Cleveland Browns News

The Cleveland Browns signed wide receiver Jaelon Darden to their active 53-man roster on Saturday and also elevated cornerback Mike Ford Jr. and offensive tackle Germain Ifedi to the active roster ahead of their Week 1 showdown in Cleveland against the Dallas Cowboys. The Browns released former third-rounder David Bell earlier this week, so the 25-year-old Darden will essentially replace him on Cleveland's roster as additional receiver depth behind Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore. Darden will be competing for playing time with Cedric Tillman and rookie Jamari Thrash and is off the fantasy radar everywhere for now. Darden was originally drafted in the fourth round in 2021 out of North Texas by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last year in 16 games with the Browns, he only served as a kick returner on special teams and wasn't involved in the offense.

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins will kick off his 2024 season with a home matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. The Cowboys were tough on fantasy kickers last year, allowing just the 29th-most fantasy points per game to the position. Hopkins was a reliable kicker for the Browns in 2023, hitting 33 of his 36 field-goal tries, including all eight of his tries from 50+ yards. It remains to be seen how efficient the Cleveland offense will be this season, which coupled with the tough matchup, leaves Hopkins outside of the top-12 fantasy kicker options this weekend.

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku will look to build upon a breakout season last year when he takes on the Dallas Cowboys at home in Week 1. The Cowboys represent a tough matchup for tight ends as they allowed just the 25th-most fantasy points per game to the position in 2023. That being said, Njoku emerged as a top option in the passing attack last year and should continue to be one of the top targets for Deshaun Watson this season. Fantasy managers can comfortably fire Njoku up as a top-10 tight end for the season opener this weekend.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy will take on the Dallas Cowboys at home in Week 1. Jeudy, who is making his Cleveland debut, dealt with a knee injury during training camp but he appears to be fully healthy heading into the season opener. Jeudy reportedly showed nice chemistry with Deshaun Watson during the preseason, although it remains to be seen whether that transfers over to the regular season. For now, Jeudy appears to be the team's No. 2 or No. 3 option in the passing game behind Amari Cooper and possibly David Njoku. For now, he sets up as a low-end flex, and fantasy managers should be in wait-and-see mode until it is more clear how Jeudy fits into the Cleveland offense.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper will take on his old team in a Week 1 home showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas represents a tough matchup for Cooper as they allowed just the 28th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers in 2023. The Cowboys' secondary should be just as formidable in 2024 as they will get Trevon Diggs back after losing him to a season-ending injury early last season. Cooper has shown the ability to post week-winning performances during his career but the matchup leaves him as more of a low-end WR2 in fantasy for the season opener on Sunday.

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford will open the season as the team's starter after Nick Chubb (knee) was placed on the PUP list. Ford draws a tough Week 1 matchup as he will take on the Dallas Cowboys at home to kick off the 2024 season. The Cowboys were stout against the run in 2023, allowing just the 22nd-most fantasy points per game to running backs. Ford was very average as a rusher last season but he did show skill in the passing attack, hauling in five touchdown grabs on 44 catches. He should be busy in the passing game against an explosive Dallas offense this week, making him a solid flex option for fantasy gamers.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will kick off his 2024 season with a tough home matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Watson did not see any game action in the preseason after his 2023 campaign was cut short by a shoulder injury suffered during Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens, so there may be a bit of rust to knock off for the signal-caller. The Cowboys represent a tough matchup for Watson as they allowed just the 26th-most fantasy points per game to the quarterback position last season. Watson's tenure with the Browns has been marked by inconsistency, although he will play with the best group of pass catchers he has had since joining the team two years ago. Treat Watson as a low-end QB2 with some upside for the season opener.

Free-agent wide receiver Kadarius Toney visited the Cleveland Browns for a tryout earlier on Friday, according to Field Yates of ESPN. Toney failed to make the Chiefs roster earlier this offseason and recently visited the Seahawks this week. Toney, who was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants in 2021, has struggled to find his footing at the professional level. He had a career-high 420 yards in his rookie campaign before joining the Chiefs, where he totaled just 169 receiving yards last fall. While Toney has flashed elite speed at times, he held an underwhelming 71% catch rate last season. If Toney were to sign with the Browns, he would likely only be deployed sparingly throughout the season and would not be worth a look in most formats.

The Cleveland Browns have waived wide receiver David Bell, a third-round pick from the 2022 NFL draft. With no immediate addition to the 53-man roster, the Browns now have an open spot as they prepare for the season opener. Over his career with the Browns, Bell played in 31 regular-season games, recording 38 catches for 381 yards and three touchdowns. He also had eight receptions for 54 yards in last season's playoff loss to the Texans. The remaining wide receivers on the active roster are Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Jamari Thrash, and Cedric Tillman. This move may signal confidence in the development of Tillman and Thrash, who are expected to take on more prominent roles in 2024. Ultimately, Bell's tenure with the Browns did not meet the team's expectations when they selected him in the third round two years ago.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver David Bell (quad) returned to practice in limited fashion on Wednesday. The third-year wideout has been on the shelf since Aug. 10, when he sustained a quadriceps injury against the Green Bay Packers. Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. also returned to practice. It remains to be seen whether or not Bell will be ready to suit up for the team's home opener against the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday. The Purdue product is listed as a second-string WR on Cleveland's depth chart heading into Week 1 and has totaled just 38 receptions for 381 yards and three touchdowns on 58 targets across his first two seasons. He faces increased competition for those targets in 2024 due to the Browns' acquisition of Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku's strong performance in the latter part of last season. Bell is currently nothing more than a best ball dart throw in his current situation.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee) was a full participant in practice on Wednesday. Jeudy has been relatively banged up throughout the preseason and training camp but appears to be full healthy heading into Week 1. Jeudy is looking for a fresh start in Cleveland after spending his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos. Jeudy has flashed potential at times during his career but has never put it all together for a full season. Jeudy will look to make a name for himself starting this week against the Dallas Cowboys. If Jeudy can build on the 758 receiving yards and two touchdowns he recorded in 2023, then he may yet be an occasional fantasy contributor.

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has been banged up during the preseason, but appears ready to go for the season opener. The 28-year-old will get back on the practice field this week as he prepares for the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Njoku surprised fantasy managers last season with 81 receptions for 882 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games. The Browns have done very little with adding any competition at the tight end spot. Right now, Jordan Akins is penciled in as the No. 2 tight end and he's not a threat to take away targets from Njoku. Last season, Njoku saw 123 targets which is a career-high for the veteran tight end. He figures to once again be relied upon in an offense that doesn't have many reliable options outside of Amari Cooper in the receiving game. Njoku finished as the TE6 last season and he should be able to post similar stats again as long as he can stay healthy.

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (knee) is currently working his way back from an injury that cost him most of last season. The team has already placed the star back on the physically unable to perform list, which means he'll miss the first four games of the season. The hope is that Chubb would return to the field shortly after that, but that might not be the case. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the goal should be getting Chubb back by mid-season. It's worth noting that the organization did not say this, but Cabot believes it'll take Chubb longer than expected considering he tore both his ACL and MCL last season. The Browns do have Jerome Ford who proved himself to be a viable option without Chubb last season. That being said, the Browns might play it safe and ride with Chubb until he feels fully healthy to return. At the end of the day, Chubb is going to return when he's ready, so fantasy managers expecting him to suit up in Week 5 might be disappointed.

Cleveland Browns defensive back Denzel Ward (concussion) has officially cleared concussion protocol ahead of Week 1. The star defensive back missed nearly two weeks of action before returning to practice earlier this week. It sounds like Ward should be able to get ready in time for the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. His presence is a huge lift to this Browns secondary, so it's great to hear that he's back ahead of Week 1. The three-time Pro Bowl defensive back has 15 interceptions, 76 passes defended, and 73 tackles during his first six seasons in Cleveland.

The Cleveland Brown re-signed running back D'Onta Foreman to their 53-man roster on Thursday after releasing former Pro Bowl quarterback Tyler Huntley, according to sources. Foreman was initially cut on Tuesday when they trimmed their roster down, but he'll now rejoin the team as RB depth behind Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. (ribs) to begin the year with both Nick Chubb (knee) and Nyheim Hines (knee) starting the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Expect Foreman and Strong work in tandem in a change-of-pace role behind Ford for at least the first four games of the 2024 season. The 28-year-old Foreman isn't going to see enough volume in Cleveland's backfield unless Ford also misses time due to injury early on, so fantasy managers in most leagues can avoid him for now. In his only year with the Chicago Bears in 2023, Foreman had 109 carries for 425 yards (3.9 yards per tote) and four TDs.

The Cleveland Browns are releasing quarterback Tyler Huntley on Thursday, according to NFL insider Dianna Russini. Cleveland's initial 53-man roster included quarterbacks Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Huntley, and the team reportedly was open to trading one of the backups. However, that did not happen, so Huntley is being cut loose. Huntley spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted out of Utah in 2020. Overall, the 26-year-old has thrown for 1,957 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 20 game appearances. He also has 509 rushing yards and three rushing scores to his name. Huntley has proven to be a somewhat serviceable backup, so he should land on a new team before the start of the 2024 regular season.

The Cleveland Browns restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson's contract, freeing up $35.83 million in cap space. $44.79 million of Watson's 2024 base salary was converted to a signing bonus to create the extra cap space, which Cleveland now leads the league in with over $62 million. It's an interesting move by the organization, and it could mean they have their eye on a few transactions before the start of the 2024 campaign. However, that is not being reported. This season presents a prove-it year for Watson, who has struggled in just 12 game appearances over the last two seasons since being traded from the Houston Texans.

Cleveland Browns running back Nyheim Hines (knee), who is coming off surgery for a torn ACL, will remain on the Non-Football Injury list for the start of the 2024 regular season and will miss at least the first four games. Hines and fellow RB Nick Chubb (knee) pushed each other and made great strides during their rehab, but they both need more time and won't be available until at least a Week 5 matchup against the Washington Commanders on the road. The 27-year-old Hines tore his ACL when he was hit by a jet ski last summer and missed all of the 2023 campaign. At best, he'll be a pass-catching option on third downs for the Browns when he's able to return, making him only worth a flier in deep PPR leagues that have multiple IR spots. As things stand right now, Cleveland's RB room only includes Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. after they released D'Onta Foreman on Tuesday.

The Cleveland Browns announced on Tuesday that they are terminating the contract of running back D'Onta Foreman. The 28-year-old signed with the Browns this past offseason after bouncing around a couple of teams over the past few seasons. In 2023, he played nine games with the Chicago Bears, rushing for 425 yards on 109 attempts and four scores. Foreman did have a career year with the Carolina Panthers, where he rushed for 914 yards and scored five touchdowns in 17 games. Now, the Browns only have two running backs on their official 53-man roster (Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr.), with Nick Chubb (knee) on the PUP list. Foreman will look to latch onto another team. According to Field Yates of ESPN, there is a chance the Browns will re-sign Foreman in a few days without him going to waivers.

The Cleveland Browns activated left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Monday after he cleared his physical. In addition to Wills, right tackle Jack Conklin (knee), cornerback Greg Newsome II (hamstring), defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (knee) and safety D'Anthony Bell (shin) also came off the PUP list, giving the Browns some much-needed reinforcements with the regular season quickly approaching. Wills, 25, missed all of the preseason after having surgery last December on his knee. Despite all the time missed this summer in the preseason and at training camp, the Browns are expecting Wills to start on quarterback Deshaun Watson's blind side in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the Dallas Cowboys. The activation of both Wills and Conklin is great news for Cleveland's offense.