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Wilson earns start in Edwards' spot

Wide receiver hopes to make most of opportunity

By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Saturday, Aug 16, 2008

BEREA: If Travis Wilson breathed a sigh of relief, it was only for a moment.

He was chosen by Browns coach Romeo Crennel to start in place of injured receiver Braylon Edwards Monday night against the New York Giants in the Meadowlands.

Crennel said Wilson got the nod in a close battle with Steve Sanders, a Cleveland native who spent last season on the practice squad.

Edwards was running in his socks after practice last Saturday when he was stepped on by Donte' Stallworth and needed stitches. He might be sidelined for the remaining three preseason games.

For Wilson, this could be a major step toward securing the No. 3 receiver's spot behind Edwards and Stallworth. Joe Jurevicius, expected to claim that job in his 11th and final pro season, is sidelined indefinitely after a staph infection in his right knee required three cleanouts.

If Friday's news sounded good to Wilson, he is taking nothing for granted. Especially after the third-round draft pick in 2006 spent all last year on the inactive list.

''I have to keep showing them,'' Wilson said. ''I'm never


going to get satisfied until the season's over and I can look at myself overall. It doesn't matter if it's Week 1 or Week 15, I've got to keep grinding day after day and keep stacking those good days up.''

Judging by what Crennel said of the competition between Wilson and Sanders, that's probably a good philosophy.

''I've said all along that Travis had an excellent OTA [organized team activities] and training camp so far, and he's shown that he's made some strides,'' Crennel said. ''He probably deserves the opportunity, not that [Steve] Sanders doesn't, but Sanders missed some time during OTAs. He is a hard worker. Both are very competitive young men. Whichever one we put out there, we feel decent about.''

Wilson said learning the offense and taking a more professional approach have made a huge difference in what is probably a make-or-break year.

''Last year, I can't explain the tension I was under,'' he said. ''I knew what I was capable of. When I'd mess up, I knew that was not me. Last year, I'd get my head down after a drop or two, but it's not like that anymore.

''Knowing the offense, I'm not second-guessing myself, I'm not worried about getting cussed out or yelled at for running the wrong route. Running full speed makes it a lot easier to get open. When you're open, it makes it a lot easier to catch the ball.''

With just two career catches for 32 yards, Wilson felt he had been letting his family in Carrollton, Texas, down, as well as his college friends at Oklahoma.

''I knew overall what I had to do, be more professional how I handle myself, not as many laughs and giggles,'' Wilson said. ''I've always prided myself on representing where I'm from, my family and friends. I felt to a point I was letting them down by sitting there. I never want to be the guy who's picking up a free check or just along with a jersey on my back.''

The Golden Flash

Former Kent State quarterback Joshua Cribbs felt like his old self when he threw a beautiful spiral about 50 yards in the air to Wilson for a touchdown. It might have been the best play of training camp, at least in terms of excitement.

Quarterback Brady Quinn lined up outside and Cribbs took the snap, play-faked even though there was no one in the backfield, and launched a bomb into the right corner of the end zone that Wilson ran under. Rookie Gerard Lawson was the unfortunate defensive back.

''I still got it,'' Cribbs said. ''I told coach I still got the arm. Mechanics might be gone a little bit, but the arm is there.

''I was itching, especially to throw it deep like that, show 'em what I got.''

To that, Crennel responded jokingly, ''He just got lucky. It was a nice throw. He's a former quarterback and he still has that desire inside. We have to suppress it a lot. Hey, it might come out.''

It was a big afternoon for Cribbs, who had at least four receptions and a sweep around left end, along with the touchdown pass.

''I felt like a Flash again,'' Cribbs said. ''At the end of it, I was like, 'Let's go, Flashes.' The personnel package for that [TD] play is called flash. Whenever you hear flash, I'm at quarterback. Go figure.''

Asked if this was his best day of camp, Cribbs said: ''I would say this is an on day for me. It's getting close to game day, it's more exciting for us. That had a lot to do with it.''

Cribbs, a Pro Bowl kick returner, said offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has designed a ''pretty large'' package for him on offense that includes snaps at quarterback, running back, reverses and throwbacks.

''There's definitely going to be lot more stuff to give the defense more to practice for,'' Cribbs said. ''The more they have to practice for, the more they're going to mess up on the regular things.''

Brownies

Defensive lineman Shaun Rogers was rested, but is not injured. ''He took it easy today,'' Crennel said. ''He was inside working with the trainers like we do from time to time. Take a little stress off his joints.'' . . . Today's practice, the last one in training camp, will be 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. A crowd of 2,612 attended Friday.

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.

BEREA: If Travis Wilson breathed a sigh of relief, it was only for a moment.

Get the full article here.



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