Hey Browns fans!
I wanted to give you an update on how training camp and my first NFL game experiences have been…
Training camp has been going pretty well. It’s obviously fun to get back out on the field. That’s what you come out here to do, practice and play. It’s been a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to getting better every day. I expected camp to be difficult because I’m going against a pretty good defense. It’s just a challenge going against guys that are better than you are used to playing against in college. You’re going against them every day, and it’s just getting used to that and getting into the rhythm of it. The defensive ends here are a lot better than the guys you typically face in college. It’s mostly about getting used to that and getting used to playing against guys who can do multiple things, instead of keying in on a specific guy that can only do one thing.
In terms of veterans taking me under their wing, the entire offensive line has been great. Obviously, having a guy like Joe (Thomas), who’s a perennial Pro-Bowler, is great. He’s been great with any questions I have and helping me out with stuff that he notices. He always helps if there are small things I need to fix. Having played with Alex (Mack) at Cal, it’s nice to know someone and have a relationship with them. It’s been a really positive experience from that perspective.
I think the first game against Detroit and this past week against Green Bay both went okay. There are some rough patches and some bad plays that I would like to have back, but I think as the game progressed I did as well. I got a little better with some technical things and blocking-wise, so it definitely was a good experience. It was good to get the first one under your belt and I am just looking to ride that into the next game.
Cleveland as a town has been great. The fan support has been awesome. I could see it from the moment I got drafted because they were bombarding me on social media, which has been cool because I wasn’t expecting that much support. It was really cool to hear from all the fans in that perspective. You can see it out here as well. They are out here for every practice and I wasn’t quite used to that. I’m used to more closed practices, so it has been pretty cool to have all the fans here and interact with them. I think that’s the biggest takeaway so far for me, the city. It’s great how much you guys love this team. It helps us and we have to produce for you. Thanks for all your support!
-Mitchell Schwartz, Cleveland Browns
