BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- There it sat on the top shelf of his locker and as always easily within Tim Couch's reach. If not for the orange helmet logo decorating its front cover, the Browns' playbook could be mistaken for the Cleveland phone book. ``That thing is getting pretty heavy,'' Couch said. ``I don't know how many pages there are, but there's plenty of them.'' Since he was drafted No. 1 overall in April's NFL draft by the expansion Browns, Couch has spent nearly as much time lugging around the thick, spiraled playbook as he has throwing a football. And the rookie quarterback wouldn't want it any other way. ``Right now, I'm concentrating on learning the playbook,'' Couch said. ``Right now, there isn't anything else I want to get involved with. The only time I've set it down is when I go out to dinner.'' On Friday, Couch began his second minicamp with the Browns, and judging by his performance during the morning workout, he's beginning to grasp some of the complexities of the pro game. During 7-on-7 drills, Couch showed better poise and patience in the pocket than he did during last month's minicamp. Instead of throwing to a secondary receiver if his first target was covered, Couch tended to quickly dump the ball off to a running back at the first hint of defensive pressure. ``I feel a lot more comfortable,'' he said. ``I now know what I'm doing. I'm making strides and things are starting to come together. Every day it gets a little bit better.'' Couch never had to learn a playbook while playing at Kentucky under coach Hal Mumme, who would sometimes draw up plays in the dirt. So imagine Couch's surprise when he was handed the Browns' playbook by coach Chris Palmer. Needless to say, Palmer used both hands to deliver it. As Couch began leafing through its pages, he discovered a new world of terms, plays and diagrams. Suddenly, everything he had previously learned went right out the window. They were X's and O's all right, but they weren't in the same formations he was used to. ``It's a lot like learning a foreign language,'' he said. ``I knew there was going to be a playbook when I got here so I was kind of prepared for it. I knew it would take a whole lot of extra time away from after practice. Going home and spending time with it.'' Acting as Couch's playbook interpreter is Ty Detmer, Cleveland's starting quarterback until he plays himself out of the job or Couch takes it away. As Detmer works with the Browns' first unit, Couch waits for his turn. He watches Detmer's footwork. He watches how Detmer checks off one receiver and finds another. He watches Detmer's release point. Then after practice, Couch seeks out Detmer with a laundry list of questions. ``It's great for me that he's here,'' Couch said. ``He's definitely been more than willing to help me out with all the questions that I've had. I've come to him with a lot of questions at the end of the day and he's never once hesitated to help me out.'' This is all new to Couch, but in some ways it's similar to something he has been through before. ``It really reminds me a lot of my freshman year in college,'' he said. ``I came in, I wasn't starting and I had an other guy to beat out. It's the same thing. This is my freshman year in the pros, and I've got a lot to learn and a lot to prove.'' And as any freshman can attest, the books are a lot bigger in college. -=-=- 