Browns Likely To Be Quiet At Trade Deadline
The Browns, currently sitting at 4-3 and in third place in the AFC North, are not expected to swing a major deal in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Cabot does not anticipate the club acquiring a high-profile talent or trading one away.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham became the subject of trade speculation even before his first season in Cleveland was over, and those rumors have continued to crop up ever since. The Browns have done their best to quash all such rumblings, and Beckham will likely stay put at least through the end of the 2021 campaign. After all, he is dealing with a painful sprain in his right shoulder, and he is still owed $9MM over the rest of the season, so even if Cleveland were interesting in making a trade, there are obvious hurdles.
Plus, the Browns have every reason to keep Beckham around. Although he and QB Baker Mayfield have yet to develop a consistent rapport, OBJ continues to get open and remains an elite talent, so it would be surprising to see a Cleveland outfit that has postseason aspirations make that type of trade.
The same logic applies to tight ends David Njoku and Austin Hooper. Neither player has offered much production in 2021 — aside from a monster Week 5 game for Njoku that accounted for over half of his 2021 receiving yards and his only touchdown — but the hope is that the passing game will improve as the season goes on, just as it did last year. Njoku is playing on an expiring contract and requested a trade on several occasions last summer, but his most recent comments on the matter suggested that he would like to remain in Cleveland, and Cabot expects both him and Hooper to still be Browns once the deadline has passed.
Speaking of Mayfield, Cabot says the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft will likely require offseason surgery on his injured shoulder. His injury has complicated extension talks, and now, if an extension is reached, it probably won’t happen until after the season. Mayfield is under club control through 2022 via the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, which the Browns exercised earlier this year.
In related news, Cleveland does have starting RT Jack Conklin back in action for today’s critical matchup with the Steelers. Conklin had missed the prior two games with a knee injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/21
Here is the Week 8 Saturday minor move blitz:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: LB Daren Bates, LB James Vaughters
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: TE Kahale Warring
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: DE Darryl Johnson
- Promoted: P Lachlan Edwards, WR Keith Kirkwood
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: T Larry Borom
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DE Khalid Kareem, RB Trayveon Williams
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Tim Harris, S Jovante Moffatt
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Jonas Griffith
- Promoted: LB Barrington Wade
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: DE Da’Shawn Hand
- Promoted: S Jalen Elliott, TE Brock Wright
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: C Justin Britt
- Promoted: LB Hardy Nickerson, G Lane Taylor, OL Cole Toner
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Kendall Blanton
- Promoted: DB Antoine Brooks, DB Tyler Hall
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: LB Vince Biegel, RB Patrick Laird, CB Jamal Perry
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: TE Luke Stocker, DE Kenny Willekes
New England Patriots
- Promoted: DT Daniel Ekuale
New Orleans Saints
- Activated after six-game suspension: DT David Onyemata
- Placed on IR: G Andrus Peat (story)
- Promoted: T Jordan Mills, WR Kevin White
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Jarrad Davis
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, QB Josh Johnson, DE Jabari Zuniga
- Released: S Jarrod Wilson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: RB Jordan Howard, TE Richard Rodgers
- Activated from IR: S K’Von Wallace
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: DE Taco Charlton
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: LB Tanner Muse
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Cyril Grayson
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DL Eli Ankou, FB Tory Carter, RB Dontrell Hilliard
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: C Keith Ismael, T David Steinmetz
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/21
Here are Saturday’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Suspended two games (PEDs): DT Frank Herron
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Alex Taylor
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Eric Banks
- Released: CB Shakur Brown
Houston Texans
- Signed: P Johnny Townsend
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/29/21
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Herb Miller
Houston Texans
- Promoted: CB Cre’Von LeBlanc
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: OL K.C. McDermott
- Placed on IR: Jay Tufele
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/28/21
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: OL Danny Isidora, OL Zack Johnson, DL Josh Mauro, LB Joe Walker
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: DT Daviyon Nixon
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Caleb Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: OL Alex Taylor
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL Eric Banks
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: TE Dominique Dafney
- Promoted: OL Ben Braden
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: TE Ben Ellefson
Browns QB Baker Mayfield Dealing With Fractured Shoulder Bone
Oct. 24: According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, swelling in Mayfield’s shoulder has made it impossible for the fourth-year passer to sufficiently rehab the injury. He is in danger of missing the club’s Week 8 matchup against the Steelers, and because a harness alone may not prevent further damage if Mayfield is hit from behind and unable to adequately protect himself, he could be sidelined even longer than that.
Keenum — who navigated the team to a 17-14 victory over the Broncos on Thursday night — will obviously continue to get the nod in Mayfield’s absence.
Oct. 21: Baker Mayfield‘s shoulder injury sounds like it’s more serious than initially thought. Jay Glazer of FOX reports (via Twitter) that the Browns quarterback fractured the humerus bone in his shoulder.
[RELATED: QB Case Keenum To Start For Browns]
While it’s uncertain when Mayfield suffered the injury, it occurred when his shoulder popped out of its socket, which vicariously caused the fracture. The quarterback suffered a shoulder injury back in mid-September, but he reportedly aggravated the injury during the Browns’ loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. The fracture is limiting Mayfield’s rotator cuff, per Glazer, and that led to the QB being inactive for tonight’s game against the Broncos.
“I need that fracture to heal for me to get back out there,” Mayfield told Glazer (Twitter link). The QB is still hoping that his return will come next weekend, but that will depend on how quickly the fracture heals.
After being listed as inactive tonight, Mayfield will officially miss his first game since taking over as the Browns starting quarterback in 2018. The QB had started each of Cleveland’s first six games this season, completed 67.1-percent of his passes for 1,474 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Browns have backup Case Keenum under center in Mayfield’s stead, and the veteran will likely continue starting as long as Mayfield is out of the lineup.
Browns Activate Jarvis Landry From IR
11:44am: Landry is indeed back on the Browns’ 53-man roster for Week 7. The Browns activated him from injured reserve, providing Case Keenum with a key weapon tonight.
9:56am: The Browns will be missing their all-world backfield duo and Baker Mayfield against the Broncos on Thursday night, but they should have at least one of their starting wideouts available for this game.
Jarvis Landry is likely to return from IR tonight, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. Landry has missed the past four games due a knee injury sustained on the Browns’ opening drive of their Week 2 contest. While the five-time Pro Bowler would reasonably benefit from an extra 10 days to prepare, the Browns appear prepared to deploy him to help a shorthanded offense tonight. Landry returned to practice last week.
A Landry re-emergence would be crucial for a Browns team down both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, who is now on IR, and one that may not have Odell Beckham Jr. available. The shoulder injury OBJ sustained last week marked a “significant” setback, per Palmer, who notes the injury-prone pass catcher has an uphill battle to play against Denver. The Browns have yet to rule Beckham out, however.
Beckham did not practice during Cleveland’s short week but did play through the injury in the team’s loss to Arizona, catching five passes for a season-high 79 yards in Week 6. Beckham and Landry have not played together in nearly a year; Beckham suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 of last season.
Cleveland’s tackle situation appears to break down similarly. One of the team’s two starters, left tackle Jedrick Wills, is set to be available. Jack Conklin is not expected to play, Palmer tweets. Conklin logged a limited practice Wednesday but missed the Browns’ first two workouts this week. He is battling a knee injury. Swing tackle Chris Hubbard is out for the season; the Browns started rookie James Hudson at right tackle against the Cardinals.
QB Case Keenum To Start For Browns Tomorrow
Baker Mayfield will officially miss his first game since taking over as the Browns starting quarterback in 2018. The Browns announced that they’ll be without their starting QB tomorrow against the Broncos. Cleveland will have backup Case Keenum under center.
Keenum will have a chance to start against his former team, as the veteran started all 16 games for Denver back in 2018. He went 1-7 in eight starts with Washington in 2019, but he still got a three-year, $18MM deal from the Browns in 2020. In one-plus seasons with the team, the 33-year-old has seen time in four games, completing six of his 13 pass attempts for 52 yards.
“We have full confidence in him to lead us and do the things necessary to put us in position to win,” coach Kevin Stefanski said of Keenum. “Baker fought really hard to play, he’s a competitor and obviously wants to be out there but just couldn’t make it on a short week. We know he will continue to do everything in his power to return as quickly as possible.”
Mayfield suffered a shoulder injury back in mid-September, but he’s continued to play through the injury. He aggravated the injury during the Browns’ loss to the Cardinals on Sunday, and ESPN’s Jake Trotter writes that Mayfield was advised not to play by both team doctors and his own personal doctor.
Earlier this week, Mayfield clarified that he wouldn’t see the field if he ever thought he’d be hurting his team’s chances.
“Only I know how my body feels,” Mayfield said (via Trotter). “If anyone questions whether I am hindering the team and going out there injured, that’s just not right. It’s my decision. I get to say whether I am able to play or not, and that’s just how it is.”
Browns’ Kareem Hunt To Miss Time
The Browns are pretty banged up. Running back Kareem Hunt‘s calf injury is “pretty significant,” according to head coach Kevin Stefanski (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Meanwhile, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is also dealing with a calf strain. Both injuries generally require 4-6 weeks of recovery, leaving Cleveland short-handed on both sides of the ball.
Both players are likely to be placed on injured reserve, allowing the Browns to restock their roster. Per league rules, they can return in as little as three weeks, but it sounds like they’ll be shelved until late November or early December.
The Browns were already hurting in the backfield, thanks to Nick Chubb‘s calf injury. They’re down to just two RBs now — D’Ernest Johnson and sixth-round rookie Demetric Felton.
Hunt saw a much larger role in 2020, his second Browns season. He totaled 1,145 yards from scrimmage and eleven scores, plus three touchdowns in two playoff games. Hunt remains under contract through the 2022 season while Chubb is signed through 2024 thanks to his three-year, $36.6MM extension.
Through six games, Chubb has 361 rushing yards off of 69 carries, good for an average of 5.2 yards per tote. He’s also registered 20 grabs for 161 yards — roughly half of last year’s receiving totals.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/16/21
The Week 6 Saturday minor move blitz:
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: RB Spencer Brown, G Michael Jordan
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: G Dieter Eiselen, RB Artavis Pierce
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: LB Joe Bachie, RB Trayveon Williams
- Placed on IR: G D’Ante Smith
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: DT Sheldon Day, CB Herb Miller, T Alex Taylor
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Connor Davis
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: FB Nick Ralston, TE Jeremy Sprinkle
- Waived: T Brandon Knight
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: CB Mike Ford
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: WR Juwann Winfree
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: WR Nico Collins
- Promoted: QB Jeff Driskel, G Lane Taylor, OL Cole Toner
- Placed on IR: T Laremy Tunsil (story)
- Released: LB Joe Thomas
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: OL K.C. McDermott, WR Laquon Treadwell, K Matthew Wright
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: DE Demone Harris
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: DL Kendal Vickers
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: LB Cole Christiansen, DL Breiden Fehoko
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: CB Donte Deayon
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: TE Luke Stocker
New England Patriots
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Isaiah Wynn
- Promoted: OL James Ferentz
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: LB Cam Brown
- Promoted: T Korey Cunningham, WR Dante Pettis
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: T Zach Banner
- Placed on IR: J.J. Smith-Schuster (story)
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: CB Tre Brown, C Ethan Pocic
- Promoted: WR Phillip Dorsett, QB Jake Luton
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, T David Steinmetz