Cleveland Browns linebacker Paul Kruger works the blocking pad and his footwork during defensive drills in day four of training camp on Sunday.

BEREA, Ohio -- When the pads went on Sunday, Browns outside linebacker Paul Kruger went pop.

Which exactly what you'd expect from your new $40 million man, one who received a whopping $21 million signing bonus with his new five-year deal.

Kruger has flown under the radar since his blockbuster signing in March, but on a cool Sunday in Berea, he was as hot as any player on the field, rushing from both sides and giving six-time Pro Bowler Joe Thomas all he could handle at times.

"I think he's one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL,'' said Thomas after the first practice in full pads. "I think he's a fantastic addition for us. He's going to do great things.''

Rookie linebacker Barkevious Mingo has been wide-eyed just watching Kruger explode off the ball.

"I’m just going to say Paul Kruger’s a beast,'' Mingo said. "The guy’s good and I just love watching the way he plays the game. The stuff that he does, it blows all of us away. And a lot of us try to emulate what he does, but it’s something that only he can do.''

Thomas is most excited about the fact the Browns caught lightning in a bottle, with Kruger defecting from the Ravens in his prime. At 27, he's started only seven NFL games and is just scratching the surface.

"I'm really excited because he still has room to get better, which is pretty impressive for a guy that's already one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL,'' said Thomas. "We got him really at the right time because he's still on the upswing as far as his career goes.''

If Sunday is any indication, Kruger will provide good tuneup for Thomas to fend off the likes off Baltimore's Terrell Suggs and other premier pass-rushers in the NFL. Kruger has been practicing mostly on his natural left side, but swapped sides with Jabaal Sheard for half the reps yesterday.

"It's a good matchup (against Kruger),'' Thomas said. "We're going to get each other better and we're going to get each other ready because you can see he's a terrific pass-rusher. The more great players you can can against in training camp, the better you're going to be prepared for the season.''

The growing respect between Kruger and Thomas is a far cry from last season, when Kruger accused Thomas of flopping on a crucial fourth-down play in Baltimore to draw a costly penalty on Kruger. The Browns were unable to cash in, but Kruger was steamed nonetheless.

"I (kidded him) when I first got out here, but not really anymore,'' said Kruger. "It's kind of in the past now, but it was a funny situation. Joe's a good guy. He's got a good sense of humor.''

He's also a likely future Hall of Famer for Kruger to hone his skills against.

"Joe's an awesome player,'' said Kruger. "He's great to go against because it prepares you for the top guys in the league. He's becoming a friend to me and I have a lot of respect for him as a player. It's definitely a good little competition there.''

If all goes as planned, Thomas and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz will help develop Kruger into the every down player that the Ravens apparently didn't think he could be. Kruger broke out with nine sacks in the regular season and 4.5 in the playoffs, but was still viewed as a situational pass-rusher.

"It's huge for me,'' he said. "It's something I've been looking forward to this season. I really want to come out here and prove something, not only for myself but for the team, so it's a big deal.''

Critics charged that Kruger was only a shadow of himself when Terrell Suggs wasn't on the field in Baltimore. With Suggs out, Kruger had four sacks. When Suggs returned, he had 9.5 in 12 games, including playoffs. But here Kruger has Sheard opposite him now, and will also have Mingo at times.

"Jabaal is an extremely physical guy, just really powerful,'' said Kruger. "You can see in practice, he's usually on the right side going against Joe, and he's giving him some trouble. He's fast, he's physical and I think this style of defense is really a good fit for him. I think he's going to be a breakout player this year for sure.''

He's also been impressed with first-round pick Mingo, and more than happy to help him out. He also thinks he'll be appear on the field in certain formations with both Sheard and Mingo, who's behind Sheard on the depth chart.

"Mingo is doing all the right things,'' he said. "He really is. I'm not just saying that. He's a guy who works hard, he has the good discipline, he's extremely talented, athletic, he's just got all the right attributes, so I think you can expect some big things from him.''

Kruger got most of his 13.5 sacks while lined up on the left side last season -- against the right tackle -- but is willing to take on the more formidable left tackle whenever asked.

"Yeah, I'm comfortable,'' he said. "I'm probably a little more comfortable on the lefthand side. But again, that's just a matter of taking the time to get over there and practice it.''

After about 20 practices with old AFC North rivals, he's convinced this defense stacks up against the Ravens' daunting unit.

"I think we're right there with them, honestly,'' he said. "I'm not just saying that. We've got some really fast linebackers. They're smart, and they're fast and they can cover. Joe Haden and the other corners are covering extremely well right now. There's a lot of good things that you can look forward to.''

And even though the Ravens have dominated the rivalry, Kruger wasn't surprised at the level of talent when he arrived.

"I had no doubt it would be the case,'' he said. "There are a lot of talented guys on this defense. Great teams can emerge at any time, so I'm really excited about this year. I think we can do some big things.''