Rookie defensive end Myles Garrett is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
That was such big news when it was announced by the Browns on Saturday – his left foot injury turned out to be just a lateral, and not a fracture, as some feared it would be – that it dwarfed anything and everything concerning the team coming out of the spring practices.
Some of the news that could not get into the spotlight is the belief by the Browns that second-year wide receiver Corey Coleman will also likely also be set to go when camp opens in just over five weeks. Shoulder and hamstring issues knocked him out of the OTAs and mini camps.
Garrett and Coleman.
Coleman and Garrett.
Being that they are the Browns’ first picks the last two years in the NFL Draft, they are joined at the hip. They are the key pieces – one on defense and the other on offense — the club is counting on for this total rebuilding project to be successful.
Garrett was the No. 1 overall choice, so his star, at least for a while, will shine brighter than that of Coleman, who was taken at No. 15. That doesn’t take any pressure off Coleman, though. He has to produce as well, and, before that happens, he has to stay healthy to give himself an opportunity to do so.
And that – staying healthy – has been difficult for Coleman. He missed half of his rookie season in 2016 with injuries, and when he did play, he stood out only a few times. His year was underwhelming, to put it mildly. The Browns need much, much more from him.
Like Garrett, Coleman has to be able to start camp on the field, not on the sideline riding the exercise bike, or on the trainer’s table. He’s got a lot of progress to make – a lot to learn. If the Browns are cautious with him, just as I’m sure they’ll be cautious with Garrett, that’s fine. I would rather that both of them be brought along slowly so there are no more physical setbacks.
