Updates on the Browns Injuries. Plus more Injuries
Courtney Brown had suffered a "Liz Franc" ligament tear in his left foot. He will have the foot stabilized Tuesday. The team said Brown's prognosis is excellent, and his recovery time will be six months. Winslow will have surgery on his fractured fibula – essentially a broken ankle – Tuesday morning. It’s possible that a plate and several screws will be inserted. (Coach) Butch Davis said the team is exploring its options but won’t immediately place Winslow on injured-reserve. With Steve Heiden still battling a knee injury suffered in the preseason, Aaron Shea is now the only healthy tight end on the Browns’ roster.
Also out 2-to-4 weeks is defensive tackle Gerard Warren, who re-aggravated his strained pectoral muscle in Sunday’s loss at Dallas after suffering the injury in the season opener against Baltimore. Warren didn’t do any further damage Sunday but will be held out of action until he regains his strength.
Running back Lee Suggs is regaining full range of motion in his neck and is still being evaluated on a day-to-day basis. Suggs has missed the team’s first two games with a stinger in his neck. He practiced last week and hoped to play in Dallas, but was informed the day before the game that doctors wouldn’t give him the proper medical clearance.
Cornerback Daylon McCutcheon fractured the middle finger on his left hand Sunday. He returned to action after suffering the injury but was visiting a hand specialist Monday and may need surgery.
Starting left guard Paul Zukauskas sprained his left MCL Sunday – the same injury he suffered last December.Zukauskas suffered no additional damage. He’s listed as day-to-day.
Backup defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban, who recorded the Browns’ only sack Sunday, is listed as day-to-day with a groin injury. He was listed as questionable last week (groin) and didn’t practice until Friday, but he played 48 snaps Sunday. Here’s a look at the state of the team at each of the position groups hit by injury:
TIGHT END: Winslow is lost until at least mid-November. Davis said Heiden will return to practice this week, but it might be another week until he’s ready for game action. For now, Shea is the only healthy tight end on the roster. The Browns released tight ends Darnell Sanders and Chad Mustard at the conclusion of the preseason two weeks ago. Sanders signed with Atlanta, but Mustard is available and Davis said the team was “taking under consideration” the possibility of re-signing him. Keith Heinrich is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and isn’t eligible to return to practice until next month. The team signed Doug Zeigler to the practice squad last week.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Joaquin Gonzalez replaced Tucker for the final two drives Sunday and was flagged for holding in the endzone in the final minute, resulting in a safety. Gonzalez has served as the team’s swing (backup) tackle in each of the last two seasons and is the most likely replacement for Tucker. Rookie sixth-round draft pick Kirk Chambers and second-year man Enoch DeMar could also play tackle. Chambers has been inactive for both games this season. DeMar, who played guard in five regular season games last season, played on special teams in the opener but was inactive in Dallas. If Zukauskas can’t play, DeMar is the most likely replacement. Backup center Melvin Fowler could also play guard.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Either Michael Myers or Alvin McKinley will start at tackle instead of Warren. Ekuban is the likely starter in place of Brown – if he’s healthy.
Look for the Browns to sign a veteran defensive end. Tyrone Rogers, who was with the team from 1999-2003 but wasn’t re-signed this year, is one possibility. He was released in training camp by Green Bay.
The Browns were left with just five active defensive linemen when Brown and Warren left Sunday’s game. Rookie fifth round pick Amon Gordon, a tackle, and first-year defensive end Corey Jackson were inactive. Neither Gordon nor Jackson has played in a regular season NFL game, but that’s likely to change this week. Jackson spent part of last season on the team’s practice squad and won NFL Europe Defensive Player of the Year honors last spring.
Defensive end Felipe Claybrooks is on the practice squad and could be activated.
posted by ES84 @ 2:45 AM |
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