Travis Thomas wants to bump Jason Wright or Jerome Harrison off the Browns' roster, and he makes no apologies for it.
The former Notre Dame running back was one of just two young players singled out by Coach Romeo Crennel on Monday. He is in Browns training camp trying to make the roster as an undrafted rookie.
"It's a lot of competition, but it's healthy competition,"
Thomas, 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, said after practice Tuesday.
"My goal is to beat out one of them. It's up to the coaches to decide whether I do that. All I can control is my effort and the way I play."
Thomas played in 46 games at Notre Dame with 14 starts. Ten of those starts were at linebacker. He was a starting linebacker in 2006, Brady Quinn's final season with the Fighting Irish.
"He's one of the hardest working guys you'll ever meet,"
Quinn said. "He's a smart player. He's an all-around great player utility-wise. He can play on any special teams."
"He's going to be a great running back. He's a solid, solid player. Hopefully he'll have a chance to be on this team and play in Cleveland for a long time."
Thomas had 128 carries at Notre Dame for 409 yards and 12 touchdowns. He caught five passes for 39 yards.
Thomas has not been a hesitant runner, which is one reason he has caught Crennel's eye. If he does not beat out Harrison or Wright, he would be a candidate for special teams.
Quinn's day
Quinn might have had his best practice of training camp Tuesday. He ended the two-hour afternoon practice by zipping a pass to Joshua Cribbs in the two-minute drill. The pass was threaded between two defenders and hit Cribbs in stride on a slant. Cribbs sprinted to the end zone for a touchdown on a play that covered 55 yards.
Earlier, throwing to the left, Quinn threw a laser about 20 yards to Efrem Hill.
Dinkins' day
Steve Heiden is still out with a left knee injury, and Crennel rested Kellen Winslow Jr.
It meant a busy day at tight end for Darnell Dinkins. Dinkins made the most of it, catching almost everything thrown to him.
"Darnell has done a nice job,"
Crennel said. "You know you're a backup and when the starters are in front of you, you're not getting very many reps, so you're not able to hone your skills as much. But in his situation he got the reps in OTAs, and he's able to get the reps here in training camp. I think he's improved as a football player as a result of it. We expect some good things from him."
The Browns could end up keeping four tight ends - Winslow, Heiden, Dinkins and rookie Martin Rucker.
Nose tackle Shaun Rogers was also rested by Crennel.
Browns ask for help
The Browns are asking fans attending practice today to help fill a school bus parked outside the fans' entrance gate with new school supplies, shoes, clothing and monetary donations. It is part of a "Stuff the Bus"
program sponsored by the Browns.
The school supplies will be presented to boys and girls in need. The bus will be parked outside the entrance gate from 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gong show
As all rookies must do, linebacker Beau Bell was ordered by his teammates to sing for them. He chose "Just My Imagination" by the Temptations.
"They booed me off the stage,"
Bell said with a smile.
He was not being modest.
"He was terrible,"
Willie McGinest said. "We have to come up with something else for that guy."
Practice times
The Browns practice from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today. They practice 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
