After the last firework bursts, Michael Bowie will promptly start packing up his suitcase.
The Cleveland Browns offensive lineman isn't required back in Berea until the end of the month for training camp, but he's not leaving anything to chance. Bowie, a former starter on Seattle's 2013 Super Bowl champion team, wants to be in peak physical condition as he competes for a spot on an offensive line the Browns believe can be one of the best in the NFL.
"At the end of the day, I've just to come out here and do what I can do," Bowie said. "It's up to them to decide who is the best five. All I can do is take care of my business. Hopefully I can get a shot. That's what I'm working for."
Bowie has been with the Browns for close to a year but he's yet to play a snap because of an injured shoulder that sidelined him through all of 2014. Cleveland acquired Bowie, who started seven games at right tackle and one at right guard for the 2013 Seahawks, during training camp last year after Seattle placed him on the NFL's waived/injured list.
It was a long-term investment, as Bowie wasn't even able to practice much with the Browns until this year's offseason workout program.
"It was long and I wanted to be back out there," Bowie said. "I couldn't even come out and watch practices and stuff like that. I was in the treatment room. It took a toll on me mentally but I'm back out here and I feel like I've got something to prove."
Bowie was a full participant throughout the offseason program and primarily worked with the second-team offense at right tackle. He really started to click midway through OTAs, when he finally felt 100 percent comfortable with his shoulder.
First-team right tackle Mitchell Schwartz hasn't missed a snap over the past three seasons, but the Browns have emphasized competition across the field, no matter the position. Browns coach Mike Pettine brought up Bowie unprompted when he met with reporters at February's NFL Combine.
"We're very interested to see what he brings to the table," Pettine said. "Whether he can give us some depth there or compete for a starting position."
Either scenario would make this Browns offensive line deeper than it was last season. As it stands today, Cleveland would be in a position to have multiple players with starting experience working with the second-team offense.
"It's good for me. These guys are proven," Bowie said. "They've been doing it for years and I just want to be a sponge, soak up all the stuff I can. Hopefully it will turn me into a better player not just physically, but mentally also."
Training camp will provide Bowie with the opportunity to not only truly test his shoulder, but also show off the physicality that made him effective enough to start for the Seahawks. He also hopes to be 10 pounds lighter, a major reason why he's cutting off his vacation a few weeks short.
"I'm a powerful guy," Bowie said. "I love to run block and I just love imposing my will on these guys."
