By Jeff Schudel
JSchudel@News-Herald.com
@jsbrownsinsider
Three days into it, one of the most anticipated battles of training camp isn't a battle at all.
Not only has John Greco established himself as the starting left guard, but after the first day in shoulder pads Saturday it looks as though no one is going to knock off Shawn Lauvao at right guard. The 2010 third-round draft pick did not start well as a rookie under Eric Mangini. But when Pat Shurmur took over in 2011, he plugged Lauvao in as the starter and Lauvao has been there ever since.
"I thought I did well for the most part," Lauvao said, referring to 2012. "I've started the past two years. I'm always critical of myself. I'll do anything I can to get better."
The coaches like Lauvao because he gets a good push on run plays and holds his man on pass blocking. He might be more bull than finesse, but he gets the job done.
During organized team activities and minicamp, Lauvao, Greco and Jason Pinkston were in a three-man rotation. Pinkston, the starting left guard in 2011 and the first six games of 2012 until a blood clot in his lung sidelined him for the last 10 games, has been with the second team since training camp started. He did not help his cause Saturday when he was yanked from the play for a false start.
"The coaches have really emphasized wanting us to be an attacking offense," Lauvao said. "Whether that's me pulling, whether it's running more or passing more is up to the coaches."
Lauvao, 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, is in the final year of his contract.
Taylor returns
Nose tackle Phil Taylor returned to practice on a limited basis Saturday after missing the first two days with a calf injury. He participated in individual drills but not in team drills. He could be in team drills on Sunday if he has no setbacks.
Tight end Kellen Davis (knee) also returned to practice on a limited basis. Continued...
Offensive tackle Oniel Cousins is expected to miss "a couple weeks" with a sprained ankle, Coach Rob Chudzinski said.
Fullback Brock Bolen was on the sideline working out a calf strain.
Quarterbacks rebound
One day after resembling tailgaters throwing the football around in a parking lot, Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell looked sharp again on Saturday, particularly Weeden. He gunned a deep pass to Josh Gordon and hit the second-year receiver in stride.
"I thought the offense as a whole had a lot better day," Chudzinski said. "That's one of the things you'd like to see happen on a day-to-day basis, so it's not always one side of the ball winning. You'd like to see it where it's offense one day, defense the next day, and when there's a back-and-forth competition. At the end of the day, you need a balanced team. You have to be able to win games in this league different ways."
Brian Hoyer, the third quarterback, struggled again.
Screen machine
The Browns devoted a large portion of practice Saturday to screen passes. It seemed Dion Lewis, acquired from the Eagles in a trade for linebacker Emmanuel Acho, got an abundance of work.
"He's a guy that we haven't seen a lot," Chudzinski said. "Running backs really tend to show more when the pads come on. You see their running skills and the blocking schemes develop a little bit better. Like you saw today, with pads on it's a lot different. We will continue to look at him as well as all of those guys. We will put them in situations so they can show what they can do."
Lewis, a fifth-round draft choice by the Eagles in 2011, rushed for 102 yards as a rookie and 69 yards last season. He has three career receptions. Continued...
Wallace on the move
Here is an early scouting report on the Miami Dolphins, whom the Browns play in the season opener:
The Dolphins plan to move speedy receiver Mike Wallace around more than the Steelers did when Wallace played in Pittsburgh. The strategy means whichever defensive back has slot coverage, probably Buster Skrine, will be on Wallace.
"I will be inside a little more," Wallace told reporters covering the Dolphins. "(Offensive coordinator Mike Sherman) wants to switch us around a lot more where people can't key on you. I had primary things to do in Pittsburgh. Here I'm switching a little bit more and doing a little bit more of everything."
Wallace has been running slants and out patterns early in training camp. He caught 64 passes for 836 yards (13.1 average) and eight touchdowns last season.
Kirkpatrick healed for Bengals
It has taken a year to see a positive result, but Dre Kirkpatrick, the Bengals first-round draft pick in 2012, is practicing pain free. The cornerback from Alabama was matched on star receiver A.J. Green and stayed with him stride for stride.
The news wasn't as good for Green ? although it wasn't as bad as it might have been. Green's left knee was injured as he overextended trying to make a sideline catch. An MRI revealed no structural damage ? only a bruise. Green is expected to miss several days of practice.
Not the same Steelers
The Steelers are going through a transition in training camp. Aside from Wallace, linebacker James Harrison, cornerback Keenan Lewis, nose tackle Casey Hampton, running back Rashard Mendenhall, tackle Max Starks and lineman Willie Colon are gone from the team that finished 8-8 last season. Continued...
Some aging veterans are back trying to play as they did when they were young. Safety Troy Polamalu is 32. He played in only seven games last year because of a calf injury. The Steelers are in trouble if he doesn't rebound because they have no experienced safeties behind him. Interestingly, the Steelers took a safety, Shamarko Thomas of Syracuse, in the fourth round with the pick acquired from the Browns in April.
Tight end Heath Miller, 30, is coming off three knee surgeries. He isn't participating in training camp and might not be ready in September.
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