The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
DB Garrett, CB Ward remain sidelined
Injured players start returning to practice
Cornerback Denzel Ward is still out with soreness, and Myles Garrett remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Balancing playing and practice time with keeping players healthy is one of the trickiest jobs an NFL head coach has — especially if the team he coaches has genuine Super Bowl aspirations as the Browns do.
Day 14 of training camp in Berea on Aug. 17 saw the return of safety Grant Delpit, safety Ronnie Harrison and wide receiver Anthony Schwartz return to practice after missing most of camp with hamstring injuries.
Cornerback Denzel Ward, who last practiced Aug. 6, is still out with what the Browns will only say is soreness. Jadeveon Clowney has missed a week of practice. Stefanski won’t say what is ailing the eighth-year defensive end. Clowney was not listed on the injury report, nor is defensive end Takk McKinley, who remains absent for personal reasons.
Clowney has a long history of injuries. He missed eight games with the Titans last year because of a knee injury.
Linebacker Mack Wilson, injured Aug. 14 in the preseason game in Jacksonville, is “day to day” with a shoulder, Stefanski said. Wilson participated in individual drills Aug. 17 but he was held out of 11-on-11.
Defensive end Myles Garrett remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Safety Sheldrick Redwine is still out with a sprained ankle. Wide receiver JaMarcus Bradley (neck), linebacker Tony Fields (foot) and cornerback M.J. Stewart did not practice.
“We’re being appropriately cautious,” Stefanski said. “I just want to make sure we’re doing the right thing by each player. We’re treating each player specifically to their condition and what they need.”
Tight end Stephen Carlson (knee) and wide receiver Ryan Switzer (foot) were also injured playing the Jaguars. Both need surgery. Switzer returning hasn’t been ruled out, but Carlson is out for the year.
“I really feel for Steve,” Stefanski said. “He’s an important part of this team. He’s going to rehab, I know, and come back even stronger.”
The Browns are hosting the Giants for joint practices on Aug. 19 and 20 before meeting at 1 p.m. Aug. 22 in the second preseason game.
Starters were held out of the preseason game in Jacksonville. Stefanski won’t reveal his plan for the game with the Giants, nor would he answer directly when asked whether he believes starters need to play in at least one preseason game.
“We’ll make determinations based on every individual player as we get going in these next couple of games,” Stefanski said. “That’s something that’s an ongoing conversation.”
The Browns had joint practices with the Colts two summers in Westfield, Indiana, before a preseason game. At some points it resembled a barroom brawl more than a practice. Freddie Kitchens, the Browns’ head coach at the time, thought it would make his team tougher.
Anthony Walker, now the Browns’ starting middle linebacker, played with the Colts in 2019. He recalled the joint practices with a grin.
“We (the Colts) didn’t get pushed around,” Walker said before practice Aug. 17. “We’re not going to let anybody do that but, obviously on the Browns, I come here with the same mentality.”
The Giants got into a huge fight among themselves during a practice early in training camp this summer. Stefanski does not expect things to escalate between the two teams in practice.
“I think it is incumbent upon both teams and the veterans on those teams to make sure that they understand that this is a work trip,” Stefanski said. “We have two days of practice versus the Giants. We’re playing them on Sunday and both teams are looking forward to getting some good work in.”
The Browns conclude their preseason Aug. 29 in Atlanta in a nationally televised game and then don’t play again until Sept. 12 in the regular season opener against the Chiefs in Kansas City.