The Cleveland Browns wide receivers have been hit yet again with an injury concern, this one potentially more serious than several that have come before it.
Rookie wideout Michael Woods was seen on the sidelines Friday, August 5, though he did not participate in practice. Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reported that the back of Woods’ leg was heavily wrapped, as he battles a left hamstring injury.
Perhaps even more disconcerting than the wrap Woods was sporting is the fact that the lower-body issue could be recurring. The team did not say its young wide receiver had re-aggravated an old injury, but Woods also missed practice time during OTAs due to what head coach Kevin Stefanski referred to then as a “lower leg injury,” per Ulrich.
The Browns offered no timetable for the receiver’s return to action, though hamstring problems tend to linger for weeks rather than days. The development is unfortunate for Woods, a sixth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft out of the University of Oklahoma, who had been impressive through the first seven days of camp.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II recently spoke with Ulrich about Woods’ performance, describing the rookie wideout and his progress in glowing terms.
“He’s been doing amazing,” Newsome said on July 27. “He’s a very confident guy, which I like. He can run great routes, he’s good off the line and he can catch the football, so I think he’s going to make some plays for us this season.”
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Browns Center Nick Harris Also Leaves Practice Friday With Injury
GettyCenter JC Tretter #64 and offensive tackle Jedrick Wills #71 celebrate with running back D’Ernest Johnson #30 of the Cleveland Browns after Johnson rushed for a first down late in the fourth quarter of a game against the Denver Broncos at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 21, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Woods wasn’t the only bad injury news that came out of Browns training camp Friday, as prospective starting center Nick Harris was seen leaving the field with an as of yet undisclosed problem of his own.
Fred Greetham of The Orange and Brown Report tweeted a short video of Harris’s departure from practice.
#Browns C Nick Harris leaves the field with one of the training staff during Fridays practice
“#Browns C Nick Harris leaves the field with one [member] of the training staff during Friday’s practice,” Greetham wrote as the video’s caption.
Harris has the inside track to replace former starter J.C. Tretter, one of the more productive centers in the NFL last year, who the Browns released this offseason due to financial reasons.
Browns Wide Receivers Have Seen Rash of Injuries Over Last 2 Weeks
GettyWide receiver Amari Cooper of the Cleveland Browns suffered a right ankle injury during the team’s 2022 training camp.
Woods is only the most recent member of Cleveland’s wide receiver room to go down since late July.
The rash of injuries started with another rookie, third-rounder David Bell. He found his way to the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on July 22 with a foot injury and has yet to return.
Anthony Schwartz sustained a knee strain on July 28 and also remains sidelined. However, Stefanski told media members during a press conference Friday that both receivers would be back “soon,” without providing any more specifics.
Prospective No. 1 Amari Cooper went down with a right ankle injury Monday and missed time throughout the week. However, the four-time Pro Bowler has found his way back to the practice field in the interim.
Such is not likely to be the case for rookie pass catcher Isaiah Weston, who the Browns waived earlier in the week after he suffered an ACL injury during practice.
The Browns have bolstered their receiver ranks over the last several days by adding Derrick Dillon, formerly of the USFL and the New York Giants, and Daylen Baldwin, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Michigan.
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Browns Lose Another Young Wide Receiver, as Slew of Injuries Continues