BEREA, Ohio -- Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards cut
sharply on the post pattern to the back corner and faked out an
imaginary defender.
As the ball soared high above him, Edwards turned and made a
leaping catch while falling back in the end zone, coming down with
both feet just inside the back line for what would have been a
touchdown.
Springing to his feet, Edwards spiked the ball -- an exclamation
point on another big day.
The comeback is progressing nicely.
Edwards took part in Cleveland's team drills for the first time
in training camp on Sunday, another strong sign of his progress
since Jan. 3 knee surgery and increasing the possibility he'll be
ready for the Sept. 10 season opener against New Orleans.
"Possibly is definitely the word that I want to use," he said.
"It feels good, we're going to do a little more every day and if
the knee is ready on Sept. 10, we're going to go. The knee is
feeling good, if it wasn't they wouldn't let me practice."
The former first-round pick tore his right anterior cruciate
ligament on Dec. 4 against Jacksonville and missed the final four
games of his rookie season. Following surgery, doctors figured that
Edwards would need about nine months of recovery time before he was
back on the field.
However, a quick healer and hard worker, he needed just seven
months to get back, and unless his knee starts acting up, Edwards
feels there's a good chance he'll be able to play against the Saints.
"Each day it feels better," he said. "It's not swelling a
lot. It's not allowing me not to practice every day. The doctors
are confident with the progress."
Before Sunday's afternoon workout, Edwards had been limited to
individual drills. He spent long stretches of practice standing
around and watching, not exactly two of his favorite hobbies.
He was thrilled to be back facing a real cornerback -- not air --
even if it was with the Browns only wearing helmets and shorts. The
test in pads will come soon enough, but probably not for a while.
"We may add a little more to his plate," said coach Romeo
Crennel, who is pleased with what he's seen from Edwards.
The 23-year-old came off the field fired up about the next step
in his return.
"I told my teammates how proud I was to be back and how good it
felt to be amongst them as opposed to watching them," said
Edwards, who added that his right leg is now stronger than his
left.
Edwards didn't need long to shine. On an inside slant pattern,
he grabbed a pass that appeared to be tipped by cornerback Leigh Bodden, and with a quick burst pulled away from defenders.
He later made a nice catch on a comeback pattern. To this point,
he's making all the plays without worry that his knee won't hold
up.
"I don't have any pain or any fear at all," he said. "As a
receiver, it's hard to have an injury like this in terms of
planting, cutting, jumping, changing direction, running. So for me
to be allowed to do all these things is letting me know the knee is
close."