FaceTime, more FaceTime, the everlasting wisdom of Al Saunders and a whole lot of tough goodbyes.
We're recapping the final episode of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cleveland Browns," and we'll be dishing out one last installment of spoilers.
Treat the following words like one of your rocks.
-- We all knew what was coming in the final episode of "Hard Knocks." That didn't make it any easier to watch, as the Browns parted ways with four players -- Brogan Roback, Nate Orchard, Devon Cajuste and Carl Nassib -- who received extensive coverage throughout the five-episode series. All four, though, got one final chance to sign in the team's preseason finale at Detroit, and they all seemed to take advantage of the extra opportunities.
-- The first of the four to go was Roback, who got the moment he'd long coveted at Ford Field, which sits just a few miles away from his alma mater, Eastern Michigan, and serves as the closest NFL stadium to his hometown of Toledo. Roback initially struggled but found his groove against the Lions late in the fourth quarter, delivering a touchdown pass to rookie Blake Jackson. He quickly scooped up the ball for safekeeping while his girlfriend, Ally Goff, beamed from the stands, overwhelmed by emotions. Less than 24 hours later, Browns assistant general manage Eliot Wolf delivers the bad news. Roback meets with Hue Jackson before exiting the Berea facility one last time. "You handled it the right way," Jackson said. "You need to walk out of here proud of what you did … You can play in this league."
-- Next was Cajuste, whose heartwarming relationship with his father, Gregory, became one of the biggest stories to emerge from this season of "Hard Knocks." Gregory was unable to travel to Detroit because of lingering health issues but he cheered like crazy from home as Cajuste made a couple of big catches early in Cleveland's win over the Lions. Two days later, Wolf summoned Cajuste to the office but left him with plenty of words of encouragement. "Your progression has been awesome," said Wolf, who watched Cajuste up close in Green Bay in 2016, when Cajuste was a member of the Packers practice squad. Cajuste then breaks the news to his dad, who maintained his infectious positivity.
-- Orchard got the call Saturday, too. It came after the fourth-year defensive end made one of the team's top plays of the preseason, nabbing a short Matt Cassel pass out of the air and returning it 64 yards for a touchdown. "Did I look like Josh Gordon out there?" Orchard asked his teammates on the sidelines. When Wolf breaks the news to Orchard, he tells Orchard he expects him to draw interest from a number of teams because of his position versatility. In the past few days, Orchard has reportedly met with a handful of teams.
-- Not all cuts come on "Cut Day," and Nassib was one of five additional players to be released Sunday after the team claimed five players on waivers. Nassib, who was claimed by the Buccaneers, expressed remorse he wouldn't be around for the team's turnaround but showed no hard feelings in a conversation with Jackson.
-- The episode opened with players and coaches reacting to the news about linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who was indicted on insider trading charges. Jackson tells the players that Kendricks has been released shortly before the news breaks. "There's decisions and there's consequences, and sometimes consequences are life-altering," Jackson said.
-- At some point during the past week, Jackson met with rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and veteran Drew Stanton to officially name Mayfield as the backup to Tyrod Taylor. After Stanton leaves the room, Jackson praises Mayfield for the progress he's made and urges him to keep working as hard as he has. "You've earned it," Jackson said.
-- Rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway's relationship with All-Pro Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is showcased as the two have a brief FaceTime conversation in front of the cameras. Brown tells Callaway "you've got to be a pro, baby."
-- Senior offensive assistant Al Saunders was seemingly everywhere in this episode, and every installment featured him delivering the type of encouragement and wisdom that has made him such a valuable resource for the Browns. "Being you," Saunders tells Cajuste, "is good enough."
-- Mayfield and offensive coordinator Todd Haley took a different approach to getting Cajuste fired up for the final preseason game. "Treat the ball like one of your rocks," Mayfield tells Cajuste. "Block like you're blocking for one of your rocks," Haley follows.
-- As the players gathered shortly after the roster was trimmed to 53, Jackson, after passing along the stat that 59 percent of the 53-man roster is filled with new players, delivered a simple message.
"A change," Jackson said, "has come."
