David Njoku Designated For Return
Browns tight end David Njoku has been designated to return from injured reserve and will return to practice today, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Njoku had been out with a concussion and broken wrist he suffered in Cleveland’s Week 2 win against the Jets.
Njoku had been expected to return from injured reserve at some point this season, but he first had to get through the league’s concussion protocol and rehab his wrist. The team plans to remain cautious with the third-year tight end and does not plan to play him this Sunday against the Steelers unless he looks fantastic in practice, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Prior to this injury, Njoku had played in 34 consecutive games for the Browns since they selected him 29th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. Like the entire Cleveland organization, the young tight end appeared poised for a breakout after a solid 2018 campaign. In his second professional season, he caught 56 receptions for 639 yards including four touchdowns.
Now, returning to practice, Njoku will look to rebuild chemistry with starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and hopefully spark stronger play from the Browns struggling offense. Currently at 4-6, Cleveland is unlikely to make a run at the playoffs, but a strong close to the season could help them remain more certain they are still headed in the right direction.
Browns Place Morgan Burnett On IR
07:56pm: Burnett underwent successful surgery today, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). He is expected to make a full recovery.
09:35am: Morgan Burnett‘s season is over. As feared, the Browns’ veteran safety tore his Achilles in Cleveland’s win over the Steelers on Thursday, and the club announced that it has placed Burnett on IR.
It’s an especially difficult blow for Burnett, who missed some time due to injury earlier in the season as well. But he played all of the Browns’ defensive snaps in Weeks 8 through 10, and he was having a great night against Pittsburgh in Week 11, piling up five tackles — including one tackle for loss — and a big interception before suffering the Achilles tear. Burnett had been relegated to a part-time role as a member of the Steelers in 2018, but he had returned to a starter’s workload with Cleveland.
The 4-6 Browns were already going to have an uphill climb to make the playoffs, but that task will be even more difficult without Burnett on the back end of the defense and without the suspended Myles Garrett in the trenches. The Browns already cut safety Jermaine Whitehead earlier this year after he went on a Twitter tirade, so they could look outside the organization for a replacement for Burnett (they did work out several safeties yesterday). If not, Eric Murray, Juston Burris, or rookie Sheldrick Redwine are the current internal candidates on the 53-man roster.
Cleveland has Burnett under club control through the 2020 season after signing him to a two-year, $7.5MM deal in April. He ends his first Browns season with 41 tackles, one interception, and two sacks.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/18/19
Today’s updates from the workout circuit:
Cleveland Browns
- LB B.J. Blunt, Tank Carradine, WR Jawill Davis, S A.J. Howard, WR Damion Jeanpiere, WR Tyron Johnson, WR J’Mon Moore, S Jacob Thieneman, RB Roc Thomas, OL Leonard Wester
Houston Texans
- OL John Wetzel
Jacksonville Jaguars
- FB George Aston, TE Drew Belcher, TE Matt Flanagan, FB Ryan Yurachek
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
- LB Malik Jefferson, RB Rod Smith, RB Mark Thompson
Browns, LB Joe Schobert Have Discussed Extension
Browns linebacker Joe Schobert may not be a household name, but he has quietly become one of the best young LBs in football. The 2017 Pro Bowler announced his presence on the national stage during Thursday night’s win over the Steelers, flying all over the field to post 10 total tackles, a sack, and two interceptions.
Schobert, 26, has been a full-time starter since 2017, and he has recorded over 100 tackles in each of the past two years (he already has 92 tackles this season). He does well against the pass and against the run, and he has played every defensive snap for the Browns this year.
The 2016 fourth-round pick is also playing out the final year of his rookie contract, and as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes, the Browns and Schobert’s agent have discussed a contract extension. “They’ve had conversations,” Schobert said. “I just let him do his job and I just try to focus on football.”
When asked if he was open to staying in Cleveland, Schobert didn’t exhibit unbridled excitement. “Sure,” he said. “You always want to have the long-term security and comfort knowing where you’re going to be and what team you’re going to be on and that kind of stuff.”
Schobert may not be in Bobby Wagner territory, but he will almost certainly crack the $10MM/year mark when he signs his next contract. A five-year, $65MM pact with around $35MM in guarantees sounds like a good bet.
Roger Goodell On Myles Garrett
- Although Myles Garrett‘s appeal will take place Wednesday, the odds the Browns defensive end plays again this season appear slim. “He will not play the rest of the season,” Roger Goodell told OTG’s Gary Myers (via Pro Football Talk). “He will probably meet with us some time in the offseason. We’ll make a judgement. … Does he have remorse? Does he understand why it’s not acceptable? Do we understand what he’s going to do to make sure it doesn’t happen again?” Garrett is suspended indefinitely for striking Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with a helmet.
Latest On Browns-Steelers Brawl
NOV. 18: Per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, Ogunjobi’s appeal will be heard Monday, and Pouncey’s appeal will be heard Tuesday. Schefter says that Garrett’s appeal will be heard on Wednesday (Twitter link). Schefter notes in a separate tweet that Garrett intends to be at the hearing to state his case in person.
NOV. 17: The NFL has suspended Browns defensive end Myles Garrett indefinitely, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Garrett will appeal the ban (Twitter link).
In case you haven’t heard, Garrett was the central figure in a horrific melee that broke out in the final moments of Thursday night’s contest between the Steelers and Browns. While both fanbases certainly have their own perspective on the matter, it’s clear that Garrett unnecessarily drove Steelers QB Mason Rudolph into the ground after Rudolph released a pass. The play could have been flagged — and may have been if the game were in doubt at that point or if there were more then eight seconds left — and Rudolph took exception to it.
Rudolph grabbed at Garrett’s helmet and kicked out at him, which caused Garrett to escalate the scuffle beyond what anyone could have reasonably expected, yanking Rudolph’s helmet off of him and striking him over the head with it. That naturally led to a scrum between both clubs that saw Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey (three games) and Browns defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi (one game) receive suspensions. Rudolph, Pouncey, and Ogunjobi were all fined, and obviously Garrett will be fined as well.
As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, more fines will be coming for Rudolph and others. While NFL head of football operations Troy Vincent and his team initially reviewed the footage of the brawl with a focus on who committed offenses worthy of a suspension, they will now comb through the tape to determine the full amount of fines (and what other players may deserve them). Vincent says there will certainly be another wave of fines on the way, and both the Steelers and Browns have been hit with $250K sanctions.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says the appeals for Garrett, Pouncey, and Ogunjobi will be heard on Monday and Tuesday by jointly-appointed officers Derrick Brooks and James Thrash. The rulings are expected no later than Wednesday. Schefter adds in a separate report that at least 10 players will be fined, and that the announcement will be issued next weekend.
Per Rapoport, Garrett’s camp will argue that the CBA does not allow for indefinite suspensions for on-field acts and that the league should impose a ban for a finite number of games.
Browns Notes: Johnson, Garrett Interview, Contract
Running back Duke Johnson was acquired by the Texans from the Browns earlier this year for a conditional draft pick. Johnson has met the conditions in the agreement so Cleveland will receive Houston’s third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Johnson was holding out for the duration of the offseason attempting to force his way out of Cleveland. The Browns honored his request in the first week of August after they found an amenable agreement with Houston. Since joining the Texans this season, Johnson has appeared in every game of the season for the Texans, rushing for 287 yards on 54 carries, while hauling in 22 receptions for 228 yards.
Here’s more from around the Browns notes:
- Suspended Browns defensive end Myles Garrett had agreed to an interview with Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, but Cleveland’s higher ups called the first overall pick in the 2017 Draft into their office and told him he could not do the interview, per Glazer. After Garrett’s unprecedented fight against the Steelers, which included swinging a helmet at quarterback Mason Rudolph‘s bare head, it would obviously be valuable to hear from the rusher. However, the team is also working in its best interest being cautious with Garrett’s persona given the drama surrounding his current situation.
- Garrett’s suspension will obviously cost him a substantial amount of money, but Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap details the specific ramifications for the young star. Fitzgerald notes that recent changes in rookie contract structures that have de-emphasized signing bonuses and placed more emphasis on base salaries has cost Garrett and could have ramifications for prospects in the future.
Odell Beckham Jr. Believes NFL Is Targeting Him For PED Tests
Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. believes he is being targeted by the league in the performance enhancing drug testing process, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. After Cleveland’s win on Thursday against the Steelers Beckham told reporters, “[The NFL] made me come in Monday when we had an off day. Had a drug test… Made me come in Thursday after the game. Had another drug test.”
The NFL would not respond specifically to Beckham’s accusation, per Cleveland.com, but NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy broadly denied the claims in a statement to the site. McCarthy pointed out that “Neither the union nor league are involved in the selection process.”
Beckham is not the first player to accuse the league of manipulating the PED testing process. Last season, safety Eric Reid accused the league of similar malfeasance. Reid had raised legal claims against the league alongside quarterback Colin Kaepernick in a collusion lawsuit and claimed the league was set on finding dirt on him. However, an official investigation found no wrongdoing by the league in Reid’s case.
In Beckham’s case, there is even less reason to believe the league would have any interest in wrongdoing. While Beckham has struggled this season, his first in Cleveland, he remains one of the league’s biggest celebrities and most popular players.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick Workout
Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick completed one of the most unique workouts in NFL history this afternoon. The NFL offered to stage a workout for the quarterback earlier this week. However, Kaepernick’s team became weary of the league’s intentions when his representatives were refused in their requests to open the event to the public. In a last minute decision, Kaepernick’s representation moved the event from the Falcons facility to a public location on their own.
Here’s the latest on the workout and its aftermath:
- When the venue was changed, the NFL released a public statement on NFL.com that expressed they were “disappointed” with Kaepernick’s choice not to participate in the workout they had organized. They claimed “Twenty-five (25) clubs were present for the workout, and all 32 clubs, their head coaches, general managers, and other personnel executives would have received video footage of the interview and workout.” The league also felt the need to note they “made considerable effort to work cooperatively with Colin’s representatives,” among a list of other points that attempted to counter some narratives that the league had been purposely opaque in their negotiations.
- The league also tweeted out from the league’s official account a thread reiterating some main points from the press release. One key point from the league’s perspective, “Colin moved his workout to a facility an hour from Atlanta Falcons Flowery Branch facility. No one got a heads up until NFL saw the Twitter statement.”
- Former Raiders and Browns head coach Hue Jackson was scheduled to run the workout orchestrated by the NFL. However, while Kaepernick’s team invited Jackson to run the workout at the new venue, Jackson returned to the airport, according to Michael Silver of NFL.com.
- WR Bruce Ellington, WR Brice Butler, WR Jordan Veasy, TE/WR Ari Werts, and Panthers S Eric Reid were on the field with Kaepernick for the workout, according to Kaylee Harung of ABC News. The free-agent receivers were likely hoping to catch the eyes of scouts present to view Kaepernick, while Reid has been one of the most consistent advocated for Kaepernick in the league.
- One claim in the announcement made by Kaepernick’s representatives was that the league required he sign an agreement that included language to limit his ability to bring claims against the league. Of course, given Kaepernick’s previous collusion lawsuit against the league, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk argues the workout was a ploy by the league to put Kaepernick “in legal checkmate.”
- In the end, there were not nearly as many teams present at Kaepernick’s workout as the NFL claimed would have been present for the workout they had planned. The Washington football team, Eagles, 49ers, Chiefs, Jets, Titans, and Lions were the teams present for his workout, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
- The 2-hour workout was streamed on YouTube and consistently maintained roughly 45,000 viewers. On the field, one NFL executive described Kaepernick’s arm talent as “elite” and on the same level as “when he came out of college,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
- Teams that had personnel present for the workout noted that the workout consisted of 60 throws and “Basically showed he’s the same guy he was,” according to Albert Breer of MMQB. After the workout, Kaepernick did not hold any formal interviews, but in his closing remarks said he would hold an interview with any team. He also thanked his fans for their support and reiterated, “I’ve been ready. I’m staying ready. And I’ll continue to be ready….The ball’s in their court. We’re ready to go.”
Rudolph Won't Pursue Legal Action Against Garrett
- The fallout from the Browns/Steelers brawl isn’t going to get any crazier than it already is. Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph will not take legal action against Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport writes that “Rudolph considers the situation to be exclusively an NFL matter.” The fact that it was even a consideration underscores just how wild last night’s events were. Rudolph’s agent had even intimated on Twitter that they were seriously considering pursuing a lawsuit or prosecution. In case you somehow missed it, Garrett has been suspended indefinitely, while Maurkice Pouncey got a three-game ban and Rudolph was fined.