Byron Storer - Head Coach, browns Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-10 | Full transcript (primary source).
Byron Storer, Head Coach of the Browns, addressed the media during a press conference on September 10, 2026, following the conclusion of the preseason. The session focused on player performance and team dynamics as the Browns prepare for the upcoming NFL season.
Transcript
Storer: see you all again.
Reporter: How did you see Corey sort of respond to the you know the push he kind of gave him during the preseason with with Nick and Wes?
Storer: I think he responded exceptionally well. I think you saw it in the preseason games the way he's performed. He put the ball on the boundary you know it didn't give a very many return yards I mean I think he's really he never blinked from the minute I brought a guy in you know from when Nick being here to Wes coming in he's been the same guy day in and day out and to me he's it was his job to lose and he earned it he left no question that it was his job.
Reporter: Did you rip off the names of kind of like your core special team or?
Storer: Winston Reed, Easton, Mass Granite Arnold, Blake Whiteheart, Malachi Corley, Tylen Wallace, Daniel Thomas. Hope I'm not forgetting anybody. Yeah Justin Jefferson well I don't get named the rookies yet you they have to play a game before I start naming them as my core guys but yes the rookies Carson Ryan, Justin Jefferson those guys yeah all right Donovan McMillan 100% yes absolutely yeah but it's really those veteran core guys and then the rookies are falling in line you know I'm saying.
Reporter: Andre Schmidt has looked like he's had a very consistent summer for you what are you seeing from him as he takes what was a very strong end of last season into this week one?
Storer: I think that you know with Andre from the very beginning I told him hey you're the kicker first and foremost like right day one I said but I'm gonna challenge you every single day and we try I try to put some scripts together that will challenge him in different situations and I think he's responded really well and I think his confidence is he's more confident in his role on the team that he's he's the kicker and he's been here for a while he's a little bit more sure of himself I'd say just because he's been here a full year now and and he's been the kicker from day one since I've been here.
Reporter: Can he be the pumpy-turner in a little bit? Will he get all of them? Does it depend on what kind of workload he's getting on?
Storer: I do think that there's some considerations to be had when you consider Casey going back there at punt returner depending on what his role is on offense whether or not how much we use them if we use them that's why we have a number of guys getting catches after practice Isaiah Bond, Tylen Wallace, Denzel Ward, Denzel Boston, excuse me not Denzel Ward but those guys it's a number of guys getting catches every day that's been my whole thing since it from day one during the offseason as many guys that can catch that ball after practice or in practice the better.
Reporter: Can we see like a rotation of guys?
Storer: It really is it's kind of one of those things where you have to see how the game is going. I have a guy in mind that I you know I'd love to see Casey get out there and get some reps but it just has have to be a little bit flexible with what we're doing based on how the game's going and this will be the first full game that some of these guys have played in a long time I mean preseason you get a certain amount of quarters certain amount of plays but now it's a full game so you know we'll see where we're at condition wise.
Reporter: What kind of weapon is Cam Little?
Storer: Oh Cam Little yeah he's very he changes the game really I do be honest with you when you get to midfield he starts to get in field goal range so he is a guy that we've made a big emphasis on just letting the whole entire organization the team know that hey this guy has the longest kick in NFL history that when he gets around the 50-yard line there's a chance now that he could go for a field goal in that situation so it just kind of changes your mindset a little bit knowing that you're going against the kicker with that kind of range.
Storer: Yeah I think again I get a lot of a lot of reps for a lot of guys because you don't know how it's gonna go Malachi Corley, Dylan Sampson are getting reps Rahim is getting reps as well and Thailand's been back there we got Noah that just got in the building so there's some guys that are getting reps back there that but I think I feel really good about the guys that we have back there I think we have some depth and that if I got Malachi and and 22 back there Dylan I feel I feel good and if I don't then I feel pretty good too.
Reporter: So you mentioned Malachi there was so much made about like that six wide receiver spot on the roster throughout training camp and obviously somebody like Luke Floria had a great camp but how much did how much of special teams kind of come into play when you're sort of whittling those things down and try to finalize who's gonna make the final roster for you guys?
Storer: I think that it is a big factor for the lower half of the roster the guys that are your fifth and sixth wide receiver your third running back your third and fourth tight end you know your fifth and sixth linebacker fourth fifth and sixth linebacker those are conversations that me AB coach Monken have and we kind of say okay this is what he brings to the table in terms of special teams here's what he brings to the table on offense and then we just try to try to make the best decision possible ultimately I just offer my opinion and then the decision-makers above me now they decided ultimately who's gonna be here and who's not but I do think that I'm heard so I think Malachi Corley being on this team it has a lot to do his with his performance and in training camp and in the preseason believe it or not like when we got them the during the draft okay I think I walked on to Mike's office and said you know hey is there any way you can use this guy on special teams but I think we all agree that you know let him give him a chance to play quarterback and succeed there and let's have him focus on that that's hard enough as it is so no we're not there's no plans to use him on social teams as right now but that was the thing that crossed my mind.
Reporter: What appeals to you about his skill set then potentially?
Storer: Oh he's fast and athletic and you know you put a tail in at personal protector you know that changes things the way that a part return team looks at you well believe it I mean it did change a little bit this year they added the fourth float player so you can have up to four float players this year so they did make a little change to it it's evolving you know it's ever-evolving and you know I think it's one of the more challenging phases of the game you know you spend a lot of time on punt that's always been the emphasis over the you know the course of my NFL career but now I find myself wanting to work more on kickoff return just because it is a very very difficult play for these players I mean they have a guy five yards in front of them and they got to work their feet laterally to get in position and not hold the man and so it's a it's a challenging phase so I think it's still evolving and there's still different strategies that you're thinking about that could be used to have success.
Storer: Yeah I for me I like that there's no touchbacks you know I minimal amount of touchbacks because it's a it's another opportunity for our guys to play football you know and so I like to play the way it is and I'm excited I think it changes the strategy in terms of yes you're always thinking about how can I get that touch back minor you know the touch back where it goes to the 20 yard line that's big you know get a drive start on the 20 yard line these days is a big deal so I think that that's what entices special teams coaches is to see if I can get that ball on the 20 yard line by hitting in the landing zone and having to go in the end zone and either go out of the end zone or being down by the returner this year.
Reporter: But how much with a guy like him who obviously undrafted like has to fight to get on a roster in the first place goes through some adversity last year like I mean like it seems like that fight against complacency for him might not be a thing just given his background I guess is that a fair assessment?
Storer: I think there absolutely no way that he's complacent you know and getting back to what I said originally that we're challenging every single day mentally and physically and I one thing I know about Andre is that he does not like to miss a warm-up kick a practice kick a game kick he's just and he's one of those rare guys that he when he goes through adversity he responds really well to it so I do not feel any type of complacency from him I feel like he's more sure of himself and he's more confident in his ability to go out there and win games.
Storer: All right thank you good to see you all.
