Browns’ Todd Monken downplays Myles Garrett’s minicamp absence

The Cleveland Browns began their voluntary minicamp on Tuesday, but superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett was not present. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year just attended the red carpet premiere of the biopic “Michael” with his Olympian girlfriend Chloe Kim, leaving many to assume that he would not be back in town for workouts.

Although Garrett has nothing to prove on the field, there are special circumstances in Cleveland. The team has a new head coach and new defensive coordinator, so something could be gained by participating in these sessions. If nothing else, it could be good to spend time in person with Todd Monken, who has only communicated with his elite pas-rusher via text to this point. Naturally, the media honed in on this absence.

Monken did not sound worried, however, and did his best to shut down any speculation.

“This is voluntary, {everybody’s} making a big deal out of this,” he told reporters, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “We have other guys besides Myles that aren’t here. I wish they were here. They’ll be ready. We expect them to be ready, and we’ll be fired up when they’re here.”

In addition to Garrett, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, safety Grant Delpit and cornerback Denzel Ward were also not at minicamp. Though, because of his past trade request, and the questions that continue to surround his future, the single-season sacks record-holder and five-time First-Team All-Pro will draw considerable attention whenever he is away from the squad. Voluntary or involuntary.

The onus is on the Browns to push through all the potential distractions and maintain a cohesive outlook. Todd Monken already has plenty to fix in Cleveland. He does not want to break his focus. Right now, that does not appear to be an issue.