CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – At long last, Week 1 is finally here.
The Browns preparations for the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys kicked into gear with Monday's practice.
Here’s the top Brownie Bites from Labor Day.
Jack for Jed – We haven’t seen much of left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. in recent weeks and it is looking like we won’t see him Sunday against the Cowboys either. “He's getting close, so we'll see, but getting close,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday. Wills has been “getting close” for a month but he has yet to practice. “I wouldn't call it a setback,” Stefanski said. “I'd say with any injury that you're rehabbing, you have to just treat it how it's responding and those type of things. So no, I wouldn't say a specific setback, but he wants to be out here last month. I mean, he wants to be out here two months ago, but just going to continue to treat him and make sure that we're doing what is right medically.” It looks like Jack Conklin, who revealed last week that he had his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus repaired as a result of the injury suffered in Week 1 last year, is Plan B for Wills. “He's definitely a tough guy,” right guard Wyatt Teller said. “I applaud him for going through what he's gone through, but yeah, to come back the way that he has doesn't look like crap when he runs. I mean, it's pretty good.” Stefanski declined to say specifically that Conklin will play left tackle, but it’s looking that way. “We have options there [and] we're going to work through our options,” Stefanski said. Wills underwent what was originally termed arthroscopic surgery to repair a damaged MCL in December that ended his 2023 season.
No R-E-S-P-E-C-T – While expectations locally for the Browns are high – as in another playoff berth being in the offing, but nationally, the Browns continue to fly under the radar. “Good,” Teller quipped. “I think that the less people talking about us the better… I just feel that whenever you have, you're sitting watching TV or anything like that and it's like, oh, the Browns are going to be great, then sometimes you think that you kind of already made it, which isn't a good thing. I remember when I got traded here six years ago or five years ago, I was like, oh, they were talking about how Cleveland's going to be great, and I think we finished 7-9 or something like that, but it was just like we didn't meet the expectations. So low expectations, we’ll rise above them.”
Aging gracefully – A few years ago under Andrew Berry, the Browns fielded one of the youngest rosters in the NFL. In 2024, they now have one of the oldest. “We want really good football players and we understand age is a factor and we try to take that into account,” Browns vice president of player personnel and assistant general manager Glenn Cook said. “But yeah, I wouldn't say there is a specific thing that sticks out in terms of that number…we're always urgent just the way we approach it. So I don't think age is a descriptor of that.”
Back on the field – Linebacker Nathaniel Watson, sidelined with a quadriceps injury suffered in the preseason opener against the Packers, returned to practice Monday.
Uni watch – The Browns announced they will wear their classic throwback all white uniforms and white helmet three times this season, but just once at home. The alternate uniforms will be worn Week 4 at Las Vegas, Week 13 at Denver and Week 15 at home against the Chiefs.
Roll Call – DT Shelby Harris (undisclosed), LT Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee), WR David Bell (quadriceps), K Dustin Hopkins (undisclosed) not on field during the portion open to reporters. Stefanski said that Harris and Hopkins, “Will be fine.”
