HEADLINES

Browns Rumors

Browns’ Grant Delpit Done For Year

August 25th, 2020 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

Grant Delpit has suffered a season-ending Achilles tear (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The Browns will place the safety on IR, ending the rookie’s season before it could even begin. 

Delpit was widely viewed as a first-round prospected heading into his junior year at LSU. Then, his stock slipped a bit, allowing the Browns to scoop him up at No. 44 overall. He was expected to be a pillar of the Browns’ young secondary this year, alongside Denzel Ward and former Tigers teammate Greedy Williams. Instead, they’ll have to wait until next year to see what he can do.

Fortunately, the Browns have backup. New addition Andrew Sendejo figures to step into the starting free safety job and join Karl Joseph in deep coverage. Sendejo, a longtime starter for the Vikings, has been first-string for 61 of his career games. Still, he’s entering his age-33 season, and he doesn’t offer the same kind of tantalizing upside as Delpit.

This is just the latest training camp injury for the Browns, following linebacker Mack Wilson‘s knee injury and cornerback Kevin Johnson‘s lacerated liver. On the plus side, Johnson was released from the hospital rather quickly, which could allow for a relatively quick return to action.

Browns Fear S Grant Delpit Tore Achilles

August 24th, 2020 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the Browns’ top offseason additions may not suit up this season. The Browns are concerned that rookie safety Grant Delpit suffered an Achilles tear, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The LSU product needed to be carted off the practice field Monday, and the team confirmed he is being evaluated for an Achilles tear. Delpit will undergo an MRI Monday night, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Browns used the No. 44 overall pick on Delpit, who was long expected to be a first-round pick. He, Denzel Ward and ex-LSU teammate Greedy Williams represent the three young pillars of Cleveland’s secondary. Delpit was productive throughout his three-year college career. He registered 199 tackles (17.5 for loss) and seven sacks and was on track to be an instant contributor as a pro.

Were Delpit to have torn one of his Achilles’ tendons, the Browns’ offseason addition of Andrew Sendejo will be pivotal. While Cleveland signed Karl Joseph, Sendejo would be in line to ascend from top backup to a starting role. The former Vikings starter has operated in that capacity often in his 10-year career, starting 61 games. He was a full-time starter alongside Harrison Smith from 2015-17, and the Vikes featured top-six scoring defenses in each campaign. The 2020 season will be Sendejo’s age-33 slate, however.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/20

August 24th, 2020 at 3:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Waived: CB Duke Thomas

Buffalo Bills

  • Placed on reserve/retired list: CB Ike Brown

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Browns Sign Malcolm Smith

August 23rd, 2020 at 2:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have signed former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith, per a club announcement. Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely a one-year deal for the veteran linebacker. 

[RELATED: Mack Wilson Suffers Knee Injury]

Smith has 104 career games to his credit with several teams, though his most memorable moments came with the Seahawks. The Super Bowl XLVIII MVP moved on to the Raiders in 2015 and served as a two-year starter, but he didn’t necessarily impress. Later, he hooked on with the 49ers, but he was plagued by injuries over the course of the two-year deal. Last year, Smith spent time with the Jaguars and Cowboys, suiting up for four games in total.

In Cleveland, he’ll help fill-in for Mack Wilson, who suffered a severe knee injury last week. To make room for Smith, the Browns have dropped center Casey Dunn with an injury designation (foot). They’re at an even 80 players on the roster, enabling them to have the entire team practice at a single site between now and the start of the season.

Browns To Work Out LB Malcolm Smith

August 20th, 2020 at 4:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Mack Wilson uncertain to be available this season, the Browns are looking to free agency to help fill the void. Malcolm Smith was in Cleveland on Thursday for a workout, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

The former Super Bowl MVP played in just four games last season but has 52 games’ worth of starting experience in a nine-year career. The Browns have gone from housing an experienced linebacking corps to one of the league’s youngest groups.

Cleveland went from carrying two high-end linebacker contracts — for Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey — to having no notable money devoted to this position entering this season. The Browns also let top tackler Joe Schobert walk in free agency. This leaves a host of young players, along with free agent addition B.J. Goodson, vying for roles. Wilson started 14 games last season and was expected to be a starter. While his season is not yet deemed over, Wilson will at least be out for a lengthy period after hyperexpending his knee.

Smith was a part-time player for the 49ers in 2018, starting five games and playing 31% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps. The 49ers cut Smith last year, and he ended up playing short-term roles with the Jaguars and Cowboys. Prior to an injury nullifying his 2017 season, he signed a lucrative deal with the 49ers. Smith was a full-time player with the Raiders from 2015-16, though he is still best known for his work in Super Bowl XLVIII and that year’s NFC championship game.

Mack Wilson Suffers Knee Injury

August 20th, 2020 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Moving first to a Browns injury situation, here is the latest from the AFC North:

  • Browns linebacker Mack Wilson is awaiting word on the severity of a knee injury he suffered in practice recently. The Cleveland starter is expected to miss several weeks because of a knee hyperextension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). No tear is believed to have occurred, per Rapoport, but surgery appears to still be on the table. That would put Wilson’s season in jeopardy. With the Browns having disbanded their veteran linebacking corps over the past year and change, Wilson is now the team’s longest-tenured starter at that position. The 2019 fifth-round pick made 14 starts as a rookie.

Browns’ Kevin Johnson Suffers Liver Laceration

August 20th, 2020 at 12:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns cornerback Kevin Johnson was rushed to the hospital after suffering a liver laceration, per a club announcement. Johnson will remain under observation for at least another day.

Johnson joined the Browns on a one-year, $3.5MM deal earlier this year. So far, he’s been drawing rave reviews in camp, but the Browns may have to find CB3/nickelback support elsewhere while Johnson heals up. There’s no word yet on Johnson’s potential timetable for recovery.

The Texans backed out of Johnson’s fifth-year option in 2019, leading him to the Bills. The 2015 first-round pick played in all 16 games as a role player in Buffalo’s secondary, notching 36 tackles and five passes defensed.

Johnson managed to stay healthy last year while contributing as a reserve, a welcome change from his injury-filled Houston tenure. The 28-year-old missed ten games in 2016 and 15 games in 2018, the latter due to a severe concussion.

Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams will feature as the Browns’ top corners. As they await word on Johnson, they’ll also keep their fingers crossed for linebacker Mack Wilson, who may be done for the year with a hyperextended left knee.

Browns Work Out Folk, Parkey, Others

August 19th, 2020 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns may be holding a kicker competition. They brought in Nick Folk, Kai Forbath, Cody Parkey and Matthew McCrane for workouts Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Austin Seibert resides as Cleveland’s incumbent kicker. He kicked for the Browns last season, going 25-for-29. The ex-Oklahoma Sooner did miss five extra points, however, and may be on the verge of a training camp battle.

Cleveland has not seen much continuity at kicker lately. The team has changed kickers in each of the past four years, with Zane Gonzalez and Greg Joseph enjoying one-season stays. Seibert beat out Joseph last summer.

Folk has the most experience of the tryout legs, having kicked in the NFL since 2007. The 35-year-old specialist kicked in seven Patriots games last season. Parkey, whose “double doink” miss in a 2018 wild-card game set off rampant Bears kicker uncertainty, resurfaced in three Titans games last season. He made 3 of 3 field goals during that stay. Both Folk and Parkey made Pro Bowls as rookies — in 2007 and ’14, respectively.

Forbath was also part of the Pats’ post-Stephen Gostkowski kicker shuffle; he also kicked in three Cowboys games in 2019. McCrane did not play last season but kicked in four games as a rookie in 2018.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/20

August 18th, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon.

Cleveland Browns

  • Waived/injured: DE George Obinna

Dallas Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks

Injury Notes: Alford, Hargrave, Jets, Tretter

August 17th, 2020 at 6:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Cardinals cornerback Robert Alford did indeed suffer a torn pectoral yesterday, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the injury will sideline the veteran for the 2020 season.

This is a tough outcome for both Alford and the organization. Arizona inked the defensive back to a three-year, $22.5MM deal in 2019, but Alford missed his first season with the organization after suffering a leg injury. There was optimism out of the Cardinals’ camp that Alford would return to full strength in 2020, but this injury has obviously put a snag in his comeback attempt.

Alford spent the first six seasons of his career with the Falcons, collecting 303 tackles and 10 interceptions in 88 games (76 appearance). The veteran also appeared in five playoff games for Atlanta, and he had had a pick-six on Tom Brady during the Falcons’ Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

Pro Football Focus wasn’t fond of his performance during his last healthy campaign in 2018, so this could realistically be the end for the 31-year-old.

Let’s check out some more injury updates from around the NFL…

  • The Eagles got some good news today, as they learned that defensive tackle Javon Hargrave suffered only a “minor pectoral strain” (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). The injury is expected to sideline the veteran for only a few weeks. The 27-year-old inked a three-year, $39MM deal with Philly this past offseason after compiling 60 tackles and four sacks with the Steelers in 2019. When he’s back to full health, he’ll join Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson to form one of the top defensive tackle groupings in the NFL
  • Jets wideout Vyncint Smith will miss the next five to eight weeks as he recovers from a core-muscle injury, tweets ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The 24-year-old got into 13 games (four starts) for New York last season, hauling in 17 receptions for 225 yards. As Cimini notes, the organization could be scrambling for receiver depth, as Josh Doctson has opted out of the upcoming season and rookie Denzel Mims is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
  • Browns center J.C. Tretter underwent a minor knee procedure and will miss the next few weeks, reports Rapoport (via Twitter). The veteran opted for the procedure to clean up loose bodies and remedy discomfort. The NFLPA President has spent the past three seasons with Cleveland, starting each of the team’s 48 games.
Load More Posts