By SCOTT PETRAK

Staff Writer

BEREA – The forgotten man finally made everyone remember.  Remember he was on the team. Remember why he was drafted in the third round. Remember he’s a candidate to win a roster spot.  Browns receiver Travis Wilson stood out in organized team activities last month and minicamp last week with the best sustained performance of his three-year career.   “Travis has had a good spring,” coach Romeo Crennel said at the close of minicamp. “He’s been around for a couple years now. It was time for him to take a step forward.   “This spring he’s taken a step forward. He’s helped himself considerably.”  Wilson was a third-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2006. He immediately declared himself the best receiver in the draft, then missed the start of training camp in a holdout, which is almost unheard of for a third-round pick.  He played four games as a rookie, catching two passes for 32 yards. Last year, he was inactive for all 16 games despite being healthy.  “Obviously it didn’t go according to plan, but everything happens for a reason,” Wilson said. “Tough times always make you stronger. I’ve taken the last two years as motivation and coming out here this past offseason I had the biggest chip on my shoulder as anyone.  “I feel like I owe Mr. (Randy) Lerner and Mr. Savage and Coach Romeo, I’ve got to give them a reason why they picked me on the first day.”  The Browns had seen enough — or too little — after 2007 and seemed ready to move on without Wilson. General manager Phil Savage signed free agent Donte Stallworth, then drafted Paul Hubbard in the sixth round. Wilson had become a long shot to make the team even as the fifth receiver.  Things looked even bleaker for Wilson on the second day of OTAs, as he dropped multiple passes to continue a problem that had plagued him throughout his time with the Browns.   But when practice was finished, he spent about a half-hour working on the mechanics of catching with Jerry Butler, a former NFL player and the team’s director of player development. In the next month of practice, Wilson made several good catches deep and across the middle, displayed a chemistry with backup Brady Quinn and worked his way back into contention for a roster spot.  “At the end of the day I had to look myself in the mirror as far as maturing and becoming the player I needed to become,” he said. “Just taking care of business as far as my playbook, that was the biggest thing for me the last year or so.”  “Travis has gotten a lot better with the way he has been working,” quarterback Derek Anderson said.  At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Wilson has the desired size for an NFL receiver. But he’s not a speedster, so he must line up in the right spot, run precise routes and catch the ball.   When he failed to do any of the three during training camp last summer, offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski was quick to chastise him in front of everyone. But the tough love did no good – until now.  “It feels good to be out there running full speed and not second-guessing myself as far as the plays and the things I’ve got to do about them,” Wilson said. “It’s a difference between night and day in my opinion.   “I’ve been playing football since I was little. Catching balls is nothing, but you’ve got to know what to do. I feel real confident in what I’m doing now.”  Crennel said Wilson took advantage of an increase in opportunities during offseason workouts. With Joe Jurevicius (knee, staph infection) out the entire time, and Braylon Edwards (hip) and Stallworth (funeral) missing a few practices, Wilson often found himself working with the first-team offense.  “I’m not going to give them anything that they can hold against me why they can’t put me out there,” Wilson said. “I’m doing everything in my power as far as special teams or offense, so when Sunday comes I’ll be out there.”  And impossible to forget. 

Petrak may be reached at spetrak@chroniclet.com or 440-329-7136.