The Browns’ camp injury pile keeps growing, and this time it hit one of their more promising young defenders.
Michael Coats Jr., the undrafted free agent out of West Virginia who has been one of Cleveland’s better surprises this summer, was carted off during Tuesday’s practice with what appeared to be a leg injury. It’s a frustrating development for a player who had been building momentum through offseason work and preseason action.
Coats was already dealing with a leg issue earlier in the month. He left Cleveland’s first preseason game in the third quarter after suffering an ankle injury, making this the second time in two weeks he’s been slowed by something in that same area. There was no clear diagnosis after Tuesday’s incident, but being helped off the field and carted away is never the kind of scene a team wants to see.
The timing matters, too. If Coats has to miss significant time, his path to a roster spot suddenly gets a lot less secure. Before this setback, he looked like a player with a real chance to stick.
That’s where the Browns’ secondary enters the picture. The injuries there have already started to stack up, and Damarri Mathis is already on injured reserve with a season-ending injury. Cleveland has kept Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell healthy and active all summer, but beyond that, the depth chart gets much murkier.
At the moment, fifth-year cornerback D’Angelo Ross is projected as the third corner, with Myles Harden handling the slot. Harden can hold up there, but Ross still has to show that his NFL experience can translate into something the Browns can rely on.
Myles Bryant and Tre Avery are also in the mix, and both are names worth watching over the next week or two as Cleveland sorts out who gets work with the first and second units. Ross may have the inside track over both, but all three bring the same kind of profile: each has at least five years in the league.
There’s also a path for rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren to get involved in the slot, even while lining up at safety. His range and versatility give Cleveland another option, and the Browns could use a defender who can bounce around the formation and fill multiple roles.
For a team already dealing with one injury after another, the Browns need answers in the secondary before the regular season arrives. The hits keep coming, and the depth chart is starting to feel it.
In Other News...
Browns Fans Are Being Pushed Toward A Breaking Point Over Watson
The fallout from Deshaun Watsons latest press conference is spilling well beyond the podium, and the Browns fan base is feeling it in a way that could follow the team into the stadium. ESPN commentator Dan Orlovsky even suggested that Cleveland supporters think twice about showing up for home games after the clubs decision to keep Watson as the starter over Shedeur Sanders, a move that only deepened the frustration around a quarterback situation that has already been under a microscope.
Watson has since issued a public apology for his comments, but it has done little to quiet the unease around the Browns direction. The timing only adds to the tension, with Cleveland opening the schedule on the road for its first two games before finally coming home in Week 3, when the response from the stands will be impossible to miss. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Young Talent Could Pay The Price For This QB Decision
Cleveland has settled on Deshaun Watson as its quarterback for the upcoming season, a choice that keeps the Browns locked into a familiar but uneasy conversation about how much the offense can actually grow around him. The concern is not hard to find: Watsons recent performance metrics have raised questions about his completion rate, his ability to push the ball downfield, and how often he ends up taking sacks, all of which shape the environment for everyone around him.
For younger offensive pieces like Denzel Boston, Quinshon Judkins and Spencer Fano, the decision matters because their development depends on steadier quarterback play and cleaner structure up front. The Browns have made changes along the offensive line and on the coaching staff, but those adjustments may still have to fight against the same central issue - whether Watsons limitations leave too many drives stuck in place before the skill players can ever get going. [Read more 🡒]
Kareem Hunt Could Still Help A Team The Browns Passed On
Kareem Hunt is still looking for a landing spot as he works toward the 2026 season, and his latest stop says plenty about where he stands in the league now. The free-agent running back reportedly visited the Detroit Lions, a team trying to patch together depth at a position that has been hit by injuries and roster limitations.
For Browns fans, it is a reminder of how quickly the backfield picture has changed in Cleveland. The Browns have moved on from Hunt and are leaning on younger running backs atop the depth chart, but his name still carries enough value that a contender in need is at least taking a look. Whether that visit turns into something more is the part still hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]