The Browns got Week 8 prep underway Wednesday with a new name on the injury report, but the early read on Jared Verse was encouraging.
Verse opened the week as a nonparticipant after sustaining a knee injury in Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans, yet Todd Monken did not sound concerned about the defensive end’s availability for the divisional trip to Pittsburgh.
“I don’t anticipate that,” he said. “Just a little bit of swelling, and we just thought it would be good to just keep him off of it.”
Cleveland was also missing right tackle Tytus Howard, who is dealing with a concussion, and center Elgton Jenkins, who is listed with a knee injury. Jenkins’ absence looks more like routine maintenance than a setback after he played every one of the 70 offensive snaps against Tennessee, according to Pro Football Focus.
Howard is the bigger question. He exited Sunday’s game early with a head injury and is still in the NFL’s concussion protocol. The Browns do have a ready-made replacement in Dawand Jones if Howard needs another week.
There was also some confusion around Myles Harden, who was expected to be out because of a hamstring issue. Reporters, though, saw him warming up on the practice field after Monken’s availability.
The picture wasn’t all cautious, either. Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger, and Grant Delpit were all out there to start the week, even though all three had dealt with injuries against the Titans. Harden, Graham, and Delpit each missed snaps in that game before returning late and helping Cleveland close out its 27-24 win in the fourth quarter.
On top of that, both KC Concepcion and Grant Delpit have already shown they can move through the protocol and get back the following week this season, with each player logging at least a limited practice session by Thursday.
With the Browns maybe getting healthier at just the right time, they could use the boost. Monken hasn’t spoken with the team about ending that drought, but the roster trending in the right direction can only help.
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Browns Could Still Add The Missing Piece To A Dangerous Defense
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That is why defensive end has become such a logical area to monitor ahead of the trade deadline, with names like Khalil Mack, Jermaine Johnson and YaYa Diaby surfacing as possible fits depending on performance and contract status. The appeal is straightforward for Cleveland - a stronger outside pass rush and sturdier run defense could make a good front even harder to deal with, and the Browns do not seem ready to let a chance like that pass without exploring every option. [Read more 🡒]