Browns notes: Wendell Davis one guy who truly knows what Gary Baxter is facing in his comeback bid
Scott Petrak | The Chronicle-Telegram
BEREA — Gary Baxter got a visit from the one guy in the world who can truly empathize with him.
Wendell Davis was at Browns headquarters Thursday and Friday as part of the team’s apprentice program. Davis had been the only NFL player to tear both patellar tendons before Baxter did so during a game in 2006.
“It’s good for me as well as Gary,” Davis said Friday after practice, “to know the injury I had can actually help someone else. To be able to share experiences with him, to encourage him. I feel good about that.”
Davis was a productive receiver with the Bears for six years before suffering the injury on the old Veterans Stadium turf in Philadelphia in 1993. He returned with the Colts in 1995 but never played in a game.
Baxter tore the tendons covering a pass versus the Broncos. He made the opening-day roster last season but never played and was placed on injured reserve after six weeks.
He has returned to contact and team drills with the third string as he attempts to make the unprecedented comeback.
“I am very excited about being out here,” Baxter said. “I’m giving everything I have. Every day it seems like I’m getting better and better.”
Baxter was a cornerback before the injury but is trying to make it as a safety. He said the preseason games will be the “ultimate test” and if he feels he can’t cut it, he’ll walk away.
“I’ve got some time before I need to decide,” he said, adding he feels no pain or soreness. “I know I will know whenever it happens.”
Davis said it’s important that Baxter has a proper chance at a comeback.
“He could come back and be very successful,” Davis said. “He has the opportunity to really say I gave my best shot and it’s time for me to walk away.”
Davis, who owns a barbershop franchise near Chicago, sent all 32 teams a letter expressing his interest in finding a job in the NFL. General manager Phil Savage thought Davis would make a good fit in the team’s apprentice program, where a former NFL player (usually a Brown) gets introduced to various aspects of the front office.
He gave a quick scouting report of Baxter.
“He looks 10 times better than how I looked,” Davis said.
And if Baxter can’t make it back?
“I’m gonna have to be cool with it,” Baxter said. “But I’ll continue to fight.”
The bad Brady
Backup quarterback Brady Quinn threw three interceptions and fumbled a snap during a terrible stretch of team drills to end practice.
Quinn was intercepted by defensive lineman Shaun Rogers on a tipped pass over the middle, rookie outside linebacker Alex Hall on a swing pass to the left and safety Brodney Pool on a deep ball for receiver Kevin Kasper. The fumbled snap came from center Lennie Friedman, who was at second-team center because of an injury.
Coach Romeo Crennel spread the blame when asked about Quinn’s bad day.
“There were several things offensively we can do better,” he said. “It was more the defense being ahead of the offense. The defense was blitzing a little bit, bringing some pressure.”
Hall pass
Hall, a seventh-round pick out of Division II St. Augustine in North Carolina, flashed some mental and physical ability and got himself noticed.
Hall intercepted a swing pass intended for running back Jamal Lewis and had a clear path down the right sideline for what would’ve been a touchdown.
“I read Jamal going out, so I knew it was some kind of screen,” said Hall, 6-feet-5, 250 pounds. “I looked up and the ball was right there. I just made the play.”
Hall said he’s never scored a touchdown.
“I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to celebrate too much. I just made a good play. I was just happy I ran it in.”
Ring of fire
Crennel ended practice with an unusual drill. He had the team form a circle and had a pair of young linemen, one offensive and one defensive, square off in a run-blocking drill.
Tackle Cliff Louis, who spent last year on the practice squad, took most of the offensive repetitions before being replaced by tackle Isaac Sowells.
“There were one or two guys we wanted to motivate a little bit, let them know that they’re getting their shots and we are watching,” Crennel said. “It was kind of a team-building kind of thing.”
Louis said he didn’t feel picked on.
“Not at all,” he said. “Coach Crennel is just trying to get us young guys better, get a little competition between us, just knock heads a little bit and see what the young guys really got.
“When you get down there and it’s the gridiron, it’s just you and the other guy, man against man.”
Injury report
Rex Hadnot, the starting right guard with Ryan Tucker (hip) out, didn’t practice with an ankle injury. Crennel said it was stepped on Thursday but hoped Hadnot would return today. Seth McKinney, who started eight games at right guard last year, filled in.
• Reserve running back Jason Wright missed his second straight practice with a hamstring injury. He did individual work with receiver Donte Stallworth (hamstring), who’s yet to practice in camp.
Extra points
The speaker in the defensive helmet worked fine in its camp debut, Crennel said. For the first time, a defensive player will be allowed to have a headset in his helmet during a game to hear signals from the coaches.
• Veteran linebacker Willie McGinest and another defender sandwiched rookie tight end Martin Rucker on a catch over the middle.
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.
TRAINING CAMP 2008
NEWS OF THE DAY: The lone practice was one to forget for the offense. Backup quarterback Brady Quinn threw three interceptions and dropped a snap in the final 11-on-11 session, and starter Derek Anderson had a pair of fumbles. There were also sacks and dropped passes throughout.
CAMPER OF THE DAY: Safety Brodney Pool had a pair of turnovers during team drills. Pool scooped up the fumble when Anderson and running back Jamal Lewis botched a handoff. Later he dropped deep into coverage and intercepted a Quinn pass intended for Kevin Kasper in the end zone.
PLAYS OF THE DAY: Rookie seventh-round pick Alex Hall diagnosed the play and headed into the flat, where Lewis was expecting a screen pass from Quinn. Instead, Hall, an outside linebacker, stepped in front of Lewis and headed up the right sideline for what would’ve been a touchdown.
l Defensive lineman Shaun Rogers tipped a Quinn pass to himself for an interception. His rumbling return sent the defense and crowd into a tizzy.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “This old ’78 Chevy don’t move like it used to.” – Gary Baxter, on his switch from cornerback to safety following two torn patellar tendons.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE: Two practices: 8:45-10:45 a.m. and
5:30-7:30 p.m. Call (877) 627-6967 for updates.
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Filed by Scott Petrak | The Chronicle-Telegram July 26th, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 7% |
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