THEY START GATHERING four hours before the gates open. It's a muggy Friday morning in late July, with thunder forecast for the afternoon, but the fans lining up outside the back entrance to the Cleveland Browns' training facility in Berea, Ohio, will not be deterred. They're here, on a leafy suburban street six weeks before the regular season, for the Browns' first public day of training camp, which is free each year.
Those who weren't invited back to the team looked to sign elsewhere, including former first-round pick and infamous Bill Belichick reach, Cole Strange. He was a shocking yet not-so-much cut from this year's squad, primarily due to his inability to live up to his draft status, but also because the lack of offensive line depth made it seem like he could make the roster.