Armonty Bryant participated in the three-day minicamp that concluded Sunday and he will be on the roster when the Browns get together for a mandatory three-day minicamp in June - as long as he has no more brushes with the law.

Bryant is a seventh-round draft choice from Division II East Central University taken last month with the 217th overall pick. The Browns are looking at him as a right defensive end, even though he has the size at 263 pounds to play outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense.

More important, Bryant has become a test case for first-year head coach Rob Chudzinski, and how he handles Bryant going forward will send a message to the rest of the team what kind of disciplinarian he will be.

Early in the morning of May 2, Bryant was a arrested on the East Central campus in Ada, Okla., and charged with DUI. His blood-alcohol content was .098. The legal limit in Oklahoma is .08. Bryant pled no contest and was given a one-year deferred sentence.

The significance of the DUI arrest is magnified by the fact Bryant pled no contest to a felony last October when he was arrested for selling marijuana to an undercover agent in a school zone.

The Browns thought about relinquishing their draft rights to Bryant after this latest "stupid mistake," to use the phrase Bryant used both times, but Chudzinski decided to give Bryant another chance. One more mistake, though, and Bryant's NFL career could be finished before it begins, at least as far as the Browns are concerned.

"It's a serious matter," Chudzinski said. "Now that Armonty's gotten here, I had a chance to sit down with him and talk about my expectations and make those expectations clear with him. He understands me and what I expect from him and is ready to make amends.

"Time will tell. You have to give guys every chance, every opportunity, and I feel really good about the structure that we'll have around him to give him every chance. He'll be evaluated consistently and constantly just like all our players are, and time will tell."

Players were in shorts, jerseys and helmets in minicamp, where most, though not all, rookies look good. Bryant looked big and smooth running drills with the other defensive linemen. He said if down the road the Browns want him to switch to linebacker he will put in the work to make the conversion, but for now he is staying at end. He already is trying to make the jump from Division II to the NFL. He thought the Browns might tell him to take a hike following the DUI arrest just six days after the draft.

"I was (worried)," Bryant said. "I'm just fortunate the Browns still have faith in me and hopefully I can win a spot on this 53-man roster. I apologized multiple times. Hopefully we can move forward and I can prove (to) them that I'm not that type of person."

Chudzinski wants to be fair but firm with his players. The Browns were one of the youngest teams in the NFL last year and figure to be even younger in 2013, but Chudzinski is counting on veterans to keep Bryant and the other rookies on the right path.

"We have good guys in the locker room, some guys who are excellent mentors," Chudzinski said. "You look at D'Qwell Jackson, Davone Bess and those guys; anybody that follows them and follows their example will learn how to be a professional. Ultimately, Armonty needs to show that he's going to be accountable and I expect that out of him."

Bryant said he never got an offer from a Division I college. He had 10.5 sacks last year at East Central.

--Amid growing controversy over his embarrassing legal business problems, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam apologized to fans and promised to deliver a winning team last week at a National Football Foundation event in Westlake Ohio.

It was one of Haslam's first public appearances in Ohio since April 15 when investigators from the IRS and FBI raided the Knoxville, Tennessee headquarters of the Pilot Flying J, which was accused of perpetrating an elaborate fraud rebate scheme against its truck stop customers.

Haslam, who bought the team from Randy Lerner last year, was among featured speakers that included current and former Ohio State football coaches Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel.

According to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, after giving the event's opening address, Haslam talked with local media for about ten minutes, but did not respond to questions, including one about the FBI believing he knew about the rebate scheme.

"I apologize to the city of Cleveland, Northeastern Ohio and all Browns fans because the last thing we ever wanted to do as a new owner was detract from football and the Browns and just what a great football area this is," Haslam said. "So I apologize for that. We feel badly about it and we're very comfortable we'll work through this situation."

Regardless of the legal challenges, Haslam said what Browns fans what they wanted to hear most.

"I think we'll have a better football team this year," he said. "We're going to do this the right way. It's not going to happen overnight. You don't go from winning 14 games in three years to winning 14 games in one year. But we will have a better team this year and we'll be better in 2014."

He reiterated that he was committed to winning.

"I want to win because we're competitive and anybody that's competitive wants to win, but having been in this area, I want to win more for you all, the fans of Cleveland, because I've never seen fan support like this in the Cleveland area," he said. "It's incredible. I pledge to you we're going to do everything we possibly can to bring a winner to Cleveland and Northeast Ohio because this area deserves it."

In his opening address to the audience, Haslam sounded every bit a football fan, a Browns football fan specifically.

"I went to practice the other day and we're not throwing 3-yard dinks," he said. "We're throwing the ball down the field and that's the way (offensive coordinator) Norv (Turner) likes to play. And you're going to really like the way (defensive coordinator) Ray Horton plays defense. ... He gets after them. I'm watching at practice and he stands right by the linebackers. He's right in the middle of everything."

Haslam sounded excited about the potential of No. 1 pick Barkevious Mingo and the new direction of the defense.

"If you look at the teams that have been good in the NFL for the past few years, all of them begin with those guys up front on defense," he said. "I think we'll have an exciting team to watch. I think we'll score points on offense and I think we'll get after people on defense, which I think is what you all want to see."

After politely but firmly refusing to answer media questions, Haslam chatted with some Browns employees before leaving the building through a rear door more than an hour before the event ended.

At the heart of the legal issue are allegations that Haslam was aware that Pilot Flying J was intentionally defrauding customers by shorting them on rebates which, according to one company vice president, raked in $450,000 a month.

The FBI and IRS announced that the truck stop chain and several key employees were the subject of an investigation. The Pilot Flying J headquarters was raided and locked down.

Haslam announced that he placed several members of the Pilot administrative staff on leave while the legal matter is rectified. Haslam said an independent investigation of "what did or did not happen" is under way and could be completed by July.

The day before the NFL Draft, league commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters that the investigation came as a huge surprise to the NFL. He said the league was unaware of the FBI and IRS investigations of Pilot Flying J last year before Haslam purchased the Browns for more than $1 billion.

According to testimony in documents secured by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Haslam had knowledge of a scheme within Pilot.

John Freemen, a company vice president, was quoted saying that Haslam "knew all along that I was cost-plussin' this guy. He knew it all along. Loved it. We were makin' $450,000 on him. Why wouldn't he love it."

Haslam ranks No. 360 on Forbes' list of wealthiest Americans. Most of his fortune comes from his 35 percent share of the family's 59 percent ownership in the privately held company, according to Forbes.

Haslam's purchase of the Browns was approved last October, giving him 70 percent of the team and the ability to buy the remaining 30 percent from Lerner over the next four years.

NOTES, QUOTES

--Josh Haden, a younger brother of Browns fourth-year cornerback Joe Haden, was in rookie minicamp as a tryout running back. Josh Haden is 5-9, 190 pounds from Boston College.

Joe Haden was on hand to watch the first day of camp, as were wide receiver Greg Little and linebacker Paul Kruger.

Dave Kruger, a 285-pound defensive tackle from Utah, is Paul's younger brother. Dave Kruger was signed as an undrafted rookie after the draft.

"The big brothers were real interested in those guys," coach Rob Chudzinski said. "Josh came running by and I asked him who was faster, him or Joe. I made sure Joe heard it when I asked him.

"(Josh) moved around. He can run, he's quick and he made a couple nice runs out there. Dave, I didn't notice him as much but it's harder until you get a chance to watch the tape."

--Running back Robbie Rouse signed a one-year contract Saturday after beginning rookie minicamp as a tryout player. He said he was also invited to the Cowboys' rookie camp as a tryout player, but figured he had a better opportunity with the Browns. It turned out to be the right decision.

"It (signing) was a great feeling," he said. "It's like all the hard work paid off. It's a dream as a child to be a professional football player and now it's here. I'm grateful for this."

Rouse rushed for a school-record 4,647 yards at Fresno State in four seasons. He said he makes his height work for him. He is quick and showed good hands in passing drills.

"My linemen are 6-6, 6-4," he said. "You can't see me and by the time you can it's too late. I use my change of direction to make them miss."

Trent Richardson is the Browns' starting running back. Rouse will challenge Montario Hardesty and Chris Ogbonnaya for a backup role.

--Free-agent tackleRashad Butler signed a one-year contract Wednesday.

Butler, 30, comes to the Browns after six seasons with the Houston Texans. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round (89th overall) of the 2006 draft. He was claimed off waivers by the Texans after being released by the Panthers in early September 2007.

Butler played in 41 NFL games, including four starts. He spent the entire 2012 season on injured reserve with an triceps injury. He was primarily a tackle, including playing in all 16 games in 2010, with four of those being starting assignments.

Butler spent four years as a letterman at the University of Miami from 2002 through 2005, starting 23 of 38 games and appearing at both right and left tackle.

--Director of college scouting John Spytek was fired with one year left on his contract. The leadership team of CEO Joe Banner and general manager Michael Lombardi also fired area scouts A.J. Durso and Tom Headlee.

Spytek was hired by former Browns general manager Tom Heckert in 2010. Durso and Headlee worked for former Browns president Mike Holmgren in Seattle and were also hired in 2010.

Senior national scout Pat Roberts, a key part of the Browns' personnel department for eight seasons, will not be back for a ninth season. His contract is up and he was told it will not be renewed.

Roberts was hired by former general manager Phil Savage in 2005. He survived the takeover by Eric Mangini in 2009 and former general manager Tom Heckert kept Roberts when he took over in 2010, but the current leadership of CEO Joe Banner and Lombardi decided to make a change.

Roberts was a national scout for the last three seasons. He was the Director of college scouting in 2009 and was a national scout from 2005-08.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He looked pretty quick and pretty fast. He moved around the field pretty well. It's always different when you see guys live, in person and you are close on the field to them. He had a good day and he really picks things up well. That's the thing that stood out to me as well." - Head coach Rob Chudzinski on first-round draft pick Barkevious Mingo.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

A closer look at the Browns' picks:

Round 1/6 - Barkevious Mingo, LB, 6-4, 237, LSU

The Browns want Mingo to start on the right side with Paul Kruger on the left and pressure the quarterback relentlessly. Mingo had eight sacks in 2011 and 4.5 last year, but coach Rob Chudzinski isn't concerned about the decline. Mingo did very little pass coverage at LSU and will have to learn that with the Browns.

Round 3/68 - Leon McFadden, CB, 5-10, 193, San Diego State

McFadden can play corner or nickel. The Browns need a player at both positions. He was a four-year starter for the Aztecs and led his team with three interceptions last year. He returned two for touchdowns.

Round 6/175 - Jamoris Slaughter, FS, 6-0, 195, Notre Dame

Slaughter's left Achilles was torn in the third game last season. If he is healthy he is expected to challenge Tashaun Gipson for a starting job.

Round 7/217 - Armonty Bryant, DE, 6-4, 263, East Central University

Bryant can play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. He had a school-record 26.5 sacks, but he was also arrested selling marijuana to an undercover agent. "It was a stupid mistake," Bryant said.

Round 7/227 - Garrett Gilkey, OL, 6-6, 318, Chadron State

Gilkey started 12 games at left tackle in 2012 at Division II Chadron State. He can play guard. Browns offensive line coach George Warhop worked him out just before the draft. He played for former Bills receiver Don Beebe in high school.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: None

TRANSITION PLAYER: None

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (6)

--CB Sheldon Brown won't be brought back. He is 33 and his biggest supporter, former general manager Tom Heckert, was fired in the Jimmy Haslam regime change.

--WR/KR Joshua Cribbs is unlikely to be re-signed. His usefulness as a wide receiver is negligible and the rule change from 2011 has diminished his value as a kick returner.

--P Reggie Hodges won't be back. He missed all of 2011 with an Achilles tendon tear and finished 31st last season with a net punting average of 37.1.

--RB Brandon Jackson won't be back. He missed 2011 with a toe injury and did not carry the ball until the 16th game last year.

--DE Juqua Parker won't be back. He is a 4-3 end and is not a good fit in Ray Horton's defense.

--S Ray Ventrone won't be back. He is a special teams leader but has had injury problems the last two years.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered offers)

--LB Auston English (not tendered as ERFA).

--DE Emmanuel Stephens (not tendered as ERFA).

--FB Eddie Williams (not tendered as RFA) missed all of 2012 with a back injury.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

--WR Jordan Norwood: ERFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--RB Chris Ogbonnaya: Not tendered as RFA; 2 yrs, terms unknown.

--LS Christian Yount: ERFA; 1 yr, terms unknown.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

--TE Gary Barnidge: UFA Panthers; $3.75M/3 yrs, $650,000 SB.

--DT Desmond Bryant: UFA Raiders; $34M/5 yrs, $15M guaranteed.

--QB Jason Campbell: UFA Bears; $4.25M/2 yrs, $500,000 guaranteed.

--P T.J. Conley: FA Vikings; terms unknown.

--TE Kellen Davis: FA Bears; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--K Shayne Graham: UFA Texans; $940,000/1 yr.

--LB Quentin Groves: UFA Cardinals; $2.4M/2 yrs.

--LB Paul Kruger: UFA Ravens $40.5M/5 yrs, $6M SB/$20M guaranteed.

--RB Dion Lewis (trade Eagles).

--WR David Nelson: Not tendered as RFA by Bills; 1 yr, terms unknown.

--CB Christopher Owens: UFA Falcons; $1M/1 yr.

--T Rashad Butler: UFA Texans; 1 yr, terms unknown.

PLAYERS LOST

--LB Emmanuel Acho (traded Eagles).

--K Phil Dawson: UFA 49ers; $2.25M/1 yr, $1M SB.

--LB Scott Fujita: UFA; retired.

--LB Chris Gocong (released).

--QB Josh Johnson: UFA Bengals; $1.895M/2 yrs, $500,000 guaranteed.

--LB Kaluka Maiava: UFA Raiders; $6M/3 yrs, $2.035M SB.

--WR Mohamed Massaquoi: UFA Jaguars; $4.7M/2 yrs.

--QB Colt McCoy (traded 49ers).

--DE Frostee Rucker (released).

--TE Alex Smith: UFA Bengals; terms unknown.

--TE Benjamin Watson: UFA Saints; 3 yrs, terms unknown.

--S Usama Young (released).