Early spotlight on WR's

07.23.2008

Joe Jurevicius is down indefinitely. Donte' Stallworth is down for now.

Who's up in the Browns' receiving corps?

The battle begins Thursday morning.

One practice and one day of Browns training camp 2008 are in the books after a light, hour-long practice Wednesday afternoon. The pads come on Thursday morning for the first full-speed, two-a-day practice of the summer.

Before Wednesday's practice, general manager Phil Savage announced that Jurevicius and Ryan Tucker had been placed on the active physically unable to perform (PUP) list and do not count towards the 80-man roster limit.

Neither move would be considered a surprise. Jurevicius underwent multiple offseason knee procedures, and Tucker has been out since May with a hip injury. His original targeted return date was August.

Placing those players on the active-PUP list means the Browns save roster spots and can monitor their progress until mandatory cuts come following the third preseason game.

If one or both still aren't ready to return at the end of the preseason, they could be moved to the regular-season PUP list and would miss at least the first six weeks of the season. Any time between Weeks 6-9 a PUP player can return to practice, opening a three-week window for the Browns to evaluate and, eventually, activate him.

"(Tucker) we feel good about," Savage said. "We're a little bit further down the line recovery-wise with him. Unfortunately Joe's situation took a turn for the worse while we were gone on vacation. We're still hopeful we can have him. It could be for first part of the season but it may be a little bit later than that."

When Tucker is medically cleared and returns to the field he should compete for the right guard job he held over the final eight games of last season. For now, Rex Hadnot is working with the first-teamers there while competing with Seth McKinney, whose injury last season opened the door for Tucker.

The Browns are a little less certain about their depth at receiver, especially while Stallworth is still sidelined. Savage said Stallworth injured his hamstring sometime this week while preparing for training camp and should be out "a couple of days"

Browns coach Romeo Crennel said Stallworth "is just a little sore. He's working with the trainers. He's shown he'll get treatment all the time and do whatever's necessary to get back."

Until he does, though, the Browns have some big shoes to fill alongside Braylon Edwards in the receiving corps. Veteran newcomer Kevin Kasper and third-year man Travis Wilson will be trying to build off strong spring performances, but it's a crowded wide receiver bunch that also includes Joshua Cribbs, rookie Paul Hubbardand three receivers who were with the Browns in last year's camp as well, Steve Sanders, Syndric Steptoe and Efrem Hill.

"I think one of the silver linings to Joe being down and Donte' being out for now is we get a chance to find out more about our young receivers," Savage said. "It's important for us to do that."

"It's more opportunities for these other guys," Crennel said. "It's more opportunities for Travis Wilson, more opportunities for Steptoe. We'll see which of these guys steps up and makes the most of them."

Savage said the Browns currently don't have any interest in Eric Parker, a veteran wide receiver who was released by the Chargers Tuesday. Parker would be familiar with Rob Chudzinski's offensive system from the time Chudzinski spent as the Chargers' tight ends coach before returning to the Browns last year.

"A third receiver, it could prove to be pivotal (over the course of the season)," Savage said. "It may or may not be. We could play Steve Heiden and use Kellen Winslow as the third receiver. We have options. It's important for us to find out what we have here in the next few weeks."

THUMBS UP: Heiden said he has no reservations after having back surgery in the spring.

"We'll see tomorrow and in the next few weeks when we start hitting people," he said. "But it feels good. The doctors never gave me any indication it would be a long-term thing. I'm feeling good and I'm anxious. It's good to be back."

THINKING BIG: The high expectations many have for the Browns - and the Browns have for themselves - was a major point of discussion Wednesday and will continue to be throughout the preseason.

"We're going to embrace (the expectations)," Crennel said. "That beats the alternative. We're glad people have some confidence in us and they want to us do well. We're going to try to be worthy of those expectations.

"I think this team is still hungry. We're going to show up."

FIRE IT UP: The Browns will be back on the practice field Thursday morning at 8:45 for their first practice in pads.

"We'll gear it up tomorrow with a little contact," Crennel said.