Tyrod Taylor Has Dislocated Pinky
Tyrod Taylor gave Browns fans a scare on Thursday night when he left Cleveland’s preseason game with a hand injury, but he eventually return to the contest and was diagnosed with just a dislocated pinky, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While undoubtedly a painful ailment, Taylor isn’t expected to miss any time with the issue, and he tweeted earlier today that he’s “doing well.” Taylor will begin the 2018 campaign as the Browns’ starting quarterback, but could eventually cede to No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield.
- Le’Veon Bell isn’t expected to report to the Steelers until Week 1, and it’s unclear if the two-time franchise player will be a member of Pittsburgh’s roster after 2018. He won’t be assigned the tag again, meaning he’ll be able to hit the open market next spring. With that in mind, Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports examined whether Bell will be able to command a fully guaranteed deal, and also looked at the top contenders to land Bell once he finally hits free agency. The Colts, Jets, and Browns — all of whom project to have plenty of 2019 cap space, all make sense as potential destinations, per Paylor.
Corey Coleman Displeased With HBO
Browns wide receivers have been perhaps the most discussed position group in the NFL this month, with Josh Gordon, Dez Bryant and Corey Coleman commandeering news cycles. The most talented of these players is on his way to being ready for the regular season. While Gordon has not resumed practicing with the Browns since returning to Berea, Ohio, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com believes his treatment program was geared around getting ready for the regular season. While it’s possible Gordon will miss the entire preseason slate, Cabot sees the seventh-year pass-catcher not only being ready to play in Week 1 but starting alongside Jarvis Landry against the Steelers on Sept. 9. Hue Jackson also is of the belief his embattled playmaker will be out there in Week 1. Although, it’s not out of the question the NFL could have some say in Gordon’s return.
- The Browns’ Bryant interest was genuine, per Cabot, and not a protection against another prolonged Gordon absence. As was the case when he turned down the Ravens’ three-year offer this spring, Bryant wants a one-year deal that will help him return to free agency in a better spot than he was when the Cowboys cut him. Cabot adds both sides were impressed during Bryant’s visit, but Bryant’s price tag was probably too high for the Browns. Though, Cleveland obviously could afford to sign Bryant to whatever one-year deal he wants due to its league-leading amount of cap space. The Browns are going to continue to examine the receiver market, via trade or free agency, per Cabot.
- Coleman was not happy with how Hard Knocks handled the sequences that led him being shipped to the Bills. The HBO show only showed the third-year receiver’s frustration in Jackson’s office, and sort-of-serious trade request, and a series of drops or other on-field work Browns coaches deemed unsatisfactory. No discussions about what went into the team’s trade decision were shown, which irked the new Buffalo resident. “With all of that, I’m going to take the high road,” Coleman said after Friday night’s Bills-Browns game (via the Buffalo News). “You all can see for yourself how all that stuff worked out. I just laugh at it because it’s kind of funny. They should have shown the whole thing if they were going to show it.”
Browns Hope Josh Gordon Will Be Ready For Week 1
After Josh Gordon‘s much-anticipated return to the Browns yesterday, Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson expressed his hope that Gordon will be ready to go when the team opens up the regular season against the division-rival Steelers on September 9. Jackson said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, “There’s a chance. Obviously, we’re just going to take it one step at a time. His focus is going to be on meetings and conditioning, and then we’ll just kind of go from there. Hopefully, we can get him up and running by the first game.”
As we learned yesterday, Gordon was placed on the active/non-football injury list, which means that he can start practicing as soon as the Browns’ medical team gives him the green light. Until that happens, he can attend meetings and conditioning sessions, but if he is going to play in Week 1, he obviously needs to return to the practice field as soon as possible (though Jackson expressed his belief that Gordon developed sufficient chemistry and understanding of the offense in OTAs and minicamp).
Interestingly, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes that the league has plenty of say as to when Gordon will make a full return. He writes that, while many reporters have “parroted” the notion that the process has been controlled by a proactive Gordon, this tweet from Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, which quotes NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, suggests otherwise. The tweet says that, since Gordon is still in the league’s substance abuse program, he needs to meet certain conditions before playing, and then it quotes McCarthy as saying, “this [is} part of the process. Can attend meeting, do conditioning. Can go to practice, but not participate. No timetable on next step.”
Florio says it’s clear that Gordon’s ability to practice and to play will be subject to league approval, which means that something happened during Gordon’s treatment plan that triggered his absence in the first place. If Gordon truly did keep himself out of training camp, Florio says he would have been instantly reinstated with no restrictions of any kind upon his return.
The way this situation has played out not only suggests that the league has been directly involved, per Florio, but that the NFL is also realizing that overly-aggressive application of its substance abuse policy is not helpful to either the player or the league. Instead, it appears that the NFL has opted to work with Gordon in this case instead of running him out of the league — another misstep on Gordon’s part would result in at least another year-long suspension — which jibes with a piece from Tony Grossi of ESPN 850 WKNR, who says that commissioner Roger Goodell has been sympathetic to Gordon since the two men had a face-to-face meeting last November.
Grossi also opines that, since the Browns have finally upgraded their receiving corps, Gordon may need the team more than the team needs him for the first time in their tumultuous history together, which may be the motivation he needs to stay on the right track.
Jackson, though, made no guarantees that Gordon is back for good. He said, “I’m confident that he’s here. That’s the most important part. How long he stays, only Josh knows that, but he’s in a much better place. I think all those things, as you guys know, are always fluid. That’s always a concern, but at the same time, we’re here to support, help and try to create the right environments for Josh.”
Browns, Dez Bryant Not Close On Contract
Now that Josh Gordon has appeared at Browns training camp, Dez Bryant is “no longer on the front burner” in Cleveland, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, who adds the Browns and Bryant did not come close to reaching a contract agreement during the Bryant’s recent visit. While the Browns will keep tabs on Bryant, they’re not expected to sign him in the near future.
The Browns are searching for help at wideout after trading former first-round pick Corey Coleman to the Bills last week, and while Bryant wasn’t initially returning general manager John Dorsey‘s phone calls, the veteran pass-catcher finally agreed to come in for a meeting. Speaking on a conference call earlier today, Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson said Gordon’s presence at camp wouldn’t affect the club’s plans with Bryant (but Cabot’s sources say that isn’t the case).
“No, I think one has nothing to do with the other in my opinion,” Jackson said. “Again, things will unfold as they will. The most important thing we know is that Josh is here, and again, we’ve had a good conversation with Dez and until he’s a Cleveland Brown, I can only worry about the guys that are on this football team.”
Bryant, 29, is reportedly looking for a one-year, “prove-it” deal and wants to play for a contending club. Whether the Browns will fulfill the latter requirement in 2018 is unclear, but Bryant could conceivably wait until a wide receiver injury elsewhere opens a roster spot.
While a number of teams have been tangentially linked to Bryant since he was released by the Cowboys, no clubs aside from the Ravens and Browns have been directly interested in the former first-round pick. In fact, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com has reported many teams are unwilling to consider Bryant even at the minimum salary.
Gordon, for his part, is currently not allowed to practice after the Browns placed him on the non-football injury list earlier today. However, Jackson did allow Gordon could be available for Cleveland’s regular season opener on September 9.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/18
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on non-football injury list: WR Josh Gordon
- Signed: TE Stephen Baggett, DL Blaine Woodson
- Waived: DB Micah Hannemann
- Waived/injured: TE Julian Allen
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB LeShun Daniels
- Waived from injured reserve: LB C.J. Johnson
- Placed on reserve/retired list: RB Akeem Judd
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Kyle Coleman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Darius Prince
- Waived: DT Adam Reth
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived from injured reserve: TE Donnie Ernsberger
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Kendall Calhoun, DB Darius Hillary, WR Allenzae Staggers
- Waived: LB Jeff Knox, DL Jalen Wilkerson
- Waived/injured: RB Martez Carter
WR Josh Gordon Returns To Browns
Josh Gordon is back. The wideout announced this morning (via Twitter) that he’d be returning to the Browns. Gordon had been absent from training camp and the Browns’ first two preseason games as he worked on his mental and physical health.
“…I would like to thank the NFL, NFLPA, the entire Cleveland Browns organization, the University of Florida, and my friend and business manager Michael Johnson Jr for playing such pivotal roles during this process,” Gordon said. “This has by no means been an easy road and I’m extremely grateful to have all of you in my life.”
“As I humbly return to being a member of this team with an opportunity to get back to playing this game I love, I realize in order for me to reach my full potential my primary focus must remain on my sobriety and mental well-being.”
Gordon had announced back in June that he wouldn’t be attending the early part of preseason as he focused on his treatment program. However, there wasn’t a definitive return date, and the team subsequently placed the receiver on the non-football injury. Gordon, who has had substance abuse issues throughout his career, didn’t sit out due to a failed drug test, and he isn’t expected to be suspended. The team seemed to echo that sentiment in a statement.
“First off, we are pleased for Josh. His overall health and well-being is what is most important. We commend Josh for his hard work, commitment and focus on becoming the best version of himself,” said general manager John Dorsey (via Patrick Maks of ClevelandBrowns.com).
“We are glad Josh has reached a point where he can return to our organization, be in our building and be around his teammates. As he assimilates back to our team, Josh will initially participate in meetings and conditioning and will gradually resume all football activities as deemed appropriate.”
While it may take Gordon a while to get into shape, he’ll surely slide atop the Browns’ depth chart when he’s ready to go. The 27-year-old has only played in 10 games since 2014, but he was productive following his return to the Browns last season. In five games (five starts), Gordon hauled in 18 receptions for 335 yards and one touchdown. The receiver’s best season came in 2013, when he compiled 87 catches for 1,646 yards and nine scores.
After trading former first-rounder Corey Coleman earlier this month, the Browns receiver depth is questionable behind offseason addition Jarvis Landry. If Gordon ends up missing any regular season time, the Browns will have to turn to two of Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins, Jeff Janis, and Damion Ratley for starting gigs. Free agent wideout Dez Bryant was recently discussing a deal with the Browns, and it’s uncertain if Gordon’s return will impact negotiations.
A.J. McCarron Fractures Collarbone
A.J. McCarron suffered an injury during his first preseason start with the Bills, and it appears likely it will affect the franchise’s quarterback plans going forward. The free agent addition suffered a hairline fracture in his collarbone, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News reports (on Twitter). 
McCarron started over Nathan Peterman on Friday night in Cleveland but may have to cede the reins to the younger passer now. Peterman started the Bills’ first preseason game, but McCarron represents the bigger investment, having signed a two-year, $8.1MM deal this offseason. He was viewed as the stopgap quarterback that will provide the bridge to Josh Allen.
Allen figures to see more time as a result of McCarron’s setback, and although the Wyoming product was not viewed as a ready-made NFL signal-caller, his NFL audition could come sooner than previously expected if McCarron misses extensive time.
McCarron’s only relevant NFL work came because of a 2015 Andy Dalton injury, and after a trade to the Browns fell through at the last minute last year, a setback in Cleveland ten months later may deny him a chance at a surefire starting role. Peterman has one game of NFL starting experience, but that start turned out to be one of the worst in NFL history. But he may be the next man up.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/18
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: FB Marquez Williams
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: TE Josiah Price
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Drew Iddings
- Waived/Injured: DT Stevie Tu’ikolovatu
Dez Bryant Discussing Deal With Browns
It sounds like Dez Bryant‘s Browns visit on Thursday went well. The wide receiver and his agent stayed in Cleveland to discuss a potential deal with the team on Friday, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. 
[Poll: Should The Browns Sign Dez Bryant?]
A league source tells Cabot that a deal is not expected to be signed right away, but Bryant’s extending stay is a promising sign. Bryant also sounded upbeat when making an appearance on the Browns’ in-house radio program.
“I’m happy to be here, you know excited, you know just trying to work out some things,” said Bryant, adding that the team’s facility is “a lovely place.”
Bryant avoided the Browns’ phone calls for a while, but he had a change of heart after watching the first episode of Hard Knocks this season. The wide receiver said that Jarvis Landry‘s speech about toughness and no days off inspired him to come to Cleveland and take a closer look at the team. Bryant, presumably, is eager to play for a winner, and he has reason to believe that the Browns can win despite their combined record of 1-31 over the last two seasons.
Corey Coleman Requested Trade
- In the latest episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” we learned that wide receiver Corey Coleman requested his trade from the Browns to the Bills. “Why am I running second team? That [expletive]’s crazy to me,” Coleman said (transcription via USA Today). “If y’all don’t want me to play, why don’t you just trade me?” When the Browns obliged, they received only a 2020 seventh-rounder for the former No. 15 overall pick.