Rucker makes progress

08.09.2008

When it was all over, when Thursday night had spilled into Friday morning, when the Jets were headed back to the airport and the Browns were putting the wraps on a wild first preseason game, Martin Rucker knew what he needed.

A good night's sleep.

"That would be great," Rucker said just before leaving the locker room. "Before I get back to work on anything else, that would be the best thing for me."

It was well earned. The rookie tight end's Cleveland Browns Stadium debut was impressive, as he led the Browns with 5 catches for 70 yards and played as many snaps as any other player on the Browns' roster in the team's rain-delayed preseason opener.

He lined up on special teams, at tight end, in the slot and even in the backfield. Rucker is used to some shifting around - he was a versatile player who sometimes played all five receiver slots in Missouri's spread offense - but he's still learning some of his responsibilities in the Browns' offense.

"Blocking out of the backfield is something new," Rucker said. "The last time I was in the backfield I was playing quarterback. I'm still getting used to some of the routes, some of the calls. It takes some getting used to, but I'm getting more comfortable."

Thursday's game was an important step in his learning process. With veteran tight ends Kellen Winslow and Steve Heiden missing due to injury, the Browns went into the game with three tight ends. That meant plenty of work for Rucker, even if he was learning on the fly.

"The speed of the game is definitely faster," he said. "It doesn't take long to realize that. It's fast, but it was good. It felt really good to hit somebody wearing a different colored jersey."

The Browns looked for Rucker right down to the end. He drew a pass interference call that gave the Browns a first and goal at the 5-yard line with 17 seconds left, then was the intended receiver on two of the final four throws as the Browns tried to win.

It didn't happen, but Rucker is now focused on moving forward. The Browns have 10 days between games before playing their final three preseason games in a 10-day span, which means more opportunities are coming.

"I didn't expect to play the entire second half," Rucker said. "But I have to be ready. You get a little tired and you start to lose focus, and I have to make sure I don't let that happen to me again.

"I think I did OK. I definitely feel I should have caught a couple more balls at the end of the game that would have given us a chance to win. That leaves me something else to work on this week."