Getty Nick Chubb #24 and Michael Dunn #68 of the Cleveland Browns celebrate after a touchdown scored by Chubb during the first half of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 31, 2022
The Cleveland Browns‘ offseason workout program began in April and several key members of the team are not participating, according to ESPN Cleveland and 247 Sports reporter Brad Stainbrook.
Here’s who is missing so far from the voluntary workout program:
Nick Chubb, Marquise Goodwin, Dalvin Tomlinson & Sione Takitaki Are Not at the Offseason Workout Program So Far
According to Stainbrook’s ongoing list of the Browns players who are participating in the voluntary offseason workout program, notable absences include running back Nick Chubb, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, linebacker Sione Takitaki, and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
Goodwin and Tomlinson are new to the team, having just been signed this offseason. Tomlinson was signed in mid-March, while Goodwin was just officially signed on April 14. Takitaki was re-signed to a new one-year deal in mid-March as well, while Chubb’s current contract extends through 2024.
On social media, Goodwin shared an Instagram story of spending time with his son on April 24, while Takitaki shared on April 21 that he was working out again after the season-ending injury he suffered in the December 4 win over the Houston Texans when he tore his ACL, so it’s definitely good news to see him running drills on his Instagram stories. Tomlinson and Chubb have not posted to Twitter or Instagram since April 11 and April 14, respectively.
Other names absent from Stainbrook’s list of offseason workout program attendees include guard Joel Bitonio, defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour, guard Drew Forbes, center Nick Harris, and wide receivers Isaiah Weston and Michael Woods II.
Per the agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, the offseason workout program, which consists of three phases, is voluntary for players. The only part that is mandatory is the minicamp traditionally held in June.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski Said It’s ‘Exciting’ to be Starting the Offseason Program
In his press conference at the start of the voluntary offseason workout program, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that he’s “excited to have the guys back in the building.”
“It’s no fun when this building is half empty. It’s meant to have players in there, so it’s just exciting to walk down here to see you guys and there’s players in the locker room,” said the head coach. “They’re yelling at each other and they’re carrying on and they’re drilling a basketball and whatever else they’re doing. It’s just good to have those guys in here. For us, this is really a foundational time. It’s about getting foundational knowledge of our systems and you really have to start at square one. If you’re going to build on top of it, you got to be real sound in what you’re doing. So that’s really how we focused this offseason program in these first few days.”
Stefanski went on to detail that for the first few weeks, it’s more like “time in the classroom” where they’re having meetings with every player to go over “what they can get better at and then dive into the nitty gritty.”
“We want this to be a place where the guys can come and get a lot of work done in a safe, competitive, fun environment. I don’t think they need Knute Rockne speeches in April. I think they need to understand what they need to do day to day, what each player needs to get better at. I think that’s such a major part of April. Early parts of these programs–find something to get better at, whether that’s mentally or physically,” Stefanski added.