Category Archives: Browns

Baker Mayfield activated from reserve/COVID-19 list

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The Cleveland Browns activated their quarterback off of the reserve/COVID-19 list after being placed on it earlier in the week.

Baker Mayfield has been activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list after landing on it earlier in the week. Mayfield was considered to be in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, but the Browns quarterback did not test positive himself. Wednesday is the first day that Mayfield was eligible to be activated off the list.

By being activated now Baker Mayfield will have a normal practice week. This is important because the Browns are coming off their bye week. Cleveland is preparing to face the Houston Texans on Sunday and will need all the time they can get as they try to get back in the win column. The Browns are seeking to make their first playoff berth since 2002 and winning on Sunday would go a long way towards breaking the NFL’s longest playoff drought.

Browns designate Nick Chubb to return from IR

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The Cleveland Browns have designated the running back for return from injured reserve after missing the previous four games with an injury.

There were rumors about a possible return of Nick Chubb this week and they apparently are true. The Cleveland Browns have designated Chubb for return from injured reserve.

Chubb was able to participate in practice, but was wearing a knee brace. This is something to monitor moving forward considering a knee injury was why he landed on injured reserve in the first place.

The Browns will need to utilize Nick Chubb carefully as they move forward and continue their quest for the playoffs. Chubb is their best offensive weapon and perhaps he is the best player on the team, Cleveland will need to lean on him to get their offense back on track. That being said, the team team needs to make sure that he does not have another knee injury. If Chubb were to go down again with an injury that would essentially close the book on any chance of snapping their lengthy playoff drought.

Nick Chubb could return in Week 10

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There is a possibility that the Cleveland Browns could see the return of their starting running back in Week 10.

There is the possibility that Nick Chubb makes his triumphant return in Week 10. Chubb was placed on injured reserve after suffering an injury in Cleveland’s Week 4 win over Dallas.

The Browns have definitely missed Nick Chubb during his absence. Cleveland’s rushing attack just is not the same without him. While Kareem Hunt is nice complimentary back, he is not the same caliber as Chubb. The rushing attack has been less effective, leading to more pressure being placed on the quarterback position.

In four games this season Nick Chubb has rushed for 335 yards and 4 touchdowns on 57 carries (5.88 yards per attempt). Even at less than 100% Chubb is still a game changing player. Chubb’s potential return will make massive impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of their offense.

Baker Mayfield placed on reserve/COVID-19 list

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The Cleveland Browns have placed the quarterback on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Mayfield did not test positive, but did come into contact with someone who has. Mayfield will need to continue to test negative to return to practice this week and that could be as soon as Wednesday.

As Ian Rapoport mentioned, the Browns will be under intensive protocols. This is to help stop any potential spread and possible exposure to COVID-19. Cleveland is currently on their bye week and that could cause some issues schedule wise if changes are required.

If Baker Mayfield is not able to return to practice or tests positive that would mean Case Keenum could be called into duty. Keenum has only appeared in one game this season, completing 5 of 10 passes for 46 yards. The 32-year old veteran is familiar with the Kevin Stefanski offense and could hold down the fort if needed.

Browns wisely stand pat at trade deadline

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The Cleveland Browns did not make any blockbuster trades before the trade deadline.

There were two routes that the Cleveland Browns could have gone down at the trade deadline. They could have made a few trades in an attempt to win now or they could have stood pat and realize they are not quite there yet. Luckily they did the latter as the Browns did not make any last second trades.

The Browns could have made big moves on both sides of the ball. The offense is going to miss Odell Beckham Jr. that is a fact. Unfortunately there is no replacing Beckham. Some were going head over heels for Adam Thielen, but he wouldn’t necessarily be a good fit. The Browns already have Jarvis Landry and any attempt to add the passing offense would need to be a deep threat.

Defensively they are an absolute dumpster fire outside of Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward. Cleveland could acquire three defensive players and that side of the ball would still be a massive liability. The back seven outside Ward is completely unreliable and will need to be addressed in the offseason. Free agency and the draft will be how the team attempts to fix these issues.

While not popular with the fanbase, this was the right call. It is about realizing where the team is at this point in time and where they would be after making trades. The reality is that the Browns are an average team and making a couple of moves doesn’t change that. There is too big of a gap between where Cleveland is and where the legitimate contenders are, adding a couple of players does not change that all that much. If they make the playoffs, the addition of players changes things from a lopsided first round loss to slightly less lopsided first round loss. It is all about the big picture and not being shortsighted.

Like it or not, the Cleveland Browns made the right decision.

Browns: Updates on Hooper, Teller, Chubb

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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski provided updates in regards to the potential returns of three key players.

The Cleveland Browns offense desperately needs the returns of Austin Hooper, Wyatt Teller, and Nick Chubb. In addition to providing an update about the status of Myles Garrett, Kevin Stefanski provided some information in regards to the status of the three aforementioned players. Stefanski stated that Hooper will return after the bye week, adding that Chubb and Teller are both progressing.

This is all good news. If there is one thing that everyone learned from Sunday’s loss is that they really need these three players on offense. The rushing attack has not been the same without both Chubb and Teller. Hunt has been fine, but he is not nearly the player that Chubb is. In regards to Teller, Chris Hubbard is holding down the fort adequately. As far as Hooper is concerned, his return would relegate David Njoku back to the bench role that he belongs in. The Browns already have an excellent tight end in Harrison Bryant who may already be better than Hooper, they just need to have both on the field at the same time.

When the Browns have these players back the offense should be able to be more balanced and produce more consistently. If they are missing two or more, it may continue to be a struggle.

No significant structural damage for Myles Garrett

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The MRI on the Cleveland Browns defensive end did not reveal any significant structural damage.

There was some concern after Sunday’s loss to the Raiders in regards to Myles Garrett. Garrett was limited in the game due to an injury and needed an MRI to show if there was any significant damage. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stated Monday that there was nothing structurally significant in regards to Garrett.

Lucky for Myles Garrett and Cleveland Week 9 is their bye week. This will give Garrett extra time to recover to be able to get closer to full strength by the time they take the field again. As everyone saw on Sunday, there was a distinct difference with the Browns defense with and without Garrett. Pretty much anything positive from the Browns defense is made by Myles Garrett. If Cleveland has to play without him they will be even worse than they currently are.

Observations from Browns 16-6 loss to Raiders

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The Cleveland Browns were not good in Week 8 as they lost to the Las Vegas Raiders and they are a team certainly in need of their upcoming bye week.

The weather played a factor

Cold, windy, wet, graupel? The weather was not kind to either team on Sunday. The Browns appeared to be less prepared to handle the elements as they were outplayed from beginning to end.

Wind was definitely a factor in the passing game and precipitation did not help either. Players dropped passes and both kickers missed a field goal, funny enough that it wasn’t Cody Parkey who doinked his miss.

Baker Mayfield was not good

To call the performance of Baker Mayfield in Week 8 anything better than just ok or fine is incorrect. The fact of the matter is that he did not play well in Week 8. What this does not mean is that he was bad or the loss is his fault. It also does not mean that he is responsible for the poor weather or his receivers dropping passes. It also does not mean he is responsible for the Browns defense being a doormat all game. What this does mean is he was not good. Fine, but not good.

There is one play in particular that sticks out as just bad quarterback play, the pass to Jarvis Landry in the end zone which resulted in the receiver getting lit up by the defense. Landry is already dealing with a rib issue and Mayfield threw a pass which left him exposed, resulting in him laying on the ground in a heap after being hit incredibly hard. A quarterback cannot make that pass into heavy coverage and expect his receiver to make the catch.

The team looked they were already on their bye week

To be blunt, the Browns looked like they were going through the motions on Sunday. There were two teams on the field, but only one looked like they wanted to be there. The effort was lacking pretty much across the board and the final score reflects that.

Not a great game calling plays from Kevin Stefanski

This was probably the worst game from Kevin Stefanski since becoming the Browns head coach. While the losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh were ugly, they were expected. This was a game that the Browns should have won and they didn’t. Add in the fact that Stefanski seemed dead set on passing the ball in extremely windy conditions, it was just not a good game plan. This is a game to look back on and realize the mistakes that were made on his end in order to make adjustments for games played in similar weather conditions in the future.

Elijah Lee claimed off waivers by Browns

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The Cleveland Browns have claimed the former San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions linebacker.

Elijah Lee will be moving from the NFC North to the AFC North as he was claimed by the Cleveland Browns Friday. Lee was released by the Detroit Lions Thursday.

This appears to be nothing more than a depth move for the Browns. Elijah Lee is not someone who is going to crack the starting lineup in the Cleveland. Lee has only played on special teams this season and the majority of his career snaps have also come in this manner.

Elijah Lee was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2017 NFL Draft. San Francisco signed Lee off of Minnesota’s practice squad early in the 2017 season. Lee signed with Detroit this past offseason before being waived this week. Lee has 78 total tackles in his four-year career with his best season coming in 2018. That season Lee finished with 65 tackles (54 solo), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. This was also the only season in which Lee saw more than 4% of snaps on defense (44%).

Olivier Vernon is available in trade talks

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A report states that the Cleveland Browns could be looking to move the 30-year old defensive end.

If it was up to Cleveland Browns fans the team would have traded Olivier Vernon a long time ago. According to a report from Albert Breer the Cleveland Browns are making Vernon available in trade talks.

Vernon has appeared in five games for Cleveland this season totaling 11 tackles, 6 of which are solo, not exactly stats that are eye popping. While he does not have any sacks he does have 7 QB pressures, 5 hurries, and 2 knockdowns. Also worth noting is that he is only playing 56% of total defensive snaps, the second-lowest total since becoming a starter. The lowest total was last season with only 48% of total snaps played.

It is important to take into consideration the total collection of players on the defensive line not named Myles Garrett. Adrian Clayborn and Porter Gustin have been contributing, but they have been playing 27% and 41% respectively. It is about all the players playing their role and being a part of the rotation on the defensive line.

Some people look at the contract of Olivier Vernon and view it as a waste money. Vernon’s $11 million cap hit is not cheap, but the reality is the Browns are not hurting money wise. It would be for the best if the Browns held on to Vernon for the rest of the season and continue to utilize what has been a productive defensive line rotation.