Posted by Andy Benoit

Browns veteran safety and special teams maven Nick Sorensen was carted off the field on a backboard after taking a hit while covering a kickoff in the Lions-Browns game Saturday afternoon.

Upon contact from a double-team block from Lions Andre Fluellen and Caleb Campbell, Sorensen’s head snapped back as he fell motionless to the turf. Both teams’ doctors attended to Sorensen, and he did not show any visible movement leaving the field.

Though an ambulance did not rush out onto the field, the hit Sorensen took was uncomfortably similar to hit Bills tight end Kevin Everett took in 2008. There is no official word yet on the severity of the injury.

UPDATE: Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says that Sorensen had some feeling in his legs before being carted off the field.

UPDATE II: Sorensen's family says he is moving. He is at the hospital for observations, but the mood around the Browns is that everything is okay.

 

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Posted by Andy Benoit

The Cleveland Browns will be inducting the first 16 members in their Ring of Honor on September 19 (why they’re cramming all 16 into once ceremony is hard to explain…)

The greatest Brown – and perhaps greatest player of all time –Jim Brown, will not be on hand. Brown claims he has another commitment, though speculation is he is miffed at the organization from removing him from his position as executive advisor to owner Randy Lerner.
Mike Holmgren addressed the issue in a recent article by Pat McManamon of Fanhouse.

"We had a very good conversation," Holmgren said. "I'm hopeful he can be there. Jim Brown is synonymous with the Cleveland Browns, one of the great players in the National Football League. This will be a great celebration for all of us and the 16 families on that day and I trust he'll be part of that."

Brown said on Syracuse’s 1260 The Score, "I've been very quiet about my situation in Cleveland. Sometimes when you comment on things, all you do is create problems. And the last thing I want to do is create problems for anyone or especially disrupt the team or ownership or the plans of other people.

"But on the other hand, as an individual, I have plans of my own. I have a dignity and character of my own that I also protect. So I don't really need to comment on where I go, why I go, why I don't go. And all the people that are involved should be doing all the commenting. Because they're the ones with the power. I'm just an individual that played football and worked for the Browns for a while.''

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

Cleveland NT Shaun Rogers hasn’t been cleared to practice after offseason ankle surgery, and according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the team hasn’t decided whether to put him on the Physically Unable to Play list to open the year.

“I don't want to put any definitive timeline on it,” coach Eric Mangini said. “We'll see where it is."

If Rogers starts on the PUP list, he’d be out for at least six weeks. Rogers could also be suspended by the NFL for his arrest in April on gun charges, but if he’s on the injured list, he would serve that suspension at the same time.

So, what happens if Shaun Rogers isn’t ready to play at the start of the season? Considering the 3-4 defense is built around the 6-foot-4, 350-pounder, it wouldn’t be a positive development.

Ahtyba Rubin most likely would take Rogers’ spot in the middle of the defensive line. Like Rogers, Rubin is a solid run-stuffer who has stamina issues. But he doesn’t dominate double-teams like Rogers. Still, after Rogers broke his ankle last year, the Browns run defense seemed to improve with Rubin getting the playing time.

That’s not me saying Rubin is a better player than Rogers, because he’s most definitely not. I’m just saying an overweight Rogers doesn’t help his team quite as much as some people might think. Also, Rubin might be in line for more playing time at NT anyway, because the Browns have talked about having Rogers line up in the DE spot.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

Last year at this time, the Browns were staring at a mess. Their quarterback choices were Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn. WR Braylon Edwards would soon be on his way out of town. RB Jamal Lewis was getting old.

New head coach Eric Mangini already was facing problems within the organization. And as Tony Grossi from the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes, “Mike Furrey was one of the surest tacklers in the secondary. Yes, Mike Furrey, the possession receiver.”

Life is different now in Berea, Ohio, though.

Jake Delhomme might only be a slight upgrade – if that – but at least the QB spot isn’t in question, though if the coaches wanted to make things interesting, they could throw in Seneca Wallace every now and again (I’m not sure what the deal is here, but Grossi also mentions third-round pick Colt McCoy needs to play well in the final two preseason games in order to make the roster). Rookies Joe Haden and T.J. Ward have performed well in the secondary during training camp, and RB Jerome Harrison rushed for 561 yards in the final three games of last season.

Of course there are still plenty of questions in Cleveland and there’s almost no chance they won’t finish last in the AFC North, but life just seems a little bit better for the Browns. At least compared to last year.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

Browns rookie running back Montario Hardesty, a thundering second-round pick out of Tennessee, has missed all of training camp – and will likely end up missing the team’s first three preseason contests – thanks to a sprained right knee. Yet, Hardesty will still contribute in the Sept. 12 opener.

"Yes, I would him expect him to [be ready for the season]," Eric Mangini said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "There's been no setback. Based on the plan that we had and the progress that he has made, my anticipation is that he'll be practicing again in the near future and ideally playing in the opener."

The knee-jerk reaction to this is that the callow Hardesty won’t be ready. A rookie missing training camp and the preseason, only to play (and perhaps start) in Week 1?

But this brings up an interesting point that Chiefs running back Thomas Jones made in Sports Illustrated’s cover article about running backs last week. “Here’s the thing about running back,” Jones said. “It’s an instinctive position. A young guy can come in and play right away. (It’s more instinctive) than a lot of other position.”

Most rookie running backs struggle in pass protection because that’s the one area of the game that requires them to think rather than just react. But the Browns already have Jerome Harrison and Peyton Hillis to handle third down duties. The plan all along has been for Hardesty to evolve into the first- and second-down back. It looks like, as long as Hardesty is healthy come September, that plan will remain on track.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

Now that LeBron James is out of the picture, the city of Cleveland hasn’t had much going for it recently.

The Indians are horrid. There’s very little chance the Browns don’t finish dead last in the AFC North. The Cavaliers have a crazy owner and very little talent. So, aside from visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, watching the splendor of Lake Erie, drinking a Dortmunder Gold and taking in the Christmas Story house , why should Cleveland fans be excited about life?

Browns WR/KR Josh Cribbs provides a compelling answer. That’s the finding of USA Today , which wrote a feature on Cleveland’s favorite player in this post-Jamesian era.

Any casual football fan knows of Cribbs’ exploits when he returns kicks – he’s got eight career TDs, the best of all time. But he almost didn’t return to Cleveland last season.

From the story:

The sixth-year player was fully prepared to walk away from the team early this year when he didn't think the Browns were earnest enough about giving him a new deal. He grumbled, the Browns grumbled, and something had to give.

Cleveland caved. In March, Cribbs signed a three-year deal worth $20 million.

And now the task is getting him to expand, whether it be as a receiver, a running back or even a quarterback in a wildcat formation.

Bring it on. That's the sentiment from Cribbs.

"My role is just going to expand dramatically," he says. "A lot of things are going to happen where me and (backup quarterback) Seneca (Wallace) and Jake, we are all going to be rotating and hopping in and out of there. We added a lot of diversity to our offense this year."

As for what else Cleveland offers?

“When anybody asks me about what Cleveland has to offer," Cribbs said. "(I answer that) they are the most die-hard fans ever. That's what I tell them. I don't tell them about the Rock and Roll of Fame. … I tell them about the city, the people of Cleveland and how die-hard they are and how much they'll fight for you in any type of weather."

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Posted by Andy Benoit

Browns punter Dave Zastudil is out for the season. The Browns placed the ninth-year veteran on Injured Reserve due to his struggles with a weakened patellar tendon (knee). The same injury landed Zastudil on IR last November.

Reggie Hodges filled in for Zastudil last season and will do the same again in 2010. Hodges spent eight games with the Browns in '09, averaging 39.8 yards-per-punt. He netted an average of 36.4 yards-per-punt and left 15 inside the 20-yard line.

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Posted by Will Brinson

Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy injured his hand after jamming it into offensive lineman Casey Bender's helmet during the Brown's first preseason game. (Yes, we too wonder why McCoy would think "someone else's helmet" is a good place to put his thumb.)

But Browns fans can breathe a sigh of relief -- not only did Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace look quite good in their preseason action , but McCoy should be fine.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer , the MRI on McCoy's hand was negative, and he's been diagnosed with a sprained right thumb.

Hopefully (for Cleveland fans) McCoy won't be necessary during 2010, and Delhomme will power the Browns to their obviously destined role as offensive juggernaut and AFC North Champions.

Or something less optimistic would work too -- the real issue is that if McCoy is playing, it's because of a couple nasty injuries or really bad games from Delhomme and Wallace.

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