Cleveland Browns: Camp opens with Cody Kessler as top QB

BEREA, Ohio -- Size matters, but so does experience, and for that reason Cody Kessler was the first quarterback to work with the first-team offense on Thursday when the Cleveland Browns opened their 19th training camp and second under head coach Hue Jackson.

Brock Osweiler worked with the second group. Rookie DeShone Kizer followed him and Kevin Hogan worked with the fourth group.

Kessler was 0-8 last season as a rookie third-round draft pick from USC. Osweiler was 8-6 with the Houston Texans in 2016.

"(Kessler) is still the guy who demonstrates knowing the offense the best," Jackson explained. "He's the guy that's played the most football for us in that group.

"As we go through the process, we'll evaluate and see where we are. There'll be markers as we go. There will be data that we'll look at to make very important decisions as we move forward. It could change. It could not change. That's all going to play out as we go through training camp."

Not much happened on the first day to change the pecking order. The top three quarterbacks each had their moments, but most important all were careful with the ball.

"I thought there was some good work," Jackson said. "We were mixing and matching. I'll keep going and looking and make adjustments as we go, but I thought it was good work for them all.

"Any time you don't turn the ball over the first day of practice or have fumbled snaps on the ground, that's something you look for and you feel good about. All in all, it was a good first day."

A quarterback battle has been a summer tradition in Browns training camp since the expansion year of 1999. Ty Detmer beat out rookie Tim Couch that year, but Detmer was benched after a 43-0 loss to the Steelers in the season opener. Couch replaced him and for most of the last 18 years the position has been in chaos.

Jackson was offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014 and 2015 before being named Browns head coach in 2016. He knew both years in Cincinnati his quarterback was Andy Dalton and so Dalton could get the lion's share of practice time. Now with the Browns, Jackson is searching for a starter. Whoever ultimately wins the job is losing valuable practice time while quarterbacks rotate in and out.

Jackson said he hopes to settle on a starter before the Browns play their preseason opener against the Saints on Aug. 10, but he concedes he might not have a decision by then.

"You adjust as you go," Jackson said. "As you start to see guys start to distance themselves, you start to move into a different direction.

"I can't tell you exactly how fast it's going to happen, but I think we all know that old saying - 'The cream kind of rises to the top.' They'll start to separate themselves as we go. As that happens, we'll make that decision and make sure that guy gets enough reps to be ready to play. I would like to have a quarterback hopefully named by (the preseason opener), but I 'm not going to force it. What's important is to feel good about the guy that we stick out there."

Kizer is expected to get more and more work as training camp progresses because the Browns know less about him than any of their other quarterbacks.

ROOKIE TO WATCH

--DE Myles Garrett, taken first overall, might have difficulty living up to the hype, but he certainly looked the part on the first day of training camp. He showed quick penetration. He spent time with the second unit, but it is only a matter of time before he is with the first team and going one-one-one with left tackle Joe Thomas. He said he is eager to get pointers from Thomas and inside linebacker Chris Kirksey.

--Left guard Joel Bitonio is coming off Lisfranc surgery after being injured in the fifth game of 2016. He wasn't expected to practice until maybe mid-August, but he was able to work on the first day of practice.

"He's ready to go," head coach Hue Jackson said. "Joel's done a great job on his rehab. Credit to our medical staff."

Jackson said the coaches will monitor the work of Bitonio and other players coming off injuries.

--One of those players is rookie defensive end Myles Garrett. Garrett suffered a sprained foot on the second day of minicamp in June and spent about a week in a walking boot. He looked quick on Thursday on the first day of training camp, particularly after an intense pass-rush drill in the middle of practice.

"Obviously he's a good player, but as I told Myles, you've got to do it every day and keep working at it and keep his head down and stay humble," Jackson said. "I think the young man will do that."

--Left tackle Joe Thomas, now in his 11th season, did not practice on the first day of training camp. Thomas will probably rest more than he practices this summer.

"He's fine," Jackson said. "I'm going to monitor Joe. I'm going to keep that hourglass on that guy until we need to. Joe's proven to me everything he needs to and I know this young man knows how to get ready to play, and I kind of give him the green light that way because one thing we all know about Joe is he's going to be out there when the time comes and he'll be ready to play and play well."

Thomas has never missed a snap in his career.