Camp news and notes

08.11.2008

Despite some obstacles, the Browns continue to try to put their best foot forward.

And also their ankles, knees and hamstrings.

They did indeed take a couple steps in the right direction on Monday, and took a couple steps back as well.

Pro Bowl wide receiver Braylon Edwards missed practice for a second straight day, and will be out indefinitely, after getting spiked while running windsprints without shoes at the end of Saturday's practice. He went to the Cleveland Clinic, had an undetermined amount of stitches applied to his wounds and spent that night there.

But Browns head coach Romeo Crennel said Edwards is back home now.

"He's doing very well," he said. "We're going to rest him, and then we're going to get him back out here as soon as he can.

"He's going to be back. I'm not worried that he will not be back. They checked him out at the hospital. That's why they kept him overnight so that they can investigate to see if there was anything more than a cut, and it's nothing more than a cut."

The coach did not give a timetable on Edwards' return.

"But he's a proven player and a Pro Bowl player, so I know he will work very hard to be back," Crennel said.

Crennel isn't going to come down hard on Edwards because he was sans footwear. Boys will be boys, as they say.

"You talk to all the players about safety and precaution," the coach said. "There's an old adage that says an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So if you adhere to that, generally things work pretty good.

"We will educate them a little bit more and tell them about keeping their shoes on until they get inside and then taking them off. Things like this, we don't want them to happen. We don't like when they happen, but they happen.

"So what can you do about it, other than try to educate them?"

The positive of Edwards' absence is that it is allowing the Browns to take a good, long look at their younger wideouts.

"You never want to lose anybody, but there's always opportunity, and if guys can take advantage of the opportunity, generally they can make it in the NFL," Crennel said.

One of those young receivers is Cleveland East High school product Steve Sanders, who got a lot of work with the first-team offense opposite Donte' Stallworth.

"Steve missed some OTA time because he had a foot injury," Crennel said. "He's coming back from that, and he's beginning to pick things up. He's beginning to understand where he needs to be.

"Steve is an extremely hard worker. He's a smart guy who can play multiple positions, so that helps him."

The wideout who is stuck in neutral is fifth-year pro Kevin Kasper, who continues to be sidelined by a re-injured hamstring. He had been one of the real standouts in the spring and in the first part of camp.

"We're going to work him and slowly bring him back," Crennel said. "Basically we're going to have to go back and start from scratch again, give him treatment and bring him along slowly and then add work as he can handle work.

"So there is no timetable on him, either. We'll just have to see how it goes."

The Browns are willing to be patient with Kasper's injury because they like from what they've seen from him thus far. But the regular season is approaching.

"I don't know how much rope he'll get because as you get down to the time when you have to cut down your team, you have to have guys that will help you," Crennel said. "So there's not much rope left at that time.

"He did show enough that we're definitely interested in seeing how he can come along, and hopefully he can get back soon enough to show us that."

On the flip side, tight end Steve Heiden (knee) and guard/center Seth McKinney (ankle), who had missed extensive time, increased their workload and spent time in team drills on Monday.

"It's good to get those guys back," Crennel said. "It helps us because they're both experienced players."

Explained McKinney, who missed the last half of 2007 with the Browns with a shoulder injury and all of '06 with the Miami Dolphins with a neck problem, "This is a start. I'm happy where I'm at. I'm progressing.

"It's been frustrating being out. I can tell you from experience that it's definitely not a fun thing to go through. But that's football. Guys get hurt."

Heiden also said he feels good and is making strides.

"But after missing so much time, I just need to practice more and get in better shape," he said. "This is the same offense that we had last year, so I'm up to speed with it mentally. I just have to get with it physically."

Another injury situation involves guard/tackle Ryan Tucker, who is recovering from a broken hip.

"He's doing pretty good," Crennel said. "He's making some progress, and we're beginning to add to his workload a little bit to see how he can handle it.

"If he handles it, then we will keep adding and hopefully we will see him out here soon."

Crennel went on to say that his starters will play into the second quarter as they go on the road to meet the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in a week on Monday Night Football, but just who some of those starters will be isn't clear right now.

Then again, that's camp and the preseason for you. Although it's important, none of this counts yet.

Come the start of the regular season, that's when it will really mean something to put your best foot forward.