Inside Slant
Carmen Policy quietly moved out of his Browns
office on May 3.
Policy left his lush office to John Collins, who
was hired to succeed him and handle the team's
business affairs. Policy now works in a stadium
office he always had but barely used.

Policy will quietly slip out of sight, and will
head to the West Coast before the team's training
camp begins in July.

He felt it was time for Randy Lerner to find his
own guy, and Policy felt it was time to go.

Players said they would definitely miss him.

"It's a sad day for Cleveland and a sad day for
the Browns," linebacker Brant Boyer said. "He was
a class act, as good a guy in the front office as
I've ever been around. I have the utmost respect
for him."

"He's been a great guy to work for," placekicker
Phil Dawson said. "You look at some of the big
moments for this organization, he was part of
them. I think that's what I'll walk away
remembering."

Not everything went perfect.

Policy's comments after the infamous "Bottle
Game" did not do him proud, and Policy sometimes
was interpreted as trying too hard to "spin"
issues in which the Browns looked bad.

But more often than not, Policy was accountable
and was the team's voice in difficult times. He
addressed the media twice when Green found
problems, and also was front and center when
Butch Davis cut popular receiver Kevin Johnson.

"All the times I sat down with him he always
seemed honest," cornerback Daylon McCutcheon
said. "That's the main thing about building
respect — when someone is honest you feel you can
trust him. Every time I sat down with him I felt
he was honest with me and that's why I respect
him."

Policy's public image differs greatly from the
one the players and organization saw. Everyone
who worked for the Browns spoke highly of Policy.

He set the tone for the team.

And he will be missed.

NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES

—William Green said all the right things in his
first appearance in front of the media since he
was suspended last season following a DUI.

"I'm lucky to be here," Green said. "Anywhere
else, it might have been different. I'm looking
forward to making it up to everybody. I
definitely feel like a new man."

While he was suspended, Green was stabbed in the
back by his girlfriend, then entered an alcohol
rehab facility.

It was a lost season, and Green had not addressed
the issue publicly until he spoke at the team's
minicamp.

"Nothing was intentional," he said. "But things
happen. The most important part is I know I can
do it. I've got a family. I've got two beautiful
little girls at home I owe it to them. I owe it
to my teammates and all who supported me."

—LB Chaun Thompson, who barely played as a
rookie, has been inserted in the starting lineup
but knows it's not permanent until training camp.
"You have to show your worth," Thompson said. "If
you don't produce, you won't be here long."

—TE Kellen Winslow Jr. said the speed of minicamp
did not catch him by surprise. "It's not that
much faster than Miami," he said of his college.
"Miami is one of the top schools in the country.
Pretty much the fastest guys come out of there."

—League officials deny that John Collins, who
assumes some of Carmen Policy's duties, was
shoved out the door in New York in light of the
Janet Jackson fiasco at halftime of the Super
Bowl. Collins was one of the people involved in
the show, and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue
promised the day after the Super Bowl that heads
might roll if need be.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "That was just competitive guys
going at it. It gets you closer. You've got to
show them you can play, too. You've got to prove
what you're all about. Later down the road they
respect that." — tight end Kellen Winslow Jr.,
after the minicamp practice tussle with the
linebackers.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (2): PK Brett Conway; DE
Tyrone Rogers.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED: OT Chad Beasley; LB Brant
Boyer; WR Andre King; DT Michael Myers; OG Paul
Zukauskas.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED: DE Ebenezer Ekuban; QB Jeff
Garcia; OG Kelvin Garmon; LB Warrick Holdman; FB
Terrelle Smith.

PLAYERS LOST: P Chris Gardocki; OG Shaun O'Hara;
CB Lewis Sanders; OT Barry Stokes; RB Jamel
White.

MEDICAL WATCH: Courtney Brown sat out most of the
team drills during the team's first minicamp as
he continues his recovery from a ruptured biceps
tendon and arthroscopic knee surgery. He is
expected to take part in all of training camp;
Newly acquired defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban had
arthroscopic surgery to clean out some damaged
cartilage. Ekuban is expected to be full strength
once training camp starts; Backup quarterback
Kelly Holcomb can make a throwing motion with his
arm, but has yet to throw a pass since he had
surgery to repair a slight labrum tear in
February. Holcomb is ahead of schedule, though,
and is expected back for most of training camp.





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