Once Cleveland Browns OTAs Start, No News is Good News

The Organized Team Activities begin this week for the 2010 Cleveland Browns.

Expect a lot of meetings, a lot of weightlifting, and a handful of drills.

Don’t expect any big news to come out of this week, at least nothing you really want to hear if you’re a Browns fan.

The only big news that usually comes out of OTAs are injury reports and no-shows, so that’s not something anyone wants to hear.

Players make news by their absence, or a trip to the Cleveland Clinic, and other than some expected no-shows, it should be business as usual in Berea.

It is possible some of the undrafted free agents the Browns signed may not make it past this point, though, if they’re not keeping up in the classroom, or don’t perform well enough in drills. If they fall behind, they won’t be asked to participate in any more activities.

If the coaching staff doesn’t think a player is “getting it,” there’s no point in wasting any more time.

As for Colt McCoy, ignore everything I just said and expect some kind of news about him, no matter how trivial it might be. McCoy is the sexy draft pick and he’ll command attention for just coming in and doing what’s expected of him.

Don’t be surprised if some kind of move is made concerning the Browns running back situation, whether it’s Harrison or Vickers signing, or one of the guys low on the depth chart being given their walking papers.

That line of thinking also applies to players in the secondary. Head coach Eric Mangini and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan won’t waste any time trying to whip that unit into something a lot more respectable this season.

The coaching staff also has less time to work with the players this offseason since Mangini now is in his second year with the team. There’s a rule where a first-year coach is allowed to have extra OTAs and minicamps, which Mangini took full advantage of last year.

With that in mind, it takes us back to why it’s so important for the restricted free agents to sign and get into the offseason program, no matter how trivial some of these OTAs may be.

This is how the modern NFL works, and these guys have to understand this, even though getting paid should be their top priority.