One of the first things many second- and third-year players will discuss during training camp is how much the game has slowed for them mentally. For Browns rookie DeShone Kizer, it's only taken a summer.
The young quarterback made an impression on veteran newcomer Kenny Britt, who noticed Kizer's improvement since organized team activities.
"He's grown each day," Britt told reporters Sunday. "... I actually asked him yesterday, has the offense slowed down for him? He said 'Yes' and I was like, 'I can tell.' He's looking at certain things, he's seeing the defense before the snap count, and once he lines up he knows there's certain things he has to do.
"He's going to be one of the great ones."
Talk about going from 0 to 100, real quick.
Britt hasn't exactly played with his share of great quarterbacks -- Kerry Collins is probably the best of that group -- so his bar might be low. He's also new in Cleveland, and it's early in training camp. Optimism is practically mixed into the Gatorade.
We have no idea whether Kizer will end up among the game's best to ever do it, or just another name on that Browns jersey displayed mere blocks from FirstEnergy Stadium. What we do know is that he's 6-foot-4, has a strong arm and possesses the most potential of any quarterback on Cleveland's roster.
As for Britt, he remained confident when offered the chance to backtrack.
"If he keeps focused on the track that he's on, to tell you the truth, he could be one of the great ones," Britt said. "He's learning fast and he's got a strong arm."
After all, anything is better than Austin Davis.
