BEREA — The second week of OTAs gets started May 26. By the time the week ends, they’ll have six down and only four remaining before the mandatory minicamp.
For Todd Monken, a new head coach who’s coaching a team that leans toward the young side, every one of those days has been/will be critical to trying to accelerate the process of closing the gap between where they are compared to more established teams.
But Monken’s no stranger to coaching young teams, with his extensive college coaching background, most recently as offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia from 2020-22. And there’s one thing Monken said is one and the same between coaching at either level, even if it’s often overlooked when it comes to the NFL.
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“We’re in the development business — let’s not kid ourselves what business we’re in,” Monken said after the May 20 OTA. “You don’t get 15 first-round picks. You don’t get that. You get the picks you get and you’ve got to develop everybody on your roster. Eventually the guys that make your team and your practice squad, they’re all going to play at some point.
“So I think it’s imperative that we get as many reps as we can within the constraints that we have.”
Four of Monken’s offseason workouts have been open to the media already, if you include the two days of rookie minicamp. One of those came during the April voluntary minicamp permitted because of having a new head coach and the other was just the second of their 10 OTA days.
One of the most noticeable aspects of all of those workouts is the length of time on the field. None was for less than 90 minutes, and the OTA went the full two-hour limit permitted.
As long as that may seem, it’s still a limited amount of time when trying to balance the amount of work needing to be accomplished with the number of players needing to get reps, even with a handful of notable veterans not present for the voluntary workouts.
That’s where Monken can also draw on his college experience.
“You’re used to having a bigger roster in college — obviously it’s shrunk now so you’re used to going two-spot, trying to find more reps, more walk-throughs,” Monken said. “The rules hinder that a little bit because the moment we get on the field — you have two hours and that’s what you’ve got, minus any type stretching — but you’re up against it a little bit, where in minicamps or training camp it’s not the same. But certainly being in college and having a bigger roster forces you to rep all those players.”
The youth on the Browns roster means most are not too far removed from their own college days. There are only 18 players on the 90-man roster with more than five seasons of NFL experience, and another seven who have five years.
Ten of those 25 were among the Browns’ offseason acquitions. For those veterans, none of whom have a direct connection to Monken previously, either a new or established head coach wouldn’t matter in their adjustment.
However, even those veterans can see the reality of the roster. That, regardless of new or experienced head coach, carries more weight.
“You’ll get that aspect whether you go have the same coach and there’s younger guys really just filling in those spaces, and then also just getting everybody prepared to play,” linebacker Quincy Williams said May 20. “When you get a new head coach, you also have those players who’s walking on egg shells just because they’re still trying to get the head coach to see their talents and things like that, and whether they fit into the new scheme as far as offense or defense though.
“But the biggest thing is just making plays, being seen by making plays and things like that.”
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Those younger players aren’t so far removed from their own college days that some of what Monken’s doing with the structure of his program seems familiar to them. Some of it is because there’s a direct connection between him and their college coach.
Well, sort of, at least for defensive tackle Mason Graham. Monken’s stop between Georgia and Cleveland was with the Baltimore Ravens, where he coached under John Harbaugh.
Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, was Graham’s coach his first two seasons at the University of Michigan.
“He’s from that Ravens’ tree,” Graham said May 20. “I played for Harbaugh, so I feel like there’s kind of a similar resemblance there, all about hard work. He wants to get a lot of plays. I think like him, too. I feel like the best way good at football is playing football and getting reps. So that’s what I like.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Todd Monken using some of his college past to help Browns’ development
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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