Team news: Cleveland Browns | Page 1

Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s shoulder was cleared for full contact, head coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday.

Watson did not play in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers but had been throwing in nearly every training camp practice this summer. He is expected to get a “vast majority” of the first-team reps during the team’s upcoming joint practices Wednesday and Thursday with the Minnesota Vikings. He will not play in the game Saturday but Stefanski did leave open the possibility of Watson playing in the preseason finale August 24 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Browns RB D’Onta Foreman is back with the team after his scary neck injury yesterday and being flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital. Again, X-rays and scans were negative.

Related Players: Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, Nyheim Hines

Good news all around after a big scare yesterday. Foreman is looking to carve out an early-season role with Jerome Ford as Nick Chubb continues to recover from his knee injury.

Browns run their first two-minute drills but without Deshaun Watson (rest day), Elijah Moore (walked off with trainer) and Jerry Jeudy (limited with knee). Winston vs second team D finds David Bell for diving TD.

Related Players: Elijah Moore, Jamari Thrash, Cedric Tillman

It doesn't seem like anything major but Jeudy certainly doesn't need any setbacks as we look for a bounce-back season in fantasy. He is currently a WR6 in 4for4's rankings.

Browns D’Onta Foreman injured during kickoff drill. Being immobilized and taken off on board.

Related Players: Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, Nyheim Hines

There are no further updates at this time, but we'll keep an eye on it. Foreman is looking to carve out an early-season role with Jerome Ford as Nick Chubb continues to recover from his knee injury.

While Nick Chubb is on Cleveland’s physically unable to perform list, the running back has been making steady progress in his return to the field.

Reporters on the Browns beat have taken note of Chubb’s work on the side, with the back putting in some sprints after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 last year.

Related players: Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, Nyheim Hines

The Browns say they are pleased with the work Chubb has put in, as well as the progress he's made. The story added Chubb still has a little ways to go. Perhaps also key was the team hasn't put a timetable on Chubb's return, saying it's a day-to-day progress. So for now, owners are left to wonder what they'll see from Chubb this season. We rank Chubb 37ths on our RB list. But if Chubb can get back to practices during camp, it could mean a huge boost in value for those who already drafted him as the 37th RB off the board. The Browns brought in Foreman to pair with Ford as insurance in case Chubb can't return to form. And even if he's ready for Week 1, he'll likely be eased back in.

The Browns and star WR Amari Cooper have agreed to a restructured one-year contract, guaranteeing his $20M and adding an additional $5M, per multiple sources.

Cooper earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection last season after a career-high 1,250 receiving yards and 5 TDs, and is poised to be the team's WR1 again this season. Last year, in his ninth season, Cooper set career-highs in receiving yards per game (83.3) and yards per reception (17.4) en route to a WR14 finish. He was the WR9 in 2022. Cooper is entering his 10th season, which is when receivers’ production tends to fall off of a cliff, per Ryan Heath’s excellent Age Curves study. Cooper’s splits with and without Deshaun Watson were similar, so that’s not much of a concern. Cooper’s career-highs last season are reason to be optimistic that his production won’t fall off too much in 2024. His WR27 ADP seems like a solid value given the age discount.

Nick Chubb will likely be placed on the active/physically unable to perform list next week heading into camp, meaning he can be activated and start participating in team drills if he’s ready and remains eligible for the opener at Cleveland Browns Stadium. PUP players can work out and rehab with the team, but not take part in team drills.

Related Players: Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman

Signs are pointing toward a slow build-up for Chubb, which means he's not likely to see a full workload (or any at all) to begin the season. Ford is a fantastic pick in redraft leagues in the 11th round, though his place in the pecking order might be in serious jeopardy by the second half of the season.

Similar to Kadarius Toney, Moore had a disappointing 2023 season and finished the season with a knee injury. Also similar to Toney, Moore needs to reestablish his role within the offense, whether as a primary slot receiver or a trusted all-around receiver, such as seven-year veteran Justin Watson.

If Moore is released or traded on cutdown day, it would create $1.29 million in salary-cap space for the Chiefs with less than $500,000 in dead money, according to Over the Cap.

Related Players: Justyn Ross, Mecole Hardman

The former second-round pick has had a difficult time carving out a role in Kansas City, hauling in only 43 receptions across his first two seasons. Undraftable in typical season-long leagues, Moore would be a Dynasty drop as well if he leaves one of the best offensive situations in the NFL.

Did Thursday’s final mandatory minicamp practice provide a subtle — or maybe even not-so-subtle — sign that Deshaun Watson is feeling better? At the risk of making too much out of the last of the team’s 13 instruction-based spring practice sessions, we’ll stick with maybe.

“I’ve said it before (that) I’ve gotten to see him throw throughout the course of this rehab,” HC Kevin Stefanski said. “I don’t know (exactly) when it was, but a while back, he looked very normal to me. So that looked normal to me.”

Related Players: Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Assuming there are no future hiccups with Watson's rehabbing, he should be fully cleared well ahead of Week 1. He is currently ranked as 4for4's QB22 as he attempts to string together his first full season since 2020.

The Browns receiver was not in attendance for Cleveland's Tuesday session and is subject to fines.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Cooper's absence was not excused.

"These situations, I understand that they do come up," Stefanski said. "I'll really leave all of that between Amari, Amari's agent and AB (general manager Andrew Berry) and those type of conversations. Again, as you guys know, we focus on guys that are here. We'll get some good work in and really keep it at that."

Related Players: Elijah Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Jamari Thrash

At 30 years old, there aren't many reasons for Cooper to miss time this season, so we assume this will be hashed out sooner rather than later. The Browns offense as a whole has plenty to prove this year, not least of all is their receiving room.