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Browns LB Sione Takitaki Tears ACL

December 5th, 2022 at 9:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns are having persistent trouble keeping linebackers healthy. They lost another starter Sunday, with Kevin Stefanski confirming Sione Takitaki will miss the rest of the season with an ACL tear.

Takitaki’s ACL injury follows Anthony Walker‘s torn quadriceps tendon and Jacob Phillips‘ torn pec. This is obviously a chunk of second-level experience lost for a 5-7 Browns team facing a run-the-table scenario in order to make a playoff push.

This comes at a brutal point for Takitaki, who is months away from his first crack at unrestricted free agency. A former third-round pick out of BYU, Takitaki has started 29 games for the Browns, who drafted him during John Dorsey‘s GM tenure. With that regime no longer in place, it will be interesting to see how the Browns handle the fourth-year defender’s free agency. Takitaki, Walker and Deion Jones are eligible to hit the market in 2023. The team’s restructure with Jones, upon acquiring him from Atlanta, took a year off his Falcons-constructed extension.

Takitaki broke into Cleveland’s starting lineup during the franchise’s best season since rebooting, and he both notched a regular-season pick-six in that 2020 slate and intercepted Ben Roethlisberger during a COVID-affected Browns team’s wild-card upset win. This season, Pro Football Focus rates Takitaki (71 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble) as the Browns’ best off-ball ‘backer and a top-30 player at the position. This injury should affect his market, however. With Takitaki (28 in June) on the older end for a first-time free agent, this is a tough setback.

Cleveland still has Jones and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah healthy. Despite his pedigree, the longtime Falcons starter has worked mostly as a backup since the October trade. Although Jones has started two games with Cleveland, he has yet to exceed 20 snaps since his most recent start (Week 10). More should be needed from the seventh-year defender following the team’s latest linebacker injury, but second-year ‘backer Tony Fields has started the past two games. He played a career-high 33 defensive snaps against the Texans.

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski On Hot Seat?

December 3rd, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2022 offseason saw a plethora of new head coaching hires around the league, though in some cases teams may very well have come to regret their additions. Two midseason firings took, but more dismissals could be coming in the near future or upon the conclusion of the regular season.

One name which is being floated in that regard is Browns HC Kevin Stefanski. According to executives who have spoken to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora on the subject of coaches on the hot seat, Cleveland is a team to watch with respect to the 40-year-old.

Stefanski joined Cleveland in 2020 after a long tenure working on the Vikings’ offensive staff, including one full year as offensive coordinator. His inaugural season in Cleveland went well, as the team ended its playoff drought with an 11-5 season and earned a Wild Card round victory. That led to Coach of the Year honors, and significant expectations for the foreseeable future for both Stefanski and the organization.

Things have taken a turn for the worse since then, however. An injury-riddled Baker Mayfield hampered the Browns’ offense last season, one which ended up with an 8-9 record and a postseason absence. The team’s total – though not scoring – defense held up well, finishing fifth in the NFL, but it was not enough to avoid an early end to the campaign.

Expectations for the franchise changed once again this past offseason, with the acquisitions of quarterback Deshaun Watson and wideout Amari Cooper. To this point — a stretch which, in fairness, has consisted entirely of Watson’s suspension-induced absence — the Browns have seen little success outside of their rushing attack. The team sits at 4-7 on the season, which drops Stefanski’s overall record to 23-21. Defense has once again been a sore spot; the Browns rank 30th in points allowed per game (26), which has put increased pressure on their (previously) shorthanded offense.

Things could change with the return of Watson (who is under contract for four years after this), of course, but La Canfora notes that the next coaching cycle could favor defensive-minded candidates given the general success around the league on that side of the ball in 2022, and, perhaps, the struggles endured by the likes of Josh McDaniels and Nathaniel Hackett in Las Vegas and Denver, respectively.

After the recent firings of Matt Rhule and Frank Reich, Stefanski is now the 15th-longest tenured head coach in the NFL. How much higher up that list he is able climb could depend very much on the team’s performance to close out this season, and could become a talking point in the winter especially if a late turnaround does not take place.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/22

December 3rd, 2022 at 7:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the league’s minor transactions leading into the Sunday-slate of Week 13 games:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

AFC Rumors: Texans, Jeudy, Njoku

December 2nd, 2022 at 10:07pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans will be without two key players as they go up against their former quarterback and the Browns this weekend, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Leading wide receiver Brandin Cooks and rookie cornerback Derek Stingley have been ruled out going into the weekend.

Houston has struggled mightily so far this year en route to a 1-9-1 record. Despite the promise heading into the year of the connection between second-year starting quarterback Davis Mills and Cooks, neither has quite lived up to their potential. Mills has officially lost the starting job he earned as a rookie, getting benched for Kyle Allen. Cooks, after cracking the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his first two seasons with the Texans, will be hard-pressed to reach that achievement this year as he currently boasts 520 receiving yards with only seven games remaining. Cooks will miss his second game of the season with a calf injury, and the Texans will be forced to lean on Nico Collins, Chris Moore, Phillip Dorsett, and Amari Rodgers to hopefully make up for the loss of Cooks.

Stingley is set to miss his third game in a row with a hamstring issue. Stingley has endured a rough transition to the NFL. So far in his rookie season, Stingley has only graded out as the NFL’s 107th-best cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Still, he is third on the Texans with five passes defensed and tied for second with one interception, showing that he makes an impact on a defense that has struggled for much of the year. In Stingley’s absence, Desmond King will continue to start opposite Steven Nelson with Tavierre Thomas getting some solid action, as well.

Here are a few other injury rumors from around the AFC, starting with some potentially good news at Mile High:

  • Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy could be set to make a return to the field against the Ravens this weekend, according to Kyle Newman of the Denver Post. After a two-week absence, the third-year wide out is a game-time decision to play. KJ Hamler will miss a fourth straight game, after suffering a recent setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Jeudy’s return would be a big boost for a Denver team that has been forced to rely on Kendall Hinton, Montrell Washington, and Brandon Johnson as its Courtland Sutton supporting cast over the past two games.
  • After returning for two straight games, Browns tight end David Njoku has been ruled out once again, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Despite a slow start to the season, Njoku had begun a streak of strong performances to justify his new contract. Unfortunately, his momentum came to a crashing halt when he missed two games with an ankle injury. Coming off a five-catch performance last week that included a game-tying touchdown catch with 32 seconds remaining, seeing Njoku sidelined once again, this time with a knee injury, is the last thing Browns fans were hoping to see.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/29/22

November 29th, 2022 at 7:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: DB Lamar Jackson
  • Released: WR Kaden Davis, RB Tyreik McAllister

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: TE Nick Guggemos

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: LB Kenny Young
  • Placed on IR: OL Drew Desjarlais

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/28/22

November 28th, 2022 at 4:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Cleveland Browns

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Deshaun Watson Reinstated, Cleared For Browns Debut

November 28th, 2022 at 1:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

1:37pm: The Browns have officially added Watson to their active roster, per a team announcement. To make room, Joshua Dobbs was waived, though Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets that the Browns have expressed an interest in keeping him in the fold on their practice squad should he go unclaimed.

10:00am: During the first 12 weeks of the season, the dominant storyline relating to the Browns has not been the team’s play on the field, but rather the status of their long-term starting quarterback. Deshaun Watson has complied with all conditions of his suspension and now, as expected, has been officially reinstated by the NFL (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).

The news clears the way for Watson to make his Browns debut this Sunday, in what will be his first game action since the end of the 2020 regular season. Cleveland’s next opponent – Houston – was the location of the first five years of the former first-rounder’s career, although he didn’t see the field in 2021 amidst his ongoing trade request.

The Texans were unable to make good on that until Watson’s legal situation became clearer. The 27-year-old was not charged with a criminal offense in the wake of dozens of sexual misconduct and sexual assault allegations, leading to a bidding war to acquire him via a trade and sizable extension. The Browns eventually won out, sending a trade package including three first-round picks to the Texans, and signing Watson to a five-year, $230MM deal which is fully guaranteed.

The fact that that move came with civil suits pending – all but one of which, with respect to those in place at the time of Watson’s acquisition, have since been settled – made it one of the most controversial in NFL history. A six-game suspension was initially handed down following a lengthy league investigation and arbitration procedure, but that was met with widespread criticism. The NFL and NFLPA later agreed to an 11-game ban which was coupled with a $5MM fine and mandatory counseling.

Per the terms of that agreement, Watson’s involvement in team activities was restricted to begin the year. It was two weeks ago that he was permitted to practice in full for the first time, which he did. That left the Browns in a situation where splitting first-team reps between he and bridge starter Jacoby Brissett became necessary.

The latter has guided Cleveland to a 4-7 record, though regardless of the team’s success, Watson was always expected to take the field immediately. With the door slightly ajar for a run to an AFC Wild Card spot, the maligned passer will take the field as Cleveland’s No. 1 for the stretch run, beginning in Week 13.

Latest On Browns DT Perrion Winfrey

November 26th, 2022 at 9:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns entered the season with high expectations for their defensive front, but the interior of the unit has been underwhelming to date. One target of criticism has been rookie defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey, who has been in and out of the lineup this season.

Winfrey’s most recent absence was last week, when he missed Cleveland’s loss to the Bills as a result of a head injury which landed him in concussion protocol. Providing more details on the matter, he said that a scooter accident was the cause of the injury, adding to his reasons for missed time in his debut season.

“I was driving around and just ran into a pole,” the 22-year-old said, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “Nothing crazy. I looked back to try to see if my friend was still behind me, and when I looked back I ran into the pole. Just things I’ve got to get over as a rookie. Little things here and there.”

After an impressive college career at Oklahoma, Winfrey was lauded in the build-up to the draft for his ability as a pass-rush presence in particular. He landed in Cleveland in the fourth round, and had an opportunity to carve out a role alongside the likes of Jordan Elliott, Taven Bryan and Tommy Togiai. Instead, he has struggled to get on the field, beginning with a disciplinary matter which saw him sit out in Week 2.

The 6-4, 292-pounder has also been absent as a healthy scratch and after missing time due to illness recently. Overall, he has played just 119 snaps this season, making five tackles (including one for loss). His PFF evaluation shows promise as a disruptive presence against the pass, but an overall grade of 45.6 leaves much to be desired. That has contributed in part to the team’s overall struggles in the middle, which has led to a belief that significant moves could be made in the offseason at the position.

Winfrey was cleared from the protocol on Friday, where he was a limited participant in practice. That leaves his game status up in the air for tomorrow’s contest against the Buccaneers, where the Browns will look to make up ground in the AFC Wild Card chase amidst a disappointing campaign.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/26/22

November 26th, 2022 at 4:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The league’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations for Week 12:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

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