BEREA: New Browns safety Calvin Pryor is a first-round bust in the eyes of the New York Jets, but he’s hoping a change of scenery will alter that perception.
“One thing I know — I can play football,” Pryor said Tuesday after the seventh practice of organized team activities. “It’s about being in the right situation and then going about things the right way.”
Things didn’t go Pryor’s way with the Jets, who drafted him in the first round in 2014. He had a disappointing 2016 season, and his attitude and history of late arrivals to meetings reportedly turned off the coaching staff led by Todd Bowles. The Jets drafted safeties in the first two rounds in April and traded Pryor to the Browns last week for middle linebacker Demario Davis.
Before the trade, Pryor had been demoted to the Jets’ third-team defense during OTAs and relegated to a second practice field usually designated for younger players.
“I can’t really speak on too much of that,” Pryor said. “That’s in the past. I look forward to being here in Cleveland and being a Brown.”
Cornerback Jamar Taylor was in the doghouse of the Miami Dolphins but resurrected his career last season after the Browns traded for him. He signed a three-year, $15 million contract extension in December.
Perhaps Pryor can experience a similar turnaround.
“I’m looking forward to a fresh start, having an opportunity to play with the Cleveland Browns,” said Pryor, who’ll make $1.6 million in the final season of his rookie contract. “That’s what I’m looking forward to the most.
“I’m excited. I can’t thank them enough, so I look forward to the opportunity and how things kick off here in Cleveland.”
How new Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will use Pryor remains unclear. He didn’t participate in team drills Tuesday.
Pryor, 24, played free safety during his first two seasons at the University of Louisville but switched to strong safety as a junior.
Although Browns coach Hue Jackson and Pryor insisted he could play free safety for Williams, Pryor explained he “hardly ever” played free safety for the Jets.
This is relevant because the Browns recently drafted strong safety Jabrill Peppers in the first round (25th overall).
“Gregg finds ways to make sure that we put the best guys out there,” Jackson said. “I’m not concerned about that. ... When it’s all said and done, we’re going to play the best four guys that are able to play. It’s not so much if a guy’s at this position, that position. One thing about Gregg, he has a lot of flexibility in his system to be able to play guys wherever we need to play them.”
Jackson conceded the defense will actually use its best five defensive backs a lot.
Williams uses nickel and dime packages most of the time, and the Browns have featured three-safety formations during OTAs.
So even if Williams envisions Pryor and Peppers filling similar strong safety-linebacker hybrid roles, they could still be on the field at the same time.
“[Peppers is] one heck of a player, and I do look forward to playing with him if it’s different packages or if we’re on the field at the same time,” Pryor said. “We both can play football, so I look forward to being a great teammate and helping him out along the way.”
Back in action
No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett practiced in an OTA open to reporters for the first time. Jackson explained Garrett is still taking some practices off because the rookie defensive end is dealing with a minor injury, reportedly a sore foot.
“He is alternating,” Jackson said. “I’m going to make sure — I will keep saying it until I know for sure that we are totally healthy or where we need to be — there is some football that he has missed and so we are working him back. He had a good practice today. I can’t wait to watch the tape. We will get him back out there again before this OTA session is done.”
Garrett spent most of practice as the third-team right defensive end, taking reps in team drills behind Cam Johnson and Tyrone Holmes.
“If I was a quarterback, [I’d be] really scared [of Garrett],” Jackson said. “He is talented. I think we all know that. He has just got to continue to integrate himself within our defense and our system. He’s a very eager and willing young man. He has worked extremely hard. I think hopefully you guys saw the talent today, and we’ll keep pushing him and getting him to where he needs to be.”
In addition to Garrett, running back Duke Johnson returned to practice after missing time last week.
QB pecking order
Jackson wouldn’t reveal whether he would change the quarterback rotation for mandatory minicamp, which will run June 13-15. With two OTA practices left, the order has remained Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler, DeShone Kizer and Kevin Hogan. The only quarterback who hasn’t received first-team repetitions in practices open to media is Hogan. Kessler and Kizer took first-team reps Tuesday but not Osweiler.
“I could [keep the order the same for minicamp],” Jackson said. “I could not, too. I think guys are emerging. I think guys are working hard. I think the whole group has improved, but again, I am going to take a look at it after we get done with OTAs and see where we are.
“I think guys are making strides. I see it all the time, and they have got to continue to work and work hard. The young guys are getting better. Cody has improved. Brock is doing well. We are going to take it all into account and see where we are.”
Kizer had the best production on a lackluster day for the quarterbacks. In a two-minute drill with the first-team offense, the rookie second-round pick completed four passes to set up Cody Parkey’s successful 30-yard field goal.
Man in middle
The Browns have special-teams ace Tank Carder working as their first-team middle linebacker after trading Davis to the Jets. Jackson said weakside linebacker Christian Kirksey or strongside linebacker Jamie Collins could man the middle, too.
“Tank has done a good job,” Jackson said, “and we will keep going from there.”
Joe Schobert and Dominique Alexander are candidates behind Carder, who has started two games in his five NFL seasons.
Extra points
• Cornerback Joe Haden, who had surgery on both groin muscles this offseason, didn’t practice. “You start getting a lot of wear and tear when you’re [practicing] every day like that,” Jackson said. “... Guys start to get a little sore. We just take care of them a little bit and make sure that they are OK.”
• Tight ends Seth DeValve and David Njoku, a rookie first-round choice (No. 29 overall), each made two catches with defenders glued to them. “Those guys have got to be ready to play,” Jackson said. “They have got to be accountable, dependable, be out there every day and be able to make those plays when the opportunities come.” Jackson called DeValve an emerging player. “This is not the same Seth as a year ago,” Jackson said of the 2015 fourth-round selection from Princeton.
• The following players didn’t practice but worked out on the sideline: Haden, wide receivers Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman and offensive linemen Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, John Greco, Austin Reiter and Matt McCants. Cornerback Howard Wilson (fractured kneecap), defensive lineman Nile Lawrence-Stample and tight end J.P. Holtz were not on the field.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.