Cleveland Browns: Recapping the Latest Buzz Heading into Training Camp

The Cleveland Browns open training camp later this month. And while nothing of substance is actually happening with the team, as they aren't currently working together, that doesn't mean the cycle of pre-training camp news has ground to a halt.

Here are the five biggest stories swirling about the Browns as we head toward training camp.

Training Camp Dates Set

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The Browns officially announced the start of their 2015 training camp on Monday: It begins Thursday, July 30.

There will be 11 practices open to the public; tickets are free, but fans must register online and print them out. Season-ticket holders can access tickets from July 14-16, with the general public able to access tickets at 10 a.m. local time on July 17. Fans can attend up to three open practices and bring no more than five guests with them.

The Browns will also hold their Orange and Brown Scrimmage at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on August 7. There are no tickets remaining for the game.

Head Coach Mike Pettine Ranks...

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NFL.com's Elliot Harrison put together his power rankings of all 32 NFL head coaches, and Browns coach Mike Pettine comes in at just 28th, one spot above Washington's Jay Gruden and one spot below Gus Bradley of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Harrison writes:

"

Pettine looked to have things turned around in Cleveland last season, getting off to a promising 7-4 start—and then the bottom fell out. Turning to Johnny Manziel at quarterback didn't do anything to brighten the gloomy finish to the year. Pettine's defensive background should come in handy, as the Browns have plenty of young talent to work with, players—like former first-round pick Justin Gilbert—who, if they pan out, could make quite a difference going forward. However, Pettine must also prove he and his staff can work wonders with quarterbacks.

"

Unsurprisingly, given the Browns' history since 1999, Pettine's ranking is tied to the Browns' ability to locate and build up a franchise quarterback. But this analysis is lazy: Pettine wasn't the one to draft Manziel. Pettine is also a defensive-minded coach, and while he's working to find solutions at the quarterback position, it's not his bread is butter, and he must work with what he's given.

But Pettine, in one year, hasn't proved much—the sample size is small. So it's understandable that he's ranked so low. The seven wins, however, cannot be discounted, given it was Cleveland's highest win total since 2007. Harrison needs to cut Pettine a little more slack.

Supplemental Draft?

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The NFL's supplemental draft will be held on Thursday. Seven players are eligible for the draft. They are:

• OT Isaiah Battle, Clemson
• DT Dalvon Stuckey, West Georgia
• DE Darrius Caldwell, West Georgia
• DE Eric Eiland, Houston
• TE Sean McQuillan, Connecticut
• DB Kevin Short, Kansas
• WR Adrian Wilkins, North Carolina Central

No player has been taken in the supplemental draft since the Browns selected wide receiver Josh Gordon in 2012. But the Browns could be in the market for one of these seven players—namely, Clemson's Battle. FanSided's Ryan Rosko, at least, thinks the Browns should make a move.

Rosko writes: 

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Battle should not be expected to be a starter this fall, but he would be a talented option if John Greco and/or Mitchell Schwartz needs [to be] replaced due to injury or performance. Schwartz is also a free agent after this season, and Battle could come in and replace him, especially since Schwartz has not been the most consistent player.

"

It's not a bad argument, especially if the Browns are anticipating that center Alex Mack opts out of his contract in 2016 and they move 2015 Round 1 draft pick Cam Erving from right guard, where he's expected to start this year, to center, which he played in college. But the supplemental draft rarely yields players of consequence; Gordon is the last one, and he's currently suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

Latest on Quarterback "Competition"

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ClevelandBrowns.com's Andrew Gribble's latest mailbag inevitably leads with a question about the possibility of a training camp quarterback battle between starter-for-the-spring Josh McCown and 2014 Round 1 draft pick Johnny Manziel. Here's what he had to say:

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The Browns will play the quarterback that gives them the best chance to win. McCown has been that quarterback from the start of offseason workouts. Manziel has an opportunity to prove he's the No. 1 option at training camp, but this isn't the wide-open, split-the-reps-down-the-middle competition of a year ago.

"

Gribble is backing up what we've seen out of the Browns so far this offseason—that McCown is entrenched as the starter, and while Manziel will eventually have opportunities to work with the first-team offense this summer and outshine the veteran, it seems as though this is McCown's job to lose.

Gribble was also asked about McCown's durability, especially given he missed five games last year with a fractured thumb. He wrote:

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Considering all of the hits he took behind one of the NFL's worst offensive lines, it's a wonder he didn't miss even more time. There's no bigger upgrade McCown will experience in Cleveland than what he has in his offensive line, which he labeled the best he's played behind throughout his lengthy NFL career. Needless to say, he'll be upright and throwing from the pocket far more here than he did in Tampa Bay. The less hits he takes, the less likely he is to be hurt. Simple as that.

"

He's not kidding—McCown took 36 sacks last year in 11 games and saw the second-most pressure from defenses behind Seattle's Russell Wilson, according to Pro Football Focus. He should fare much better with Cleveland's far superior offensive line.

Jersey Sale Milestone

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Maybe it's just the byproduct of the Browns changing their uniform design this offseason, but cornerback Joe Haden has the NFL's highest-selling jersey since the draft, according to a study helmed by Dick's Sporting Goods. More of his jerseys have sold this spring and summer than New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who ranks second.

He's not the only Browns player to crack the list—safety Donte Whitner ranks 10th. Even if these figures are the result of the Browns altering their uniforms, it's still pretty impressive to see the team boasting two of the top 10 jerseys in offseason sales. It's even more notable that defensive players are their top-selling jerseys, and not those of offensive skill players, which are typically the most popular.