Saturday, July 24, 1999
Detmer helping Couch learn ropes
Browns' top pick waiting in wings to become starter
The Associated Press
BEREA, Ohio — Ty Detmer knows his days as the Browns starting quarterback are numbered and that it won't be long before Cleveland's No.2 is No.1.
“I made it to the first day of training camp, so that's good,” Detmer joked Thursday. “Everybody knows Tim's the guy for the future.”
Tim Couch's ascension to starting status may not be far away, but as of Friday, Detmer was still the quarterback expected to take the first snap for the new Browns when they make their NFL debut Sept.12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When the Browns acquired Detmer, a seven-year veteran, in a March trade with San Francisco, they had two roles in mind for him: to lead them on the field in 1999 and to serve as a mentor to Couch, the top overall pick in the NFL draft.
Detmer, however, insists he's here for only one thing.
“I'm not here to be a coach,” he said. “I'm here to be a player.”
During 7-on-7 drills Friday morning, Couch took a three-step drop and threw an incomplete pass into tight coverage. After a brief word with Browns coach Chris Palmer, Couch wandered over to talk with Detmer.
“Every time I have a question, every time I make a mistake and he's standing back watching me, he tells me what I'm doing wrong,” Couch said. “He's helping me grow as a player.”
Detmer plans to stay ahead of Couch on the depth chart as long as possible, but he also realizes the Browns didn't give Couch a seven-year contract and a $12 million signing bonus to hold a clipboard.
“Everything I've heard is that the best player is going to play,” Detmer said.
It's not too hard to look good throwing against rookie cornerbacks and without defensive lineman flushing you out of the pocket. But Couch has been impressive in his first training camp workouts.
He's making crisp throws under the watchful eye of Palmer, a former quarterbacks coach.
Palmer and Detmer have noticed a big improvement in Couch since the team's June minicamp.
“He has learned a lot,” Detmer said. “... Now he's pretty comfortable with the offense, and we'll start focusing on a lot of the little things.”
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