Were you missing a morning reader to catch up on everything Cleveland Browns as you drink your coffee and get ready for work? Look no further than Browns Sunrise Summary. In this edition of this daily morning reader, we take a look at how the Browns will handle their open roster spot after placing Michael Dunn on Injured Reserve, the status of quarterback Deshaun Watson, how the Indianapolis Colts will look to rebound from losing defensive tackle Grover Stewart, and more!
The Browns sit at 3-2 on the season, traveling to Indianapolis to take on the 3-3 Colts on Sunday. Yours truly will be in attendance as the Browns have an opportunity to take hold of the top spot in the AFC North this weekend with a win and realistic losses around the rest of the division.
We still have four days until then, however, and we have lots of news to cover in the meantime.
Grab your coffee, pull up a seat, and dig in.
Browns lose an OL to IR, have an open roster spot
The Browns now have an open roster spot after placing offensive guard Michael Dunn on Injured Reserve. Will they fill that with P.J. Walker and name him backup quarterback moving forward? Or will they promote another offensive lineman from the practice squad?
Players like veteran Ty Nsekhe and former first round pick Alex Leatherwood are currently in Berea and could be easy adds to the active roster. Who will serve as Joel Bitonio’s backup considering he just had a knee scope over the bye week?
Will Nick Harris, Luke Wypler, or James Hudson III get those backup reps?
Andrew Siciliano goes crazy on missed-game winner
The Browns beat the Niners thanks to a missed kick of Jake Moody. And NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano was in the booth with Nathan Zegura for the call. You can hear Siciliano lose it here:
Chills @NathanZegura and @AndrewSiciliano. Chills 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/irD5gV4fxn
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) October 17, 2023
The NFL Network analyst reflected on the childhood dream of calling a Browns game as well (link).
Colts dealing without key players
The Colts got the news down the pipeline yesterday that their star run stuffer Grover Stewart has been suspended six games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. This is big news for the Browns, who have finally found success on the ground for the first time since the injury to Nick Chubb.
Stewart is not the only player they are without as well, as tight end Kylen Granson is also in the concussion protocol. They are already without Jelani Woods, so if Granson cannot go they will be down to Mo Alie-Cox and Andrew Ogletree at the position.
Kyler Murray could return to practice; Browns play Cardinals in 2 weeks
AZCentral is reporting that Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray could begin practicing next week as the team could activate his 21-day window for return. This is substantial for the Browns as they are set to take on the Cardinals in three weeks.
Will they see their former backup Joshua Dobbs or will they get Murray? This is something to monitor.
Week 7 Power Rankings roundup
I vaulted the Browns into the top ten after their win over the 49ers. They sit at 3-2 through five games, with two of those games coming without their starting quarterback. Some other analysts were not as kind, however. Let’s take a look around and see where they fell elsewhere:
Touchdown Wire: 18th
Cowboys Wire: 9th
ESPN: 8th
USA Today: 11th
Bleacher Report: 12th
All eyes on Deshaun Watson
The Browns are set to return to practice today as all eyes will be on the status of Deshaun Watson. After missing two straight games and three weeks including the bye, will Watson be back on the field or in continued rehab?
Stefanski continues to tag Watson as day-to-day, but the official injury reports will begin dropping today.
