Wilson will start Monday

08.15.2008

It's not where the Browns' Travis Wilson eventually wants to be, but it's a start.

Literally and figuratively.

Head coach Romeo Crennel said following Friday's training camp practice that Wilson will open at wide receiver opposite Donte Stallworth when the Browns travel to meet the New York Giants for a preseason version of Monday Night Football in three days.

In a battle of players who spent last season off the radar screen with the Browns, Wilson got the nod -- barely -- over Cleveland East High School product Steve Sanders, another improving young receiver who spent all of last season on the practice squad.

"Travis has been excellent in the OTAs and training camp so far," Crennel said. "He's made a lot of strides and progress. It's not that Sanders doesn't deserve it, too, but it's just rhat he missed some time in the OTAs (with a foot injury)."

In reality, Wilson is simply keeping the spot warm for Pro Bowler Braylon Edwards, who is out indefinitely with a foot injury of his own after being stepped on by a teammate while running without shoes after practice last Saturday. But when Edwards comes back, it's possible that Wilson, if he continues to improve, will earn the job as the No. 3 receiver. He certainly appears, at least, to have the inside track on that at this point.

When Wilson was selected in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft, at No. 78 overall, out of Oklahoma, both he and the Browns thought he would be on the fast track to start opposite of Edwards, the No. 3 overall pick in 2005. But, after two seasons, it still hadn't happened. Wilson has really struggled, hitting a low ebb last season when he was made inactive for all 16 games.

In two years, he's played in four games with one start, catching two passes for 32 yards. He used to catch two passes for 32 yards in a quarter while starring for the Sooners.

It looked like it might be another tough year for him when he dropped some passes and seemed to lose his confidence when the OTAs began this spring, but he quickly reversed his fortunes and is now catching everything in sight.

He validated Crennel's decision by the way he played Friday, hauling in a 50-yard pass from wide receiver Josh Cribbs on a trick play. It was easily the most spectacular play of the day, just as Wilson's rise up the depth chart over the past four months has easily been as meteoric as any player in recent Browns history.

"From what I've been through, getting this start means a lot to me," Wilson said. "I can't even begin to tell you about the stress and tension I've felt the past two years. It would take me a whole week to explain all of it.

"My rookie year just ate me up. I thought I had made some strides going into last season, but then came Week 1 and it was starting the same way as '06. And it just continued.

"I've always been someone who realizes I represent my family and friends -- the people who know me -- and I felt like I was letting them down. I never want to be a player who picks up a paycheck for doing nothing, but that's what I was doing. It was very humbling."

Wilson said his improvement can be traced to his becoming more mature this year.

"It wasn't as many laughs and giggles," he said. "I got more serious about things."

And when he did, he realized a great opportunity -- his NFL career -- was slipping away from him. But instead of trying to recapture all of it in one fell swoop, he chipped away at it little by little.

"I had to start from scratch this spring," Wilson said. "Every day, I put what happened the day before -- the bad stuff -- behind me and tried to build on the good things. I took it a day at a time."

He's not about to stop now, either, despite getting the start.

"I look forward to keeping up the momentum I've got going from camp thus far," he said. "You can catch balls in practice all day and that's fine, but it doesn't mean anything if you can't catch them when the lights go on."

That should be no problem for Wilson, for the light has already switched on for him.