Browns C Austin Reiter Done For Year
Browns center Austin Reiter is believed to have suffered a torn ACL, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. He will be placed on IR. 
Reiter played well in his first career start at center but, unfortunately, his season is already over. The Browns plucked Reiter from the Redskins’ practice squad late last month, giving them some depth after losing starter Cameron Erving for an extended period of time. Now, they’ll be without Erving until his bruised lung is better and they’ll be without Reiter for the season.
When Reiter went down on Sunday, the Browns moved guard John Greco to the middle and used rookie Spencer Drango at right guard. They could go with that O-Line makeup going forward, but it stands to reason that they will also add a lineman to the 53-man roster.
The banged up Browns are now 0-4 heading into this Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
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Browns Release DT Armonty Bryant
The Browns are releasing Armonty Bryant, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The defensive tackle was slated to come off of suspension today. 
Bryant and former Browns defensive back De’Ante Saunders were arrested early on Christmas morning 2015. Bryant, who had Adderall in his possession, was ultimately indicted on two counts of felony drug possession when he could not produce a prescription for the medication. The NFL subsequently hit him with a four-game suspension.
Bryant, 26, enjoyed something of a breakout season in 2015, racking up career-highs in sacks (5.5), tackles (40), and forced fumbles (two). However, after a solid year on the field, the linebacker ran into some trouble off of it. Hue Jackson has talked about prioritizing character when it comes to filling out the team’s 53-man roster and it appears that he is sticking to his word by cutting Bryant. The Browns, now 0-4, probably could have used Bryant from a talent perspective.
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Browns Had Been Shopping Josh Gordon
The Browns had been discussing trades involving wide receiver Josh Gordon as recently as last week, but those talks fizzled once Gordon decided to enter rehab, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Cleveland was hoping to pick up a first- or second-day pick in exchange for Gordon.
[RELATED: Terrelle Pryor Wants Extension From Browns]
Gordon decided to go to rehab following a “slip up,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and sources tell Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that Gordon is dealing with an alcohol addiction. Some of Gordon’s past suspensions have been related to alcohol, and the pass-catcher also has a DUI on his rap sheet, so he decided entering rehab was the “extra step” he needed to get well, per Cabot.
Rival clubs were reportedly inquiring on Gordon over the summer, but the Browns indicated that they had no interest in trading their talented yet troubled wide receiver. However, former Patriots/Browns executive Michael Lombardi disputes that sentiment, tweeting the Cleveland had been shopping Gordon all summer.
The Browns have indicated that they intend to part ways with Gordon given his most recent transgression.
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Patriots Tried To Trade For Terrelle Pryor In ’15
The Patriots attempted to trade for wide receiver Terrelle Pryor last summer, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter links). However, the Browns turned down New England’s offer, and a deal never came to fruition, per Kyed.
[RELATED: Terrelle Pryor Wants Extension From Browns]
Pryor was eventually released by the Browns that fall, and ended up taking a visit the Patriots, but didn’t sign. “I really thought I was going to be a Patriot,” Pryor told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I know Bill Belichick really liked me. I had a great workout for them and everything went really well. I really thought he was going to sign me.”
After re-signing with the Cleveland at tail of end of the 2015 campaign, Pryor has grown into a force through the first three games of this season, acting been a bright spot for the winless Browns. He’s amassed 14 catches for 244 yards while occasionally factoring in as a rusher and passer. The 27-year-old is coming off a career-best showing, one in which he caught eight balls for 144 yards, ran four times for 21 yards and a touchdown, and completed 3-of-5 passes for 35 yards in a 30-24 loss to Miami.
Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi — who also worked for the Browns at one point — discussed the failure of New England to sign Pryor on the Bill Simmons Podcast. “We blew it,” Lombardi said. “The league often gives you a chance to be great and if you don’t talk advantage of it, it’s your own fault and that was one of those times we didn’t take advantage of it in New England, clearly. It was all right there in front of us and we didn’t make the right decision at that point, but that’s life. You move on.”
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Browns Place Nate Orchard On IR
The Browns placed outside linebacker Nate Orchard on IR and signed linebacker Cam Johnson off the Cardinals’ practice squad to replace him on the roster.
Orchard suffered an ankle injury on the final play of the Browns’ overtime loss to the Dolphins in Miami. Due to the new IR rule, he could return this season, But given teams can only reactivate one player from IR, that’s far from certain. He couldn’t come back to practice until mid-November and would be out of any Cleveland games until December.
The second-year player arrived as a second-round draft choice. Orchard, 23, started one game this season for the Browns and played in all three. Orchard’s registered four tackles this season after making 36 as a rookie.
In addition to Orchard’s extensive absence, the Browns look to be without fellow rotational outside ‘backer Corey Lemonier, who is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s tilt in Washington. This leaves Emmanuel Ogbah and fellow rookie Joe Schobert, a fourth-rounder, as the starers for a Browns team that suddenly doesn’t have much depth outside in its 3-4 look.
Despite having resided on Arizona’s taxi squad, the 26-year-old Johnson has four years of NFL experience, seeing action in 15 games. Twelve of those came for the Colts in 2013. Johnson, though, played in one game for the Browns last season, but the former 49ers seventh-rounder has never started a game since entering the league in 2012.
The Cardinals signed Johnson to their practice squad earlier this week, nearly a month after the Browns initially released him out of training camp. Johnson spent most of the 2015 season on Cleveland’s taxi squad.
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Browns Work Out Three
- The Browns tried out defensive end Sterling Bailey and wideouts Antwan Goodley and Mitch Mathews, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
[SOURCE LINK]
Browns Notes: Gordon, Pryor, Workouts
Browns head coach Hue Jackson confirmed that the organization has moved on from wideout Josh Gordon. The 25-year-old revealed earlier this week that he’d be putting his career on hold and entering an in-patient rehabilitation facility. It was reported yesterday that the organization was planning on parting ways with the talented receiver.
According to Nate Ulrich of Cleveland.com, Jackson said that he talked to Gordon “several times” about the decision. Otherwise, the coach was more focused on his current, active players.
“I think what we need to do is just close that chapter right now,” Jackson said. “He’s doing what he needs to do, and we need to do what we need to do, which is continue to move forward.
“Obviously, Josh is not here and doing what he thinks he needs to do for his life, which we support 100 percent. And I think after today, today is really the last Josh Gordon comment I want to make about that. I think what’s best for our football team is that we move forward and move on. He’s not going to be with us, and we wish him well. But we’re moving forward. We’re going to move on.”
Let’s check out some notes pertaining to Gordon and the Browns organization…
- Receiver Andrew Hawkins had no issues with Gordon’s decision, noting that the player’s well-being is more important than football. “The personal side is more important,” Hawkins told Ulrich. “I love football as much as anybody else and Josh is one of the best talents…But it’s still secondary. Him being a good receiver isn’t going to save his life 20 years from now. Him coming back to help the Cleveland Browns in 2016 isn’t going to help him in 2025 if he’s still dealing with these same issues, so I’m sincere in [saying] what he’s doing is important.”
- Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com wonders if NFL teams “understand drug abuse enough to properly assess the risk” of selecting embattled players. The writer focuses on a pair of recent Browns supplemental draft picks: Gordon and Terrelle Pryor. Gordon, a second-round pick in the 2012 supplemental draft, was dismissed from Baylor following failed drug tests. Pryor, a third-round pick in the 2011 supplemental draft, left Ohio State following a memorabilia-selling scandal. Gordon’s future with the franchise appears to be over, while Pryor has been a bright spot for the 0-3 Browns.
- Wide receiver Mitch Mathews is worked out for the Browns yesterday, agent Brett Tessler tweets. The BYU product was supposed to work out with Cleveland last week, but the audition had to be rescheduled.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Browns To Part Ways With Josh Gordon
It appears that Josh Gordon has played his final snap for the Browns. Cleveland intends to part ways with Gordon after his latest setback has him going back to rehab, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. 
[RELATED: Josh Gordon To Enter Rehab]
Gordon was set to return to the Browns after sitting out the first four games of this season, but he announced yesterday that he is stepping away from football for the time being in order to enter an in-patient rehab facility. Gordon is one of the most talented receivers in the game today, but he can’t be much use to the Browns if he is not able to take the field. The Browns have been patient with the troubled athlete for a long time, but they say that they feel that they can no longer wait for him to get his act together.
This will be Gordon’s second rehab stint of 2016 as he also reportedly entered rehab during the offseason. It’s possible that Gordon violated the substance abuse policy again and that would result in more discipline from the league office.
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Josh Gordon To Enter Rehab
Browns receiver Josh Gordon announced Thursday that he’s putting his return to the NFL on hold and entering an in-patient rehabilitation facility (Twitter link via the team).
“This is the right decision for me and one that I hope will enable me to gain full control of my life and continue on a path to reach my full potential as a person,” stated Gordon.
The Browns are supportive of Gordon’s choice, but executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown was unwilling to comment on how this will affect the 25-year-old’s place with the franchise. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Gordon’s future with the organization is now in doubt (Twitter link).
This will be Gordon’s second stay in rehab of 2016, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Gordon also entered rehab during the offseason, franchise icon Jim Brown told Cabot. Given that he’s going into rehab, Cabot posits that Gordon may have once again violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy. If so, Gordon will face more discipline from the league, thereby putting his career in further jeopardy.
Substance abuse has long been an issue for Gordon, who is currently serving a four-game suspension. Entering this year, suspensions had cost Gordon 29 of the Browns’ previous 48 regular-season games – including all of the 2015 campaign – and the NFL denied his previous petition for reinstatement in April after he failed a drug test. Commissioner Roger Goodell then reinstated Gordon on July 25 with certain conditions. In addition to the quarter-season suspension, Gordon needed to stay on course with his treatment plan if he wanted to return in Week 5. Given Thursday’s development, it’s now possible he’ll never play another down in Cleveland or anywhere else.
“Our concern is with Josh’s well-being. We will decline comment on his status with the team,” the NFL said of Gordon’s decision to enter rehab (Twitter link via Rapoport).
When Gordon has been on the field, the ex-Baylor standout has performed like an elite-caliber wideout. In 2013 – his latest extensive action – he racked up 87 receptions, a league-leading 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games. The 2012 supplemental second-round pick has totaled 161 catches, a tremendous 17.1 yards per reception and 14 touchdowns in 32 career games.
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Terrelle Pryor Wants Extension From Browns
The Browns’ Terrelle Pryor has played under head coach Hue Jackson with three different organizations since beginning his NFL career in 2011, and the wide receiver hopes the two remain together for the foreseeable future.
“I respect him very highly and if Hue Jackson’s here, I’d love to stay here,” Pryor told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com on Thursday. “I want to be here if Hue’s going to be here for awhile, because I know this is a building process — and it’s not really. We’re right the there. We’re competing with everybody, we’ve just got to put teams away and I’d like to be where Hue’s at.”
Jackson holds similar reverence for Pryor, who’s scheduled to become a free agent at season’s end.
“There are a lot of things I know about Terrelle that maybe a lot of people don’t. I’m talking about as far as what he is really capable of doing,” said Jackson. “I would say to all of you that he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he is. He’s growing each and every day as a football player, as a person. He’s getting better, and his best football’s still ahead of him by far.”
Pryor also spoke highly of Cleveland, but he isn’t aware of whether his representatives have begun extension talks with the team.
“Cleveland’s awesome. The fans are are awesome,” said the former Ohio State Buckeye. “But right now, I’m here and I’m going to try to get it done.”
Pryor was a quarterback in college, and he began his pro career there after the Raiders chose him in the third round of the 2011 supplemental draft. The Raiders’ coach at the time was Jackson, though Pryor didn’t debut until 2012. By then, Jackson was out of Oakland and serving as an assistant in Cincinnati, where Pryor ended up last year after flaming out as a signal-caller and converting to receiver.
Jackson was instrumental in Pryor’s position switch, notes Cabot, and the move is paying off for the Browns in 2016. Pryor has been a bright spot for the 0-3 club, having amassed 14 catches for 244 yards while occasionally factoring in as a rusher and passer. The 27-year-old is coming off a career-best showing, one in which he caught eight balls for 144 yards, ran four times for 21 yards and a touchdown, and completed 3 of 5 passes for 35 yards in a 30-24 loss to Miami.
As of now, Pryor looked primed to land a significant raise over his current $1.671MM salary, and it stands to reason the Browns could make an added push to retain him in light of fellow wideout Josh Gordon‘s decision to enter rehab Thursday. With the troubled Gordon likely out of the picture in Cleveland for good, the only potential high-end receiver the team has under its control beyond this season is rookie Corey Coleman. The first-round pick fared well over the season’s first two weeks before breaking his hand in practice on Sept. 21.
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