Browns offer two-word upgrades for $100 million Defender.
Browns Give Grim 2-Word Update on $100 Million Defender
Denzel Ward’s status is still up in the air for the Cleveland Browns’ game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Ward is dealing with a shoulder injury and the Browns are eyeing the Pro Bowl cornerback. He did not practice this week and Browns coach Kevin Stefanski had no update.
“We’ll see,” Stefanski said Wednesday, Nov. 29, when asked if Ward would practice this week. Ward played last week against the Denver Broncos. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported before this game that Ward could miss several games due to injury. “The Browns are aware of the extent of Ward’s labrum injury. Of course, they hope he will be out for an extended period of time,” Cabot said on Nov. 24. Greg Newsome believes Brown’s defense will bounce back.
That’s a shame for Ward, who has struggled to stay on the court his entire career. He did not play a full season in six seasons in the NFL, missing multiple games each season due to various injuries. The Browns signed Ward to a $105 million contract through 2022, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the league at the time. In that deal, he received $71.25 million guaranteed and was committed to the Browns through the 2027 season. “It’s always important to give back. I mean, he’s the best cornerback in the NFL, who wouldn’t want him? Browns CB Greg Newsome said Wednesday. With Ward out of the lineup, the Broncos went after Newsome. He earned a 43.7 overall grade and a 34.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.
“I didn’t play my best until last week, but that’s how the NFL works. “Sometimes we don’t play our best that week, but this week we played better,” Newsome said. “[The Rams] have great receivers. We definitely want to get him back because we have a good corner whether [Ward] plays or not. He will play a big role in our success, but we want to take the time to make sure he is 100% ready when he returns.
The Browns defense has a lot of injuries.
Against the Broncos, Ward’s absence was noticeable and the injuries to the Browns’ elite defense began to pile up. Veteran safety Rodney McLeod has missed the year with a forearm injury and superstar Myles Garrett is dealing with a shoulder injury.
Garrett suffered soreness against the Broncos and needed help removing his jersey after the game because he couldn’t lift his shoulders. He went to the press conference wearing a sling and said he felt a “pop” on his shoulder during the game.
After the 29-12 loss, Garrett said, “If we’re not down, we’re not out. We’re already down.” “I want to win like these guys… I give them everything I have, no matter how I feel.”
The Browns are keeping a close eye on Garrett, the core of their defense. But Stefanski is confident he can compete with the Rams.
“This is correct.” Stefanski said when asked if he thought Garrett would be fit to face the Rams. “We’ll see what happens this week.”
