7 Takeaways From Cleveland Browns OTA's on Wednesday

2) No Learning Curve

After plenty of speculation over who is the leader in the clubhouse at quarterback, it was pretty clear on Wednesday that Joe Flacco has at least a slight advantage given his familiarity with the system.

It makes sense, really. Flacco is the one QB who doesn't have much of a learning curve. He clearly knows Stefanski's offense and how to execute it at a high level. It's what you'd expect from the guy who captained the same unit to a playoff berth in 2023.

He looked the most comfortable under center of all the quarterbacks and aside from a near interception during the first round of 11-on-11 work, he seemed to have the strongest day.

3) Finally, Healthy

Dawand Jones always stands out on a football field because he towers over everyone. But on Wednesday he stood out in a different way. Finally, Jones seems to be fully healthy, and as a result, he looks agile and effective.

Holding down the left tackle spot, Jones showed off a really smooth drop step and flashed some nice lateral movement trying to get out in front of run plays. This time last year, Jones was trying to play through a surgically repaired knee as he ramped up for the season. This year he's on his way back from a broken fibula, but the ailment is fully healed.

It's only one day of practice in helmets, but seeing Jones move around out there and hold his own at a position he's still adjusting to was a great sign.

4) Way Too Early WR Depth Chart

One of the most surprising absences from Wednesday's OTA was embattled wide receiver Dionate Johnson. It paved the way for return specialist DeAndre Carter to step into the slot wide receiver spot.

Carter ran the majority of reps with top pass catchers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman. Names like Jamari Thrash, Michael Woods II and David Bell were some of the next names up in the rotation.

Speaking of Tillman, he looks very comfortable in his first action since Week 12 of last season when he suffered a concussion that ultimately cost him the rest of the season. The Browns are expecting him to take some big strides this year. He's off to a good start.

5) D-Line Shines

Let's start with No. 5 overall pick Mason Graham, who was constantly beating his blockers at the point of attack. His get-off was noticeable during rookie minicamp, but seeing it against actual competition lining up in front of him is fun to watch.

He also made one of the most notable plays of the day when he batted down a Gabriel pass at the line of scrimmage during 11-on-11s after he got some push into the backfield. It was a sign of things to come for the Michigan product.

Former first-round pick DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka stood out as well. At one point during the first round of 11-on-11s, he got into the backfield on three or four plays in a row. His aggressiveness actually got him in a bit of trouble after he collided with Pickett on one play, which is an obvious no-no.

6) Fannin Flashing

Harold Fannin Jr. looks the part of a pass-catching tight end that the Browns drafted him to be. He made a handful of nice plays at various points of practice, capping it off with a touchdown catch from Joe Flacco during red zone 7-on-7s.

It's no secret Fannin Jr. is considered undersized for the position, and he'll have time to put on some more muscle. For now at least, he's already flashing his prowess as a route runner and pass-catcher and figures to become a valuable weapon for whichever quarterback earns the starting job.

7) Missing In Action

As Stefanski always likes to remind everyone, this portion of the offseason program remains voluntary for players. The most notable names missing from Wednesday's practice included Myles Garrett, Greg Newsome II, Joel Bitonio, Jack Conklin, David Njoku and the aforementioned Johnson.

Garrett's absence is likely to be one of the more controversial of the group, given the fact that he signed a massive contract extension this offseason. Garrett is in Japan based on posts from his Instagram story.

Johnson being M.I.A seems more problematic, considering he is seemingly on his last chance to save his NFL career. OTAs are also built around offensive work most prominently. Johnson has been captured as a participant during other portions of the Browns offseason program, though.

Rest assured, it's not a big deal that any of these guys aren't present at this juncture.