INDIANAPOLIS — Last year, the Cleveland Browns opened up their training camp with a little group bonding on the road, spending their first week of practice at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. The players, coaches and front office raved all year about the way the trip helped form bonds and led to success on the field. So this year, they're doing it again.
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Browns' general manager Andrew Berry spoke ahead of the week of scouting and evaluations. During his media availability, Berry confirmed the team will be returning to The Greenbrier for training camp again this season.
Berry also added that the Browns will once again hold joint practices this season, this year hosting the Minnesota Vikings in Berea. Last year, the Browns traveled to Philadelphia for joint practices with the Eagles and the year before hosted the Eagles in Berea.
"We will be going back to the Greenbrier and we will be doing joint practices against the Minnesota Vikings. They'll be coming to Berea. They'll be coming to us so you guys don't have to travel," Berry joked.
The Browns general manager said that he expects this season at The Greenbrier to be about the same length as last year, which was 10 days.
While the Browns have gotten some logistics down for the location of training camp sessions, there is still some working through who will be on the fields for the practices—with guys working back from injuries and others working through contract situations. Some, like Nick Chubb, fall into both categories.
The Browns are expected to work hard to keep Chubb a Brown past the 2024 season, which at this point would end with him entering free agency. As he rehabs the brutal knee injury that ended his season in Week 2 last year, cutting the running back to save cap space is not where the thought process is for the team. Berry said at the end of the season that they "obviously will work to keep him on the team.”
Berry declined to get into contract discussions at the NFL Combine, but reiterated the hope for Chubb remains the same.
"I understand that Nick is a popular discussion point. I meant what I said about him at the end of the season. Any conversations that we have with him or his reps honestly will stay between us. If anything were to change with the status, you guys would be the first to know when that does happen," Berry said. "Nick's one in a million, and maybe he is one in a billion actually, and so we're not going to get the consistent explosive runs that you get with the best back in football. But we also do firmly believe that the run game is predominantly predicated on the strength of the offensive line and then the actual scheme. Obviously when you have a difference-maker like Nick and someone who can create at the level that he can, he can truly elevate that area of the game. But we did have to learn to run without him and we were able to do it effectively enough. But obviously Nick is a difference-maker."
One player who is expected to be back on the field for all of training camp is quarterback Deshaun Watson. He's been recovering from shoulder surgery that prematurely ended his season last year. Berry confirmed Watson is well on his way to recovery and will begin throwing next month.
"Deshaun will begin throwing next month. He's worked his tail off in terms of his rehab and recovery. He's in a really good place. We're excited when the spring hits and we can get him back on the field, but he's making really good progress and we're really excited to see that continue," Berry said.
The Browns will be able to start their offseason workout programs on April 15, with rookie minicamp at the beginning of May. OTAs and training camp dates are to be announced at a later date.
