it as hard as I can every time. It feels like if you do everything in sync and just countless reps of that over and over in the offseason, being able to throw the ball now, it just feels a little bit more fluid. Instead of trying to strain and get everything you have into it, you can get that transition from your legs to your upper body, and it makes it a lot easier."
QB DeShone Kizer:
On what he can learn from veteran QB Brock Osweiler:
"Absolutely. I'm asking tons of questions. I'm asking (QBs) Cody (Kessler), Brock (Osweiler) and Kevin (Hogan). They all have some experience themselves out there playing so I'm just trying to figure it all out. A guy like Brock in particular, someone who has taken two teams to playoffs and understands what it takes to win. Obviously, he has been behind one of the greatest to play the game (former Colts and Broncos QB Peyton Manning) so some of the small things that he does in practice I'm just sitting here looking, watching and learning from and trying to incorporate that into my game, as well."
On getting to spend significant one-on-one time working with Head Coach Hue Jackson:
"It is great. It is exactly what I expected when I got brought over to this club. Coach Jackson, during the 30 visit and the pre-draft process, that is exactly how he goes about his quarterbacks and he has held up to it and he has gone even further. With that, it allows me to start my learning curve a little faster. When you have the guy who is calling the plays, the guy who has created this offense and he knows the language inside and out, teaching your everyday fundamentals, it definitely pushes you a little quicker than if it was someone else who has to then go through him. I'm at the top of the command in terms of the guys who are coaching me so it is going to allow me to get out there and compete little faster than otherwise."
On Jackson stating Kessler would be the first one on the field and that Kessler has earned that opportunity:
"It is exactly what we expected. I think Cody (Kessler) earned that respect. He is a guy who understands this offense with a level that allows him to be out there first. He has gone out and he has made all the corrections that he wanted to make this offseason and has some velocity on his ball and is a heck of a quarterback. I'm just looking to him now for guidance. That same respect that he has from coach to go out there first is the same respect that I have to look to him to learn. He is out there running everything as if he was 10-year veteran, and that is exactly where I want to be one day. To learn from him is going to be a big asset for myself."
On if practice is the place to take risks and see his limitations, given one of his interceptions today:
"Practice is more the opportunity to learn about yourself. I like to say that practice is almost five-times harder than the game, and since we are playing against one of if not the best defensive coordinator (Gregg Williams) out there, he is throwing a bunch of different looks at us and we have talent all over the place on defense. If you can go out and maximize practice, then you can maximize a game at a level that everyone wants you to. As far as throwing interceptions, that is a part of it. I'm still trying to figure this thing out. We were in a blitz period today, and they were sending a couple different looks at me and I forced a ball I shouldn't have forced. I will go back, watch film and I bet you won't see that same pick ever again. That is part of the growing process, and I look forward to continuing to compete with him and continuing to have Coach Williams throw the kitchen sink at us and figure out how I can combat that so that when it comes time to go out there one day, hopefully, I have the right tools to be successful."
