Which of the recent player injuries affect the Browns most?
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
The rosters of the four AFC North teams are so strong and so close, other factors will determine the division champion.
The major factor might be injuries.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is out indefinitely with a calf strain. He may or may not play in the season-opener in Cleveland against the Browns. Even if he does play, Burrow won’t be as sharp because he will miss virtually the entire preseason of practices. There is no denying that.
The Browns haven’t had a single injury -- yet -- as impactful as Burrow’s. But this week they were dealt with four injuries that definitely will affect their preparation for the season.
Let’s examine the impact of the Browns’ recent quartet of injuries.
Defensive end Alex Wright and defensive end Isaiah Thomas.
On Tuesday, the Browns announced that the two second-year players underwent arthroscopic knee surgeries. Their statement said, “The injuries will require several weeks of rehab and a full recovery is expected early in the season.”
These were the fourth and fifth defensive ends on the Browns’ depth chart behind Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. Because they were GM Andrew Berry draft picks in 2022 – Wright in Round 3 and Thomas in Round 7 – they had the edge over four other defensive ends behind them.
As rookies, Wright played on 542 defensive snaps and had no sacks and no quarterback hits; Thomas played 162 snaps and had one sack and two hits on quarterbacks.
Their preseason debuts in the Hall of Fame Game against the Jets were inauspicious. Wright played 15 snaps and was credited with two assisted tackles; Thomas played 25 snaps and had one solo tackle and one assisted tackle.
We can assume that new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s famous pass-rush scheme would accelerate the growth of both players. But let’s be real: We’re not talking about the second comings of Bruce Smith here.
The Browns have responded by bringing in one new defensive end, Charles Wiley, a 2022 undrafted free agent of the Baltimore Ravens. Likely, they will add another.
Analysis: Both players are expected back early in the season. Who knows the state of Schwartz’s ends at that point. In the meantime, the opportunity is there now for 2023 fourth-round pick Isaiah McGuire and undrafted free agents Sam Camara, Jeremiah Martin, Lonnie Phelps and Wiley to get more work.
Bottom line: McGuire has first dibs on the DE4 role. If they keep a fifth, he’s probably going to arrive after league cuts. Wright and Thomas probably can find their way back to the 53 roster, but their sophomore seasons are pretty much shot after knee surgeries. Their development has been stunted for 2023.
Of four injuries suffered this week, the loss of running back Jerome Ford will hurt the Browns the most. (TheLandOnDemand)
Running back Jerome Ford
A day after running backs coach Stump Mitchell affirmed Ford was RB2 and would relieve Nick Chubb in games and play every down when in, Ford suffered an injury to his right hamstring in a rain-soaked practice. The Browns have not indicated a timetable for his return to the field.
Ford was drafted in 2022 with the idea of replacing free agent Kareem Hunt this season. The Browns were enamored with Ford’s receiving ability out of the backfield, but in his final year at University of Cincinnati, Ford was a premier rusher, gaining 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns. In the 2022 training camp, Mitchell said he viewed Ford as a future feature back. It was not a stretch to consider Ford as the eventual heir to Chubb.
Analysis: If Ford is out for an extended period, the Browns have to bring in a veteran back. Current roster backs Demetric Felton, John Kelly and undrafted rookie Hassan Hall are not contenders for the RB2 role reserved for Ford.
Bottom line: Chubb is a premier workhorse, but Ford is an integral player in the present and future. Ford is likely to miss the Washington game, at least. Any missed time for a second-year player is not good. The severity of his injury will determine whether the Browns sign an experienced back.
Offensive lineman Drew Forbes
Forbes was carted off the field with a back injury. It looked serious because Forbes lay flat on his back on the cart ride to the indoor facility. The Browns have not commented on the extent of the injury.
Forbes was a John Dorsey sixth-round draft pick in 2019 whose career has been disrupted by two knee injuries and his decision to opt-out in the 2020 Covid season. The Browns waived him in 2022 and then claimed him back after the Lions (Dorsey’s new team) waived him. He was lining up at left guard on the second team offensive line. Forbes is 26 and has appeared in 13 NFL games.
Analysis: For some reason, the post-Dorsey regime has been enamored with Forbes. This latest setback doesn’t help Forbes’ chances of sticking.
Bottom line: There are probably two backup interior line positions available on the 53 roster. The role requires position versatility – ability to play two or more positions. The contenders are Michael Dunn, Nick Harris, Wes Martin, Colby Gossett and rookie sixth-round pick Luke Wypler. This injury might be it for Forbes’ Browns career.
