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Latest On Browns’ Deshaun Watson

October 29th, 2023 at 12:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 29: Watson is still expected to avoid an IR stint, per Schefter and Dianna Russini of The Athletic. A source tells Schefter that Watson is unlikely to be sidelined for more than two weeks, while Russini hears that Watson is “day-to-day.”

OCTOBER 25: The Browns will push back Watson’s second comeback attempt, with Kevin Stefanski ruling him out for Sunday’s Seahawks matchup. Walker, whom the Browns signed to their active roster today, will make another start. Stefanski confirmed (via NFL.com’s Andrew Siciliano) Watson has residual swelling after leaving Week 7 early but reiterated the latest MRI showed no additional structural damage.

Also, in addition to the practice squad acquisition of Jordan Wilkins yesterday, Cleveland enlisted further reinforcements at running back today, signing Nate McCrary to the practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. With Chubb on IR and Ford doubtful for Sunday, McCrary will compete with Wilkins for a potential opportunity to be elevated and play behind Hunt and Strong in Seattle this weekend.

OCTOBER 24: Deshaun Watson‘s return to action did not last long. The high-priced quarterback left the Browns’ Week 7 game after 12 snaps. While Watson is cleared to play, he continues to experience shoulder pain.

A Tuesday MRI did not reveal any additional injuries coming out of Cleveland’s high-scoring win in Indianapolis, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Watson confirmed he is dealing with a strained rotator cuff last week, and cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot adds the seventh-year QB battling is an injury in the subscapularis muscle, the largest in the rotator cuff.

Watson continues to deal with movement limitations, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds this particular injury can shelve pitchers for between four and six weeks. Doctors have informed Watson this is typically a four- to six-week injury. Watson sustained the injury against the Titans in Week 3 and missed Week 4 after a Saturday MRI revealed the extent of the malady. After Cleveland’s bye week, Watson rested again. Despite returning to practice last week, Watson remains far from 100%.

Sunday’s Seahawks matchup will mark five weeks from the initial injury, though it is unclear how much Watson set his recovery back by returning to face the Colts. The Browns have not decided on a course of action with their $230MM quarterback.

Watson, of course, enjoys unrivaled security due to his fully guaranteed contract. Rushing back would make little sense through that lens. A collision with Colts defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo led Watson out of the Browns’ Week 7 matchup, with Cabot adding the QB’s velocity was down due to this injury affecting his shoulder rotation. The 2022 trade acquisition entering concussion protocol came about because of the independent neurologist; he was cleared of a head injury soon after. But this shoulder problem persists.

If Watson cannot go, the Browns would again turn to P.J. Walker, whom they bumped ahead of Week 1 backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson earlier this month. It is fairly clear this issue will linger for the foreseeable future, which could lead to more Watson absences for the 4-2 team. For Walker to play in Week 8, the Browns must sign him to the 53-man roster. The ex-Panthers backup has made the rare transition from gameday elevation to to QB1, but the team has used up his three allotted elevations this season.

Additionally, the Browns are expected to be without running back Jerome Ford for a bit. The initial Nick Chubb replacement suffered a high ankle sprain Sunday, per Schefter, who classifies this as a “low grade” sprain that is likely to sideline the second-year back a week or two. The Browns signed Kareem Hunt in the wake of Chubb’s knee injury, and they acquired Pierre Strong from the Patriots before the season. Hunt logged 10 carries (for 31 yards) last week; Strong totaled eight (for 25).

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

October 28th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The countdown to this year’s October 31 trade deadline continues, and a number of deals have already been made. More will follow in the coming days, though, as contending teams look to bolster their rosters for the stretch run and sellers seek to offload expiring contracts and gain future draft assets. Much will be driven, of course, by each squad’s financial situation.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here’s a breakdown of every team’s cap space in advance of the deadline:

  1. San Francisco 49ers: $39.89MM
  2. Cleveland Browns: $33.99MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $11.1MM
  4. Cincinnati Bengals: $10.78MM
  5. Tennessee Titans: $10.55MM
  6. Las Vegas Raiders: $9.16MM
  7. Chicago Bears: $9.06MM
  8. Los Angeles Chargers: $9.05MM
  9. Indianapolis Colts: $8.78MM
  10. Minnesota Vikings: $7.96MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $7.55MM
  12. New York Jets: $7.17MM
  13. Seattle Seahawks: $7.16MM
  14. Carolina Panthers: $7.07MM
  15. Dallas Cowboys: $7.03MM
  16. Baltimore Ravens: $6.83MM
  17. Atlanta Falcons: $6.76MM
  18. Detroit Lions: $6.62MM
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars: $6.42MM
  20. New Orleans Saints: $4.67MM
  21. Buffalo Bills: $4.58MM
  22. Los Angeles Rams: $4.37MM
  23. Houston Texans: $4.26MM
  24. Washington Commanders: $3.78MM
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $3.7MM
  26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $3.63MM
  27. Miami Dolphins: $3.49MM
  28. New England Patriots: $2.87MM
  29. Philadelphia Eagles: $2.81MM
  30. Pittsburgh Steelers: $2.55MM
  31. Denver Broncos: $1.22MM
  32. New York Giants: $991K

The 49ers have carried considerable space throughout the season, but general manager John Lynch made it clear last month the team’s intention was to roll over most of their funds into next season. Still, with San Francisco sitting at 5-2 on the year, it would come as little surprise if at least one more depth addition (separate from the Randy Gregory move) were to be made in the near future.

Deals involving pick swaps for role players dominated the trade landscape for some time, but more noteworthy contributors have been connected to a potential swap recently. One of them – Titans safety Kevin Byard – has already been dealt. That has led to speculation Tennessee is open to dealing other big names as they look to 2024. Derrick Henry’s name has come up multiple times with respect to a deal sending him out of Nashville, but that now seems unlikely.

Several edge rushers are on the market, including Danielle Hunter (Vikings) and one or both of Montez Sweat and Chase Young (Commanders). Hunter nearly found himself with the Jaguars this offseason, and last year’s AFC South winners could be on the lookout for a pass rush boost. A mid-level addition in that regard would come as little surprise. In Minnesota and Washington’s case, however, it remains to be seen if they will be true sellers given their 3-4 records heading into tomorrow’s action.

A number of receivers could also be on the move soon. Both the Broncos’ pair of Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and the Panthers’ Terrace Marshall have been involved heavily in trade talk. Jeudy and Sutton are on the books at an eight figure price tag next season, and the Broncos are unlikely to receive the draft capital they could have at prior points in their Denver tenures. Marshall, by contrast, is in the third season of his four-year rookie contract and could fit more comfortably into an acquiring team’s cap situation. The Panthers have allowed him to seek out a trade partner.

The Cowboys sit in the top half of the league in terms of spending power, but mixed signals initially came out with respect to their interest in making a splash. Owner Jerry Jones has insisted Dallas will not initiate negotiations on a trade, citing his confidence in a 4-2 roster which has been hit by a few notable injuries on defense in particular. Despite having more cap space than most other teams, the Bengals are likewise expected to be quiet on the trade front.  

The past few years have seen a notable uptick in trade activity around the league, and it would come as a surprise if that trend did not continue over the next few days. Last-minute restructures and cost-shedding moves would help the teams in need of flexibility pull off moves, though sellers will no doubt also be asked to retain salary if some of the higher-paid veterans on the trade block end up being dealt. Given the spending power of teams at the top of the list, there is plenty of potential for the league’s landscape to change ahead of the stretch run to the playoffs.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/23

October 28th, 2023 at 7:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the gameday elevations and other minor moves made around the league in advance of Week 8:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson’s loss will be notable for the Cardinals, given his status as an entrenched starter at the left guard spot. The 28-year-old joined Arizona on a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum in free agency after stints in Denver, Chicago and Atlanta. Trystan Colon replaced him in the starting lineup in Week 7, and that will likely continue for the time being. Wilkinson will be out for at least four weeks as a result of the IR move.

Ridgeway has been out since Week 1, his Texans debut. The former 49er joined the Texans in a move which allowed him to continue working under head coach DeMeco Ryans. Ridgeway ended last season on IR, so he will be looking for an extended run of availability in his new home. A veteran of 78 games (and 19 starts), he will aim to carve out a rotational role up front.

Peters was brought in by the Seahawks while they were dealing with injury problems at both tackle spots. Blindside blocker Charles Cross has since returned, so Peters’ most familiar spot will not be available if he is to make his Seattle debut on Sunday. The fact the latter is healthy and in game shape does mean, however, that he will be eligible to play in a 19th NFL season.

Rams Release K Brett Maher; Team Signs K Lucas Havrisik Off Browns’ Practice Squad

October 25th, 2023 at 8:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 25: Havrisik may be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option in Los Angeles, as the Rams have shown they may not view him as a permanent solution. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports that the team hosted a mass tryout for kickers today. In addition to veteran kickers Mason Crosby and Randy Bullock, the team also tried out Austin Seibert, Matthew Wright, and Tucker McCann.

With Crosby’s time in Green Bay coming to an end after 16 years as a Packer, he’s aiming to join the second franchise of his NFL career. Bullock, after starting out in Houston, has had decent stints with the Bengals and Titans over the past several years. Seibert and Wright have both had a single decent season, Seibert with the Browns and Wright with the Jaguars, but both have bounced around a bit since.

Havrisik may have first dibs, already being under contract, but with the Rams continuing to explore other options, his grip on the kicking job may be tenuous at best.

OCTOBER 24: After struggling in Week 7, Brett Maher now finds himself on the lookout for a new opportunity. The veteran kicker was released by the Rams on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Maher missed a pair of field goals, along with an extra point, in the Rams’ 24-17 loss to the Steelers on Sunday. That drew understandable criticism from head coach Sean McVay, and led to questions about whether or not a change at the position would be deemed necessary. Today’s move confirms Los Angeles’ stance on that front.

The 33-year-old had his second Cowboys stint end in disappointing fashion in last year’s postseason. Maher had delivered a strong performance in the regular season, but he missed four extra point attempts in the wild-card round and another in the divisional round. To no surprise, Dallas looked elsewhere for a replacement, which left Maher in search of a new home.

That initially sent him to Denver in a reunion with head coach Sean Payton. Maher spent the 2021 season with the Saints in Payton’s final year in New Orleans. By the time the season started, though, the Broncos had acquired another Payton-era Saints alum (Wil Lutz) to handle kicking duties. The latter has missed only one field goal and one extra point to date, so Denver likely does not regret that decision.

Maher had been busy during his brief Rams stint. His 23 field goal attempts through seven weeks (along with 17 makes) lead the NFL. However, that 74% success rate is the second-lowest of his career, and a recurrence of his XP issues will likely make it difficult to find another NFL gig in the near future. With respect to his replacement, the Rams appear to have a successor in mind.

Los Angeles plans to sign Lucas Havrisik off the Browns’ practice squad, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The 24-year-old initially joined the league with the Colts last season, but after a long stretch as a free agent, he joined Cleveland’s taxi squad this summer. The Browns ran into kicking trouble in the preseason, which led to Cade York‘s departure. He was replaced by Dustin Hopkins, who has been nearly perfect to start the year. Now. Cleveland will lose its backup plan at the kicking spot while the Rams (who have confirmed the signing) will give Havrisik his first opportunity in regular season NFL action.

Trade Rumors: Rams, Burns, Panthers, Browns, Saints, Bucs

October 25th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier this month, Sean McVay pushed back on the notion the Rams would be active buyers. This has been the NFL’s preeminent buyer in recent years, with the McVay seasons involving the Rams trading for Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey, Austin Corbett and Dante Fowler. While Los Angeles probably is not preparing any two-first-rounder offers this season (after the Panthers turned down that monster proposal for Brian Burns in 2022), Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes the Rams are “definitely” looking around for potential help.

With the Rams trading Ramsey and gutting their defense, they were more likely to be sellers at the deadline. But the team is 3-4, after a controversial loss to the Steelers, and has not looked like a club going through a rebuild. Each of L.A.’s losses has come by 10 points or less. The Rams should not be ruled out from asking about Burns again, per Robinson, with the price likely not at two first-rounders again. It would still surprise if the Rams parted with a first-round pick for Burns, seeing as they finally are set to enter a draft with a Round 1 pick. L.A. has not made a first-round pick since Jared Goff in 2016.

With the deadline at 3pm on Oct. 31, here is the latest from the trade front:

  • The Panthers have received calls on Burns, but the interest does not seem to be where it was a year ago. The fifth-year pass rusher is in line for a high-end extension, which will affect his trade price tag. Carolina may now be showing the same resistance it did at the 2022 deadline, with ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano noting the team is informing others Burns is not available. A recent report suggested the value gap between Burns and the Panthers could lead to the team reopening the door on a trade, and a new defensive staff is in place. Then again, Burns has played for five HCs (counting the two interim bosses) and has continued to produce.
  • Sitting at 4-2 after two close wins, the Browns have gotten here despite Deshaun Watson‘s nagging shoulder injury. They have been linked to being both buyers and sellers, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who notes the team is believed to be interested in adding a wide receiver and an offensive lineman (subscription required). Cleveland was fairly aggressive on the receiver front this offseason, trading for Elijah Moore, drafting Cedric Tillman in Round 3 and signing Marquise Goodwin. Contract-year target Donovan Peoples-Jones has disappointed, however, sitting on 97 receiving yards in six games. Only Amari Cooper resides as a particularly imposing threat. Up front, the Browns lost right tackle Jack Conklin for the season. Joel Bitonio also missed a game for the first time in seven years, though the All-Pro guard returned for Week 7.
  • Also in the mix for a potential receiver add: the Saints. New Orleans is monitoring the wideout market, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes. The Saints have seen Michael Thomas stay on the field for an extended stretch for the first time since 2019, and Rashid Shaheed has taken steps in his second season. No. 1 target Chris Olave has not yet built on his rookie-year showing, but he is still on pace for a 1,000-yard season. This trio’s presence makes New Orleans’ prospective receiver push a bit interesting. Hunter Renfrow would come to mind as an obvious fit, given his production with Derek Carr in the past. The Raiders are open to moving the $16MM-per-year slot, who has fallen out of favor in Josh McDaniels‘ offense. While it does not seem like it would take much to land Renfrow, the Raiders are also not eager to eat any of the fifth-year target’s prorated $10.82MM salary.
  • The Buccaneers should be expected to look into adding a running back before the deadline, Graziano adds. While Tampa Bay was linked to an outside RB pursuit this offseason, the team stood down. Its recommitment to Rachaad White has produced a negligible improvement. After a last-place 2022 rushing ranking, Tampa Bay sits 29th entering Week 8.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/24/23

October 24th, 2023 at 7:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Released: CB Quavian White

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/24/23

October 24th, 2023 at 6:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Promoted: TE Blake Whiteheart

Atlanta Falcons

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Roster gymnastics at quarterback continues for the Patriots, who will again take the chance no one will claim Cunningham. New England waived the rookie UDFA in August and stashed him on its practice squad, and ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss notes that is likely to happen again — provided no team claims him. The Pats promoted the Louisville product earlier this month, but after playing him in Week 6, they sat him in Week 7. Although the Patriots designated Flowers for return from IR on Oct. 4, they will cut ties with their former starter rather than use a roster spot on his activation by Wednesday.

The Giants have now added two running backs this week, with Jackson following Jashaun Corbin‘s return from the Panthers’ practice squad. Injuries to Gray and Gary Brightwell led to these moves. Gray sustained a calf injury in Week 7, leading the Giants to insert veteran Sterling Shepard as their punt returner. Shepard muffed a punt that led to the Commanders’ only score. Peart had operated as a backup tackle. He joins Andrew Thomas‘ initial replacement, Joshua Ezeudu, on IR. Guard Shane Lemieux is also on IR.

The Texans initially released Littleton due to roster-reorganizing purposes, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, but the offseason pickup remains in the team’s plans. Houston cut Littleton to make room for waiver claim Myjai Sanders, but after waiving cornerback D’Angelo Ross on Monday, the team is re-signing the veteran linebacker. Littleton, 30, played sparingly in the Texans’ six games this season, logging only 17 defensive snaps.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/23

October 23rd, 2023 at 7:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

  • Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: RB Jashaun Corbin

San Francisco 49ers

This marks a New York return for Corbin, who went to training camp with the Giants. A UDFA out of Florida State, Corbin signed a reserve/futures contract with the Giants in January but did not make their 53-man roster. The Panthers had kept Corbin on their practice squad since early September. Rather than promote Corbin to their 53-man roster to block this New York return, Carolina will let him join the Giants’ 53. Corbin joins Saquon Barkley, Gary Brightwell and fifth-round rookie Eric Gray as running backs on Big Blue’s 53-man roster. Both Brightwell (hamstring) and Gray (calf) suffered injuries in Week 7, creating a need at the position.

Browns’ Deshaun Watson Exits Week 7 Game With Shoulder Injury

October 22nd, 2023 at 6:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns won a shootout against the Colts in Week 7, the contest which marked Deshaun Watson‘s return to action. That did not last long for the Cleveland quarterback, however, as he exited the game early.

Watson took a hit in the first quarter which appeared to reaggravate his shoulder injury. That ailment led to a surprise deactivation in Week 4, and was later diagnosed as a micro tear in his right rotator cuff. The Browns adopted a week-to-week approach with their high-priced passer, understandably proceeding with caution given his importance to the team’s offense (especially with star running back Nick Chubb out for the season).

After a brief evaluation period, Watson was cleared to return to the game , head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed when speaking to reporters. It was out of an abundance of caution, he added, that he decided to keep Watson sidelined and turn to P.J. Walker under center to finish the game. The latter went just 15-of-32 for 178 scoreless yards and one interception, but a late drive helped lead the Browns to victory.

“I want to go out there and try to help the team as much as possible,” Watson said when asked about the move to keep him on the bench after his brief return to the lineup, via NFL.com’s Michael Baca. “Go out there and play and perform and compete. The decision was best for the team. They felt that was the best. P.J. did a great job of finishing the game.”

Watson added that more testing will take place on Monday, with the hope being that no new damage to his throwing shoulder will have been done. As of now, though, Stefanski is confident he will be able to return to QB1 duties in Week 8 against the Seahawks. If that doesn’t turn out to be the case, Cleveland will again have Walker and fifth-round rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson in place as options at the position.

Today’s game moved the Browns to 4-2 largely on the strength of their elite defense. Watson’s availability will go a long way in determining their potential on offense, though, so it will be interesting to see what is revealed in the coming days once more is known about his status. Given the team’s cautious approach, though, it should be expected at this point that he will be able to suit up in Week 8.

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