For the big event at UCLA, tight end David Njoku and Watson’s personal quarterbacks coach, Quincy Avery, both flew out to Los Angeles, and everything went as planned. Watson has been excited to throw again, but he has been cautiously adhering to the guidelines that his surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, and the Browns medical staff have established.
Watson appears to be on target to start the season and in excellent rehabbing shape. He will spend most, if not all, of the offseason schedule in Cleveland. It starts on April 15 with two weeks of conditioning and ends with the required minicamp in June. Watson will be expected to throw during organised team exercises, such as 11-on-11s and the minicamp, even though the Browns won’t hurry him.
Thankfully for Watson, the Browns have Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and recently signed Tyler Huntley as three backup quarterbacks to help spread the workload.
For the third consecutive year, Watson also inexplicably intends to conduct a passing camp for his offensive teammates; the venue is yet to be announced.
The Browns were open to playing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame preseason opener for the second straight season so they could start training camp early again at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. But the timing didn’t work out, and two other teams will participate in the Aug. 1 game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
The Browns will still spend their first eight or so practices of camp at The Greenbrier for the second straight year, but they’ll play only three preseason games like most other teams. The Browns found their experience at The Greenbrier last summer to be so valuable, they knew right away they wanted to do it again.
The Browns also plan to host the Vikings for joint practices in August before their preseason game here, as Berry said at the NFL combine last month.
The extra preseason game last summer gave the Browns a full game in which to evaluate rookies such as Thompson-Robinson and right tackle Dawand Jones, but they’ll get plenty of good work nonetheless.
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