Over the last couple of seasons the Cleveland Browns offense has lacked the speed to truly challenge defenses vertically. General manager Andrew Berry knew he had to correct that this offseason adding a pair of speedsters in Elijah Moore and veteran wide receiver Marquise Goodwin to create a well-rounded position group.
We have already seen Deshaun Watson working on chemistry and the deep ball with Goodwin during OTAs. Earlier this week during OTA’s Goodwin spoke to the media about getting to work with Watson, what motivates him to work hard, and more ahead of mandatory minicamp later this month.
On getting to play with Deshaun Watson
“It’s really humbling to work with somebody as elite as Deshaun. I don’t really have to guess or wonder ‘is he going to throw it far enough? Is he going to throw it?’ I look in the air and I’m like, ‘dang, I got to run.’ So when you have somebody who is as dedicated and as focused and as experienced as he is elite, it just makes my job easier. All I have to do is run.”
We continue to hear from more and more players how respected and highly thought of on the field Deshaun Watson is. Goodwin would later say he didn’t need to be recruited by Watson knowing that the chance to play with him was enough to lure him to Cleveland.
On how he maintains his speed
“I think I’m pretty much in my prime, so I don’t think I lost any speed. It’s kind of like fine wine. You just get better with time.
Taking care of my body, doing little things, spending time with my family, being intentional with my time and my habits and it’s definitely working out. Got another opportunity to play football this year. I’m blessed.”
One question that popped up after the Goodwin signing was his age and if he still had the elite speed to make the roster and be a difference-maker for Cleveland’s offense in 2023. So far in OTAs, you can clearly see that he hasn’t lost much of a step. It’s obvious that Goodwin understands his role and has worked to make sure he can fill that role at a high level.
#Browns Deshaun Watson deep to Marquise Goodwin for the near TD in OTAs pic.twitter.com/4mFWA7SksT
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) May 31, 2023
On how the long jump helped him maintain his speed
“So I want you to run and jump at half speed, see how far you go. Then run and jump at full speed. You have to be fast to jump far. And it correlates by me being able to put my foot down hard and break off of a route. At long jump, I’m running full speed and I have to transition and put my foot down. So I’m training these muscles the same way, to start and stop, which is huge in football.”
Goodwin is a former Olympic athlete which really speaks to his dedication and work ethic. Having a veteran player like that to help the younger players at the position could turn out to be a major factor for the Browns.
On what motivates him to give his all at all times
“Thank you for asking. I got a sister who has never walked a day in her life. She was born with cerebral palsy. I am ten months older than she is, and that’s my motivation. I’d be doing her disservice, if I were to not go and maximize in my sport of ability. If I’m not out running it, if I’m not out jumping, if I’m not out catching footballs and I’m just sitting around being lazy or complaining, then I’m doing her disservice. A quick story, I woke up one day in the middle of the night, probably 3:30-4 in the morning, and I just hear somebody in the room. And I go around the corner, I’m listening, and my sister’s like, ‘God, just please.’ And I just hear her saying, ‘Please.’ I’m like ‘what?’ She’s like, ‘Please just let me feel what it feels like to walk. I just want my feet touch the ground.’ You hear that, you ain’t going to be motivated?”
It’s always nice to hear about stories like this and to get a glimpse into the personal life of players. When you have a driving force like this behind you it’s no surprise that Goodwin has had as much success for as long as he has in the NFL.
