Browns training camp Day 3: Deshaun Watson works with the first group as rookies and linebackers draw attention

The Cleveland Browns’ training camp session on Friday, the franchise’s first of nine open practices, brought back the kind of visible momentum that typically frames the early part of camp: fans in the stands, veteran routines in motion, and rookies getting meaningful reps in front of an audience.

Within the team’s on-field order of operations, Deshaun Watson took first-team reps, a detail the Browns highlighted as they continued building continuity at quarterback during the open-practice window. For a team evaluating its offense and its rhythm under live conditions, the first-team reps are often the clearest report of what the coaching staff wants to prioritize week to week.

There was also emphasis on the receiving group. The Browns’ camp observations noted that rookie wide receivers “showed out,” pointing to a productive day for the younger players as they try to earn trust in route timing and separation skills. In early camp, those looks matter not only for immediate performance, but for whether a rookie can handle the faster pace of full-team work compared to offseason installations.

Defensively, Cleveland’s linebacker corps drew attention in the same session. The Browns described the group as impressing, an indicator that the defense’s fundamentals, positioning, and reaction speed were getting the kind of coaching focus that can show up quickly during practice. Linebackers, especially in a system that asks them to disguise looks and communicate pre-snap, can influence how both pass and run plays develop.

On offense, Michael Burton was another name surfaced in the Browns’ day-to-day narrative. The team pointed to Burton showing off a new role in the offense, describing an adjustment that carries practical significance: adding or reshaping a tight end’s or versatile back’s responsibilities can change how often the offense creates mismatches and how quickly the formation can travel to different personnel groupings.

Even with positive flashes across the roster, camp remains a process rather than a finished product. Open practice settings compress the sample size for evaluation, since teams often balance between install work, live periods, and controlled looks. The consistent throughline from this first open-practice batch is the Browns’ focus on first-team quarterback reps, young receiver production, and defensive linebacker activity as the team moves further into camp.

Next, what to watch is whether the same groups that stood out on Day 3 keep showing up when practices progress toward later phases of camp. That includes whether rookie receivers can turn standout moments into repeatable performance, whether the linebacker group’s energy holds in longer stretches, and whether Burton’s “new role” becomes a stable part of the offensive plan as the Browns continue to refine their working combinations.