WR Carlton Mitchell to see action this Sunday

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Browns' rookie receiver turns it on on off days

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Mitchell does extra work, studies craft and is ready for shot Sunday

By Nate Ulrich

Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Friday, Oct 22, 2010

BEREA: Browns rookie wide receiver Carlton Mitchell has spent his ''off days'' absorbing criticism and evaluating his weaknesses.

He might be rewarded for his sacrifice and humble approach Sunday when the Browns (1-5) visit the New Orleans Saints (4-2). With the availability of wide receivers Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi in question, Mitchell could make his NFL regular-season debut.

Mitchell has been inactive in each of the first six games this season, but he has not been forgotten. Coach Eric Mangini went out of his way Thursday to declare that Mitchell's breakthrough opportunity is on the horizon.

''I guess the difference for me in the last couple of weeks is every day when I'm watching practice, I'm noticing him,'' Mangini said. ''That's what you want from guys that tend to be on the inactive list or the practice squad. You want them to pop off the screen so you can't help but notice them as you're watching the plays.

''He's caught the ball better. I think his routes have improved. He's gotten some reps with the offense each week and those reps that he's gotten, I think, have been sound and sharp and he hasn't had mental errors. I really like his effort on special teams and show team. There's a hunger there that you appreciate as a coach.''

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Mitchell, whom the Browns selected out of the University of South Florida in the sixth round (177th pick) of this year's draft, has enough size and speed to turn heads. However, his ability to consistently catch passes has been doubted. Training camp featured more dropped balls by Mitchell than hot days.

''It wasn't really a focus thing,'' Mitchell said of struggling this past summer. ''It was more so just a thinking-too-much thing. I always have a lot of confidence in my hands once I get comfortable with everything. [it was an adjustment] coming in here and not really being aware of what's going on around me. Once I got used to everything, everything just falls in place.''

Several of Mitchell's teammates immediately recognized his raw talent when he arrived in Northeast Ohio. They knew it was only a matter of time before his mind started to catch up.

''He's a guy that can really stretch the field, so I think he's realized his strengths and he's really trying to hone in on those skills,'' wide receiver Chansi Stuckey said. ''Once you start getting confidence and being comfortable, that's when the big stuff comes.''

Browns wide receivers coach George McDonald studied Mitchell's potential during his pro day and at the NFL Scouting Combine. The two have spent recent Tuesdays, the designated ''off days'' for Browns players during the regular season, dissecting Mitchell's progress.

''He wanted me to attack the ball more and come back to the ball,'' Mitchell said of McDonald's advice. ''Always run hard, practice hard and just be more consistent with my hands. I feel as though I addressed those things.''

The coaches aren't the only ones who have noticed Mitchell's stock rising during the past few weeks. As a frequent member of the scout-team offense, Mitchell has impersonated opposing wide receivers — Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinnati Bengals, Mike Wallace of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Marques Colston of the Saints — and done a respectable job playing various roles.

''He works his butt off every day in practice,'' tight end Evan Moore said. ''He just keeps his nose to the grindstone and realizes that as a young player his opportunities will come if he just keeps working.''

If Cribbs and Massaquoi are limited or inactive Sunday after suffering concussions in Week 6 when Steelers linebacker James Harrison collided with their helmets, Mitchell might even become a regular target of rookie quarterback Colt McCoy.

Mitchell, Stuckey, Brian Robiskie and the recently signed Yamon Figurs are the only wide receivers on the team's 53-man roster who have not missed practice this week because of injuries. Moore, a wide receiver during his college days at Stanford, is another player who could be used to bolster a depleted receiving corps.

The Superdome, often filled with a loud, rowdy crowd, could be the site of Mitchell's big break. Nevertheless, he insists he's not intimidated.

''Nervous? No,'' said Mitchell, who had four catches for 33 yards in the preseason. ''I'm more excited and ready. Every week I prepare myself, my mind. Coach always says prepare yourself like you're a starter. I just go out and I just work hard every day and do the right things. So mentally I prepare myself even before the games. I go out, warm up and everything, and then they make a decision and I have to respect it.''

So far, those decisions have kept Mitchell out of the lineup. Still, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and McDonald have reminded him to keep fighting.

''If I go in the tank, it's not gonna help me,'' Mitchell said. ''It's gonna set me back even more. So every week when they said I was inactive, I just continued to go out and work hard and get better. I'm still getting better every day.

''If I'm up this week, that's great. It's a true blessing. If I'm not, then I understand. I'm just gonna keep working.''

Even on his ''off days.''

Nate Ulrich can be reached at [email protected]. Read the Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/browns.abj.