Browns Work Out OL Mike Leidtke
Friday’s workouts from around the NFL:
- The Cardinals auditioned a pair of offensive linemen, guard Vlad Ducasse and tackle Garry Williams, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (on Twitter). Ducasse is the more experienced of the two, having made 78 appearances and 22 starts since the Jets drafted him in the second round in 2010. Ducasse totaled a career-high 11 starts with Chicago last season. Williams has played far fewer games than Ducasse (41), but he has made just one fewer start (21). The 30-year-old’s latest action came in 2014, though, and he hasn’t appeared in more than one game in a season since 2012. Williams spent the first five years of his career with the Panthers.
- The Lions tried out two offensive tackles – Sam Young and Laurence Gibson – and defensive tackle Cliff Matthews, tweets Caplan. Young, a sixth-round pick in 2010, has amassed a combined 58 appearances and 13 starts with the Cowboys, Bills and Jaguars. He suited up in all 16 games last season for the first time. The Falcons chose Matthews in the seventh round of the 2011 draft, and he ultimately appeared in 32 games with Atlanta from 2012-14.
- The Browns worked out offensive lineman Mike Leidtke, as agent Brett Tessler tweets. Liedtke, an Illinois State product, auditioned for New Orleans last week.
- Punter A.J. Hughes tried out for the Bears, according to Caplan (Twitter link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Browns Notes: RG3, McCown, Thomas, West
While Robert Griffin III‘s shoulder injury serves as a significant detriment to his hopes at resurrecting his once-promising career, some with the Browns don’t view it as too damaging to their current team. With Hue Jackson focused on reprogramming Griffin into an above-average quarterback, some Browns staffers view the injury as something that can help the franchise move on and begin assessing its future at the position, Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com report.
Browns sources told the veteran reporters third-round pick Cody Kessler is “not close” to being ready to debut, and expectations for the USC product aren’t particularly high. So, as 37-year-old Josh McCown prepares to return to the starting lineup, the team will continue to scout for its future. Should Kessler make a start this season, he’ll be the franchise’s 26th starting quarterback since its 1999 rebirth. That total leads the league.
Interestingly, the new regime’s last such scouting job revealed a dislike for two of the league’s hot-starting passers, Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott, while Cleveland’s new decision-makers liked Griffin, Kessler and Jared Goff, per Schefter and Mortensen.
Here’s more from Cleveland as its football team prepares to play the old Browns in Week 2.
- McCown offered a reasonable plea, per Schefter and Mortensen, against the notion the Browns should tank for 2017 this season. The veteran quarterback and second-year Brown believed the team owed it to veterans like Joe Thomas to make a legitimate effort to compete in 2016.
- Thomas, meanwhile, did not push the Browns to trade him to the Broncos last season due to the loyalty they showed him since making him the No. 3 overall pick in 2007, the ESPN duo reports. The six-time All-Pro’s name could well resurface on the trade block this season if the Browns perform as they’re expected to, especially since so few veterans are going to play for them this season.
- Speaking of trades, former Browns running back Terrance West asked the team to be traded before last season, West said on the BmoreOpinionated podcast (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). The Browns’ previous regime did end up trading West to the Titans, although it’s not known if it came as a result of the running back’s request. The current Ravens ball-carrier believes he’d still be with the Browns if he hadn’t asked to be dealt. “I think if I didn’t call for a trade, I would be still in Cleveland right now,” West said. “I was the leading rusher that year. I was the leading rusher in that preseason. I called for a trade. I didn’t think that was home for me.” West, though, saw the Titans cut him after he made only 16 rushing attempts last season. Ulrich writes attitude problems and shaky practice habits marred the former third-round pick’s time in Cleveland. He’s set to play a bigger role this season, as evidenced by the Ravens giving him 14 touches in Week 1. West rushed for 673 yards as a rookie to lead the Browns as a rookie in 2014, ahead of current starter Isaiah Crowell‘s 607.
- While Jackson’s initial effort in northeast Ohio isn’t expected to go well, the first-year coach made some bold proclamations about the franchise’s future.
PFR’s Impact Rookies Series
All summer long, longtime scouting consultant Dave-Te Thomas of The NFL Draft Report has been breaking down the draft class of every team in the league and identifying the players that can immediately make a difference. The Impact Rookies series, which wrapped up today with a look at the Seahawks, provides unique insight to this year’s NFL freshman class from a veteran guru who worked closely with several teams around the league leading up to the draft.
Here is the full rundown of the Impact Rookies series:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Hue Jackson On Browns; Jimmy Haslam On Jackson
- First-year Browns head coach Hue Jackson is at the helm of of a rebuilding team that many expect to be the NFL’s worst this season. That didn’t stop Jackson from making some bold declarations Wednesday. “The fans might not like me for a while, but they’re going to love me here pretty soon,” said Jackson (per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). “We’re going to win a championship here for the Cleveland Browns,” he added. The Browns, who are 0-1 after a 29-10 loss in Philadelphia, haven’t won a championship since 1964, haven’t made the playoffs since 2003, and haven’t finished with more than seven victories in a season since 2007. If a turnaround comes, it’s going to take time, and Marla Ridnour of Ohio.com wonders if owner Jimmy Haslam is patient enough to stick with Jackson through the club’s growing pains. Although Haslam has fired three general managers, three head coaches, two presidents and a CEO since taking over the Browns in 2012, he offered a glowing assessment of Jackson on Wednesday. “Hue relates well to everybody in the building and keeps everybody in the building fired up, which is important because your head coach is and should be the face of the organization, so he does a great job there. For the first time since we’ve been here, everybody’s on the same page.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/16
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DL Jimmy Staten (Twitter link via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Josh Boyce (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR DeAndrew White (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of NESN)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Jimmy Bean (Twitter link via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com)
- Cut: LB Curtis Grant
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Chris Harper (Twitter link via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Rodney Coe (Twitter link via Roy Cummings of WFLA)
Washington Redskins
- Signed: C Austin Reiter (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post)
Browns Promote Gabe Wright
- The Browns have promoted defensive lineman Gabe Wright to the active roster, reports Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter). The former fourth-round pick was previously waived by the Lions after only one season with the team.
[SOURCE LINK]
RG3 Unlikely To Return This Season
Thanks to the NFL’s new injured reserve rules, Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III was a candidate to return later this season even though he was placed on IR earlier today. But RG3 is unlikely to see action again this year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who says it will be “very tough” for Griffin to return. RG3 won’t be evaluated again for three or four weeks, and then might have to undergo surgery.
[RELATED: Browns To Stand Pat At Quarterback]
Per the new rules, a player placed on IR may return to practice after six weeks but must be out for at least eight weeks before being brought back to the 53-man roster. Previously, teams had to designate their players for return at the time of being placed on IR. But given Griffin’s timeline and possible need for surgery, it doesn’t look like a return is in the cards.
Griffin signed with the Browns as a free agent in March. In the season opener against the Eagles, he completed 12 of 26 passes for 190 yards and added 37 rushing yards, but suffered a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder . While he’s out, the Browns will turn to backup Josh McCown, as the club has stated that it won’t trade for another quarterback.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns To Stand Pat At Quarterback
The Browns got some awful news today when they learned that RG3‘s shoulder injury will sideline him for an extended period of time, perhaps even ruling him out for the remainder of the 2016 season. Still, Cleveland does not expect to go QB shopping. Head coach Hue Jackson says the Browns are “comfortable where we are” with the quarterbacks currently on the roster (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Clevleand.com). 
If the Browns do stand pat, that means they’ll forge ahead with one-time starter Josh McCown under center. Behind him will be third-round rookie Cody Kessler and the team also has rookie Kevin Hogan on practice squad. It seems possible that Hogan could be promoted to the 53-man roster, though there is no official word on that yet.
McCown, 37, joined the Browns as a free agent prior to the 2015 season. In eight games, McCown completed 63.7% of his passes, threw for 2,109 yards, and had 12 passing touchdowns against four interceptions.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns To Place RG3 On IR
The Browns are placing RG3 on injured reserve, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. Under the league’s new rules regarding IR, Griffin could return later on this season. The fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder will be re-evaluated in October and the Browns will go from there. 
“It’s very unfortunate, Robert came in and has worked extremely hard to learn our offense and earn the respect of his teammates,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said via press release. “This is a tough loss because everyone has seen how invested he has been in this team and his dedication to the work needed to improve his craft. We all know these are the realities of the NFL, injuries occur and you have to find ways to overcome them so they don’t impede your progress. Robert will do everything in his power to rehab and get healthy but Josh McCown is on this roster for a reason and we have great confidence in him. He is more than capable. His veteran presence has been an asset to our team throughout our process of preparing for the season. We look forward to him assuming the role of the starter and leading our offensive unit.”
Per the new rules, a player placed on IR may return to practice after six weeks but must be out for at least eight weeks before being brought back to the 53-man roster. Previously, teams had to designate their players for return at the time of being placed on IR.
Griffin signed with the Browns as a free agent in March. In the season opener against the Eagles, he completed 12 of 26 passes for 190 yards and added 37 rushing yards. While he’s out, the Browns will turn to backup Josh McCown.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
RG3 To Miss Multiple Games?
On Sunday, RG3 suffered a shoulder sprain and told reporters after the game that it wasn’t a significant injury. Apparently, the shoulder is in worse shape than the quarterback realized. Griffin is hurt and could be out for a while, according to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter). 
The full extent of Griffin’s injury is not yet known. If he misses games, the Browns are fortunate to have veteran Josh McCown ready to step in. This offseason, Cleveland fielded interest from clubs who wanted to trade for the 37-year-old, but they rebuffed those offers knowing that Griffin is extra susceptible to injuries with the way he plays. The Browns told teams they wanted a high draft pick for McCown, a price that no team was willing to meet.
Griffin, a fifth-year pro, set NFL rookie records for passer rating (102.4), interception percentage (1.27), and rushing yards by a quarterback (815) en route to being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012. Starting 13 games in 2013, Griffin recorded a career-high 3,203 passing yards and became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to record 3,000 passing yards in each of his first two seasons. He was hoping to be reignited by a change of scenery in Cleveland, but it sounds like he may have suffered a setback to start off the 2016 season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.