Here at the Shrine Game practices in St. Petersburg, the sidelines during practice often serve as a de facto reunion for coaches and scouts from around the league. For the Browns contingency inside the cacophonous Tropicana Field, a group which includes VP of Player Personnel Alonzo Highsmith, it’s been an ongoing series of smiling handshakes and congratulations from their peers around the NFL.

Highsmith was approached by at least 15 different NFL personnel people during Tuesday morning’s East practice. The glad-handing was often a hearty sign of approval from his ostensible competitors. Cleveland’s coaching decisions, from naming Freddie Kitchens as the new head coach to scooping up defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, are widely popular among the NFL guys here.

That’s not universally true for teams who have made coaching moves this offseason. It’s a sign of respect for Kitchens, Browns GM John Dorsey and the revamped Browns on-field talent.

I’ve seen enough of these situations in my seven years coming to Shrine Games, my 10 Senior Bowls and eight NFL Scouting Combines to discern between when guys are being socially polite and being earnestly impressed with their peers. The Browns are definitely earning the latter.