BEREA, Ohio – Of course he did.
Jabrill Peppers speaks when he is on the field. It’s their way. It’s not really rubbish. Rather like a bomb conversation. He does it to get started, he does it to get his teammates up and running.
And, on point, he did so on Thursday afternoon, as the Giants participated in a joint practice with the Browns. Still, this was not the usual Peppers Pumping. It was a draft of the Browns ’first round of 2017 and he spent his first two NFL seasons practicing on the fields adjacent to Lou Groza Drive. Peppers came to the Giants as the centerpiece of the mega trade that sent Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns.
He’s happy to play in his hometown of New Jersey, but that doesn’t mean Peppers forgot where he started in the NFL. He has certainly not forgotten the players he left behind.
That’s why Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield not only saw Peppers, he also heard him.
“Baker and I always went back and forth, just ball stuff,” Peppers said. “It simply came to our notice then. I tell him he can’t see over the line, just things like that. It’s all good ball, good talk. ”
It was an action-packed day for Peppers. He fell under attack Jack Conklin for what would probably have been a sack in a game. He also put pressure on Mayfield which would have resulted in a quarterback success. On coverage, he battled with David Njoku, another New Jersey product, and also with the first round of the 2017 Browns.
In one play, Peppers applied solid coverage, but the 6-foot-4 Njoku jumped and grabbed the ball over the 5-11 Peppers.
“He probably could have jumped a little higher or been a couple of inches taller, but it was a fantastic ball, a fantastic throw,” Peppers said. “That’s why we’re here to get this job.”
Njoku got the last word.
“Yeah, he said,‘ Like the old days, ’” Peppers said. “That was fun. We were going back and forth, me and Baker, me and Njoku, so it’s been fun too. ”
Peppers said he spotted some familiar places as the Giants ‘bus entered Browns’ facility, but “wouldn’t necessarily say any flashbacks.”
It was Peppers and two drafts (which turned into defensive attack Dexter Lawrence and outside defender Oshane Ximines) for Beckham in a trade that shook both teams.
“I’m at peace with that,” Peppers said. “I love where I am. I think we are building something special here, but I am grateful for my time [with the Browns] too. He taught me a lot of character, I learned a lot of ball here, but I’m just focused on the future. ”