Nick Chubb gets the ceremonial 1st handoff; Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield play to the crowd: Browns Training Camp Observations Day 5

BEREA, Ohio — It was only fitting that Nick Chubb took the first handoff in team drills Monday after signing his three-year contract extension worth $36.6 million in the morning.

The crowd of about 2,000 cheered him on as much to celebrate the great news as to honor the rumbling carry.

Chubb, who’s been mostly held out of team drills this camp to keep him healthy, had several other thunderous runs and caught a nice pass over the middle from Baker Mayfield. He worked hard on his hands in the offseason, and he’s determined to add more receptions to his repertoire.

All in all, it was a great day for Chubb, who “embodies the soul’’ of the Cleveland Browns, as GM Andrew Berry said.

Here are some other observations from Day 5:

* Mayfield kicked off team drills with two long TD passes, one to Rashard ‘Hollywood’ Higgins and one to KhaDarel Hodge. The fans chanted “Hollywood’’ as No. 82 streaked down the field and corralled the ball. It’s the same thing Mayfield and Higgins have been doing since they were on the second-team together in 2018 camp. As for Hodge, it was one of the first times this camp that he and Mayfield connected on the long ball, and there will likely be plenty more where that came from. With an excellent receivers coach like Chad O’Shea, it’s hard for the receivers not to get better every day. He’s so technically sound, the receivers are all really good pass-catchers, and there aren’t many drops in camp.

* Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t doing 11-on-11s yet, and will probably continue to take it easy when the pads come on Tuesday. In fact, Monday marked the last padless practice until Saturday. The intensity will ratchet up on Tuesday, and it will more closely resemble real football. They won’t tackle to the ground much if at all, but the Browns will get a better idea of how their new defensive parts fit together, and how some of the second-year players have improved.

* Players aren’t allowed to sign autographs amid the pandemic, but Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield have played to the crowd at times for a more interactive experience. On Monday, Mayfield playfully threw the ball at Garrett after the defender chased him out of bounds. A little while later, Garrett snuck up on Chubb as he wound down a long run, and playfully raked the ball out of his hand. Garrett also sat on the coolers in front of the bleachers and talked to fans, which they loved.

* The otherwise fine afternoon was marred by the sight of linebacker Anthony Walker limping off the field and tossing his helmet in frustration. He rubbed the outside of his right leg and a trainer tried to stretch him out. But he was in obvious pain as he described the injury to the trainer, and they soon walked into the field house very slowly. The good news was that he didn’t have to be carted in. The Browns later said he suffered a knee injury, the extent of which is unknown. Obviously, they’re hoping it’s not serious. He was replaced by second-year linebacker Jacob Phillips, who will get the nod if Walker misses time. But Walker is also slated to wear the green dot as the defensive playcaller, so the Browns need him back.

* Safety Sheldrick Redwine came to the sidelines late in practice and had his right ankle worked on. He didn’t return to action.

* The following players sat out: LB Tony Fields (foot), DE Takk McKinley (illness), WR Anthony Schwartz (hamstring), S Ronnie Harrison (hamstring) and JC Tretter (illness).  Nick Harris worked in place of Tretter.

* Sixth-round running back/receiver Demetric Felton continues to impress. With Chubb largely resting, Felton has gotten a ton of much-needed reps and hasn’t disappointed. He’s got excellent vision, anticipation, quickness and shiftiness. He’s also handling the double life of a receiver and running back. Felton will be one of the more interesting players to watch when the pads come on. For now, the moment isn’t too big for him.

* All of the young defensive linemen are working extremely hard and improving by leaps and bounds under their position coach Chris Kiffin. Today, I watched Jordan Elliott taking pointers from Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney and really striving to excel. The work ethic has been off the charts at all positions, and it’s an efficient, professional camp.

* Garrett and Clowney spent some time showing each other pass-rush moves, which will help both of them. Just two No. 1 overall picks exchanging trade secrets. I couldn’t help but think ‘be afraid.’ Clowney looks so happy and like he’s fitting in well. The fact that he and Garrett are getting close is key. Garrett can be a tough nut to crack. You have to earn your way into his inner circle, and Clowney has done it.

* Harrison stood on the sidelines with his left hammy wrapped, but he stayed completely engaged in every rep and on top of things mentally. He’ll probably be held out for awhile because the Browns don’t want the hamstring to linger. But Harrison should be able to pick up where he left off when he returns because of the mental reps.

*  Kevin Stefanski pumped in crowd noise to help get the players re-acclimated to full stadiums this season.

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