The Browns got a much-needed jolt on Friday, and it came in the form of bodies getting back on the practice field.
After Todd Monken treated Wednesday’s session like a glorified walkthrough because of the injury pileup, Cleveland’s participation list took a clear step forward later in the week. Per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, defensive tackle Mason Graham was back out there after missing 15 days, and the Browns also had running back Quinshon Judkins, linebacker Carson Schwesinger and edge defender Derek Barnett practicing again after all three sat out Wednesday and Thursday.
For a team trying to navigate Week 6 with a battered roster, that kind of movement matters.
Graham is the headline here. He exited early in Cleveland’s Week 4 win over the Steelers on Oct. 1 and was later found to have a sprained MCL and ankle after an MRI.
The injury was expected to cost him some time, but the mini bye week after Thursday Night Football against Pittsburgh has limited the damage so far. He’s missed one game, and now even a limited return to practice gives him a real shot to play either Sunday against the Ravens or next week at Tennessee.
That would be a major development for a Browns defense that could use him badly. Baltimore still has the kind of ground game that can take over a matchup with Derrick Henry in the mix, and per NFL data analyst Warren Sharp, Cleveland has been giving up 5.3 yards per carry without Graham on the field.
Graham’s durability has been one of the early stories around him. He started all 17 games as a rookie in 2025 and barely ever missed time at Michigan, which makes this little stretch on the sideline stand out even more.
Schwesinger’s return to practice was notable in its own right. Reporters saw him in a boot earlier in the week because of his injured ankle, but the Browns’ defensive leader was back on the field Friday with Baltimore in mind. Through five games, he’s been Cleveland’s only defender to play every snap.
Barnett’s situation is a little different. The veteran has had his reps managed along the way, and he still looks on track to go against the Ravens. Cleveland will need him, too - he and Isaiah McGuire have been the team’s most efficient pass rushers through the first month.
The backfield remains the biggest puzzle.
Judkins has been dealing with an ankle issue, and his status could tell the story of how Cleveland plans to attack a rushing game that has not gotten going. At the same time, Dylan Sampson’s 21-day practice window was opened this week, and his health is part of the conversation as well. Sampson has not had an offensive touch this season after hurting his knee on special teams in the opener.
If neither is ready, the Browns are looking at Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime as the other options for Sunday.
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Browns Suddenly Have A Backfield Problem Before Ravens Showdown
Quinshon Judkins missed practice drills for a second straight day, and that alone has put the Browns in an awkward spot heading into a critical game against the Ravens. With a matchup this important, Cleveland had little margin for error already, and the running back situation only looks thinner as the week goes on. Dylan Sampson was on the field in a limited capacity while working back from a knee injury, but the overall picture is still unsettled.
The concern extends beyond one position group, too, because the Browns are dealing with injuries elsewhere as they try to get ready for Baltimore. When a team is bracing for a big divisional test and one of its top backfield options is trending the wrong way, every practice rep matters. Cleveland still has time to sort it out, but right now the backfield is the kind of problem that can change how the rest of the week feels. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Offseason Bets Are Already Exposing One Costly Problem
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Browns Rookie Is Suddenly Grading Like An Elite NFL Defender
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Across 109 snaps, he has allowed only four targets and produced an average passer rating allowed of 27.6, the kind of early return that gets attention quickly in a league where rookies are usually asked to survive before they thrive. Cleveland has another young standout in Denzel Boston, who leads all rookies in receiving yards with 330 and has three touchdowns in five games, giving the Browns a pair of first-year contributors worth tracking as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]