Complete Cleveland Browns Training Camp Preview

Cleveland Browns players will arrive in Berea on Wednesday to begin the team's 2015 training camp, with practices beginning on Thursday. The Browns are looking to put together a roster that can best their 7-9 record from 2014, finish installing their brand-new offense and determine the winners of a number of positional battles that have been underway dating back to the spring's OTA practices.

Here is a complete primer of what to look for and what to expect from the Browns training camp this year.

The When and the Where

The Browns training camp will take place at the team's facility in Berea, Ohio, with practices beginning this Thursday. Eleven of the team's practice sessions will be free and open to the public, and all tickets have already been claimed. Also spoken for are the 60,000 free tickets to the Orange & Brown Scrimmage, which will take place on Monday, August 22, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Dates and times for the team's practices and their four preseason games are as follows (all times are Eastern):

Thursday, July 30 9:30 a.m. to noon 

Friday, July 31 9:30 a.m. to noon

Saturday, Aug. 1 9:30 a.m. to noon 

Sunday, Aug. 2 9:30 a.m. to noon 

Monday, Aug. 3 No practice 

Tuesday, Aug. 4 9:30 a.m. to noon 

Wednesday, Aug. 5 9:30 a.m. to noon 

Thursday, Aug. 6 9:30 a.m. to noon 

Friday, Aug. 7, Orange & Brown Scrimmage, 6-8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 8 No practice 

Sunday, Aug. 9 10:20 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. 

Monday, Aug. 10 9:30 a.m. to noon 

Tuesday, Aug. 11 9:30 a.m. to noon 

Wednesday, Aug. 12 No practice

Preseason Game 1: 8 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 13: Washington at Browns

Friday, Aug. 14 No practice

Saturday, Aug. 15 10:20 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 16 Practice closed

Aug. 17-18 Joint practices with Buffalo Bills, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY

Wednesday, Aug. 19 No practice

Preseason Game 2: 8 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 20: Bills at Browns

Friday, Aug. 21 No practice

Aug. 22-24 Practices closed

Preseason Game 3: 7 p.m, Saturday, Aug. 29: Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Preseason Game 4: 8 p.m, Thursday, Sept. 3: Browns at Chicago Bears

Additional information about special promotions taking place at training camp can be found on the Browns official website.

Positional Battles to Watch

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The Browns, like every team heading into training camp in the coming days, will have a number of positional battles playing out. Here are the biggest:

Offensive Line

For the most part, Cleveland's line is set, but the team drafting Cam Erving in Round 1 this year throws a wrench into the situation. Throughout OTAs and minicamp, Erving has been playing practically every position on the line and though he'll start camp at right guard, it's also possible that right tackle—the job held last year by Mitchell Schwartz—could be in play.

Further, head coach Mike Pettine said this week to ClevelandBrowns.com's Andrew Gribble that both left tackle Joe Thomas and center Alex Mack could get days off during camp this year, opening up the possibility that Erving moves around the line again. Pettine also noted that Thomas and Mack sitting could allow Michael Bowie, Vinston Painter, Andrew McDonald and Karim Barton to see time with the first team.

Defensive Line

The Browns have more defensive linemen than they have starting spots, even with the Browns taking a rotational approach to the line. Pettine said that, "We're always looking to kind of roll a defensive line. That's where the toughest decision will be for us is who makes it for us and who's up on game time and working those reps as far rolling guys through."

But that doesn't mean that everyone will have job security. But Pettine welcomes that, because, as he said, "There's no better motivator than competition. Guys are going to look around and say, 'wow, I'm going to have a hard time making this roster, I'm going to have a hard time earning playing time if I'm not bringing my A game every day.'"

In the mix are veterans Phil Taylor, Desmond Bryant, John Hughes, Billy Winn, Randy Starks and Armonty Bryant, with rookies Xavier Cooper and Danny Shelton also fighting for playing time.

Running Back

At first glance, it appears that Isaiah Crowell has the fast track to be the Browns starting running back. But with the team boasting three intriguing backs and the offense leaning run-heavy, this battle remains wide open. It's not likely that rookie Duke Johnson will be fighting it out with Crowell and Terrance West for the right to be the starter, but there will be touches for him as both a rusher and receiver.

Pettine said about the running backs that it's "another competition that we're looking forward to and we know we'll have to make some tough decisions." He also noted that backs Glenn Winston and Shaun Draughn are both effective runners and receivers; that should lead to an interesting battle playing out between the backs this summer.

The Quarterback Situation

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Veteran Josh McCown has spent all of the Browns OTAs and minicamp as the team's No. 1 quarterback, something that will not change when training camp begins this week. Head coach Mike Pettine spoke extensively about the quarterback position on Monday and confirmed that McCown will remain the starter for the time being.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Pettine said: "The repetitions will [still] be handled that way, with Josh as the one," though he did add, "I wouldn't say I'm guaranteeing today that Josh McCown is going to be the starter against the Jets. A lot can happen in a preseason...I wouldn't rule it out [Manziel starting], but if I had to say 'will Josh McCown likely be our day one starter' to answer that question, I would say he would likely be, but I don't want to say he is. I don't want to guarantee it."

This echoes what offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said at the end of minicamp in June: "I don't see a change for right now going into training camp. I just don't. I think Josh is playing at a high level right now. I think Josh is doing the things we want him to do. There's a long time until we kick off against the Jets. There are four preseason games to play," noting, like Pettine, that things could change, though neither coach particularly anticipates that happening.

Both Pettine and DeFilippo have praised the progress than Manziel has made, but they also have raved about McCown's leadership, talent and preparation. It's going to take a huge leap forward by Manziel in tandem with a step backward by McCown to flip the depth chart.

What to Expect: Offense

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The Browns will field a new-look offense this year, one designed by coordinator John DeFilippo, who replaces Kyle Shanahan.

One thing to keep an eye on is motion: ClevelandBrowns.com's Kevin Jones remarked upon it during OTAs, and it's something expected to continue through camp. Jones wrote in May, "An educated estimate showed about 70 percent of plays called by offensive coordinator John DeFilippo had either a tight end or wide receiver moving around, and some plays had up to four players shifting around."

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot also noted that DeFilippo's offense "will likely feature plenty of shifting and motion," and said that, "the Browns want to run the ball a lot to take the pressure off [quarterback Josh] McCown."

But there will be deep passing, with Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline the likely recipient of those targets. Tight end Rob Housler will also factor in heavily; DeFilippo said in March about the team's needs at the tight end position: "A guy that can move around, be a mismatch on a linebacker, can run a choice route, get in and out of breaks on third and fourth down, can win against man-to-man coverage." Housler fits that bill.

The other change will be extensive passing to the running backs. Duke Johnson will factor in there most heavily, but there should be more targets to be had for Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West as well.

What to Expect: Defense

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The Browns defense is a step ahead of the offense, given that this is the second year of head coach Mike Pettine's and defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil's system. This year's training camp will be spent less on installing the defense and more about identifying the players that help the defense play at a high level.

That means little to no changes in the secondary, though there will be a battle playing out between K'Waun Williams and Justin Gilbert for the nickel cornerback job. What it does mean, though, is there will be a heavy emphasis on sorting out the front seven in order to improve Cleveland's performance against the run and in the pass rush.

One thing to keep an eye on is how the Browns use outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo. Right now, the Browns anticipate him to be a sub-package coverage linebacker, with Armonty Bryant and Scott Solomon handling early-down pass-rushing duties. But if Mingo can prove he can handle all the tasks of an outside linebacker, it should make things interesting at the position.

The aforementioned competition for playing time on the defensive line will also be something to watch this summer. The key to starting? Pettine says it's about "Who can make plays but also who can make plays within the structure of the offense or defense, guys that aren't coming out of structure and going outlaw, as we call it, to try to stand out."

What to Expect: Special Teams

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The Browns overhauled their special teams unit this offseason, replacing their punter, long snapper and kicker, and leaving the competition wide open at kick and punt returner. Though punter and long snapper are both set for the season, returner and kicker are two positions that will work themselves out during training camp and the team's four preseason games.

The kickers battling it out this summer are Carey Spear and Travis Coons, neither of whom have kicked in an NFL game to date.

Mike Pettine said about the competition on Monday that, "They've been at the driving range all spring and now they're getting ready to walk out in front of a gallery and in front of their teammates and have to make pressure kicks. That's what the NFL is all about is making pressure kicks, being accurate." He added, "When we go down to Columbus [for the Orange & Brown Scrimmage], we'll have a kicking competition at halftime in front of a big crowd."

As far as the kick and punt returner jobs, ESPN's Tony Grossi expects receivers Travis Benjamin and Taylor Gabriel, cornerback Justin Gilbert, safety Jordan Poyer and running back Duke Johnson to be in the mix as either starters or reserves for both positions. Minicamp standout wide receiver Darius Jennings could also get reps in the return game.

Of note here is that Benjamin's job depends on him being a reliable returner; the receiver position is just so deep right now for the Browns that if he cannot distinguish himself on special teams, he'll likely lose his spot on the roster.