Tag: Braylon Edwards (Page 6 of 13)

2009 NFL Preview: #27 Cleveland Browns

Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Eric Barton (LB); Kenyon Coleman (DE); Abram Elam (S); Floyd Womack (OT); C.J. Mosley (DE); Robert Royal (TE); John St. Clair (OT); Mike Fuerry (WR); Corey Ivy (CB).

Offseason Losses: Kellen Winslow Jr. (TE); Sean Jones (S); Kevin Shaffer (OT); Andra Davis (LB); Willie McGinest (LB); Joe Jurevicius (WR); Travis Daniels (CB); Daven Holly (CB); Jason Wright (RB); Antwan Peek (LB).

Player to Watch: James Davis, RB.
People outside of Cleveland just said to themselves, “James who?” The rookie sixth round pick out of Clemson wasn’t supposed to challenge Jamal Lewis for the Browns’ starting running back job, but that’s exactly what he has done to this point. Cleveland’s coaching staff has reportedly been impressed by Davis’s speed, elusiveness and aggressive running style. But perhaps most importantly, the Browns are thrilled with the way he’s learned how to pick up the blitz, which is a craft most rookie running backs struggle with. To date, Davis has compiled a 7.8-yard per carry average in preseason, while Lewis has only mustered a paltry 2.6 YPC. If he doesn’t flat out take the starting job away from Lewis, Davis will certainly split carries this season and could emerge as the Browns’ every down back in the very near future.

Team Strength: Just as it was in 2007 when the Browns came up just shy of a playoff berth, the offensive line will be a strength for Cleveland this season. Even though some say that his play fell off last season compared to his dazzling rookie campaign, Joe Thomas anchors a unit that also features one of the league’s best guards in Eric Steinbach. The Browns also selected the top center prospect in this year’s draft in Alex Mack, who has already beaten out Hank Fraley to become a starter. Neither Floyd Womack nor John St. Clair is a superstar at their positions, but both have starting experience and are versatile.

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Daily Six-Pack: NFL Preseason Saturday

Six games highlight Saturday’s preseason action in the NFL. Below are six things to keep an eye on tonight in the NFL.

1. It’s the start of a new era in Detroit.
Word out of Lions camp is that rookie Matthew Stafford is way ahead of the curve when it comes to first-year quarterbacks. Even though Detroit would love to see veteran Daunte Culpepper take the majority of the snaps behind a brutal offensive line this season, it appears that Stafford has made quite the impression and it may be hard for the Lions to keep him on the sidelines. Today when the Lions host the Falcons in both teams’ preseason opener, Detroit isn’t going to overact to Stafford’s performance either way. If he goes out and throws two interceptions in two series, they’ll shrug it off as a learning experience. If he throws two touchdowns on his first two pass attempts, the team will chalk it up to preseason luck and hope the live game experience will be valuable in his development. The point is that it’s only preseason and chances are, his performance won’t be an indication either way of how well he’ll fair in Detroit. The key is that the Lions can officially put their disastrous 2008 season behind them today, and Stafford represents the future.

2. Cutler makes his Bears’ debut.
You’ll be hard pressed to find a Chicagoan who isn’t thinking playoffs (or even Super Bowl) after the Bears acquired quarterback Jay Cutler from the Broncos this offseason. You’ll have to excuse Chicago fans for their budding enthusiasm because, you see, they’ve been waiting a long time for a quarterback of Cutler’s ilk to pass through their great city. Sure, the Bears still don’t have the greatest set of receivers and there are still question marks surrounding the offensive line, even after the offseason addition of Orlando Pace. But none of that will matter once Cutler lines up under center tonight against the Bills and riffles his first completion, because the Bears finally have their quarterback.

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Browns’ Edwards returns to practice

Browns wideout Braylon Edwards practiced for the first time in training came on Wednesday, after missing six practices with an undisclosed injury.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Edwards had missed the first four days and six practices because of an undisclosed injury, believed to be on an ankle, that occurred off the field prior to the June minicamp.

Edwards reported to camp a day late and then failed to pass the team’s physical. By appearing on the field this morning, it means the club’s medical staff cleared Edwards to practice.

If you’re Edwards, you have to be concerned with the way your contract year has started off. As the article notes, he reported to training camp late after head coach Eric Mangini told him to be there a couple days earlier so that he could take a physical. Then of course he fails his physical, yet nobody knows what the injury was. (Some speculate that he hurt his ankle playing basketball, while others believe he faked the injury in some kind of unique holdout attempt.)

If Edwards wants someone to pay him like a No. 1 receiver (whether it’s the Browns or another team), then he better start making a better impression. (Catching the ball would help too.)

Edwards reports to camp late, fails physical

The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Browns’ receiver Braylon Edwards reported to training camp a day late and when he did arrive, failed a team physical.

Because Edwards missed practice time at the team’s mandatory minicamp in June with an undisclosed injury, he was notified by coach Eric Mangini to report to training camp on Monday — four days earlier than non-injured veterans.

When Edwards did not show up, the Browns placed him on the “reserve/did not report” list. Edwards could be fined as much as $17,000 for reporting one day late. Edwards arrived on Tuesday and after failing his physical was transferred to the “active/non-football injury” list.

A couple of months ago when Edwards showed up for OTAs it appeared that he and the Browns were moving in the right direction, at least in terms of him playing out the final year of his contract in Cleveland. Not that this news means that he’ll get traded now, but this certainly isn’t something that the Browns want to deal with a couple days before training camp opens.

I don’t understand why Edwards would report to camp on Tuesday knowing that his coach wanted him there on Monday. One could suggest that he’s rebelling after the Browns tried to trade him this past offseason but again, he showed up to OTAs and was a professional about the situation. So I wonder why he showed up late and thus, risked receiving a fine.

Former Brown Jurevicius suing team over staph infection

Former NFL receiver Joe Jurevicius is suing the Browns, ex-team Dr. Anthony Miniaci and current team Dr. Richard Figler for negligence and fraud stemming from a staph infection he got while being treated for knee injuries.

There had been speculation for months — and perhaps longer — that someone would eventually take the Cleveland Browns to court over their staph infection problem.

It turns out former Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius was the first to take the plunge.

Jurevicius, an 11-year NFL veteran, is reportedly suing his former team for negligence over a staph infection he received in his right knee last year. He has since been released by the Browns.

Several current and former Browns have had similar health problems with staph, including Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow Jr., LeCharles Bentley and Brian Russell. There are approximately seven known cases of staph infections linked to the Browns in recent years.

Jurevicius is a Cleveland native and very well-respected within the Browns’ family and his community. Most likely, he wouldn’t have gone as far as suing a team he grew up rooting for unless Jurevicius legitimately feels his playing days were cut short by staph.

If a total of seven known cases of staph infections can be linked to the Browns, there’s a problem here. Considering this doesn’t seem like a widespread issue in the NFL, it’s staggering that one team is having this many problems with this type of infection.

Maybe Jurevicius’ case will shine some light on this issue so no other Browns will have the same problem.

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