Cleveland Browns

Browns coach Pat Shurmur announced Friday that defensive tackle Phil Taylor suffered a pectoral tear, which puts his 2012 in jeopardy. The injury typically takes several months to recover from. "[M]ost likely he's going to have surgery here in the middle of the week," Shurmur said. "He is going to miss some significant amount of time, more months than weeks. It's too early to speculate how long that will be."

Chest - Out for the preseason. Questionable for the start of regular season

After releasing a trio of players who made the 53-man roster as of Saturday, the Browns picked up three options from other teams. Among the new additions were QB Thaddeus Lewis, LB Quinton Spears and DL Emmanuel Stephens.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur finished up his press conference Sunday with a bit of a jaw-dropper: When asked if rookie receiver Travis Benjamin could compete for a significant role, the coach said, "I would say so. I saw a lot of good stuff from Travis this weekend and I feel like he will only continue to get better."

The Liosn signed WR Owen Spencer to the practice squad on Tuesday.

After releasing a trio of players who made the 53-man roster as of Saturday, the Browns picked up three options from other teams. Among the new additions were QB Thaddeus Lewis, LB Quinton Spears and DL Emmanuel Stephens.

Browns GM Tom Heckert told 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland on Thursday that TE Evan Moore didn't get many opportunities to post big stats in 2011 because he wasn't the starter, and that it's unlikely he'll get a lot of opportunities in the future. "He is a weapon, a big tall kid, a wide receiver playing as a tight end," Heckert said. "... Hopefully he'll be a 30-play-a-game kind of guy. He's not going to play 60 plays a game, that's just how it is."

Browns wide receiver Jordan Norwood has signed his tender as an exclusive-rights player. Norwood made four starts for Cleveland last season. He caught 23 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown. Norwood was originally signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He was waived and spent some time on Philadelphia's practice squad before being released and re-signed by the Browns.

The NFL announced multiple suspensions for former Saints defenders for their roles in the team's pay-for-performance/bounty program: Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove has been suspended for eight games and linebacker Scott Fujita has been suspended for three games. Two current Saints defenders -- Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith -- have also been suspended.

Suspension - Eligible to return Week 4 at Baltimore

The Browns let go of the following players Saturday: QB Jarrett Brown, FB Tyler Clutts, LB Archie Donald, RB Quinn Porter, DL Brian Sanford, LB Brian Smith and WR Rod Windsor.

The Boston Herald reports that Browns TE Benjamin Watson, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve in Cleveland in December due to concussion problems, said he was doing fine, had no lingering effects, and was ready to move forward and prepare to tackle his ninth season in 2012. Watson played in 13 games, and suffered three concussions, including in the preseason. After the third, which occurred against Pittsburgh in Week 14, doctors decided it would be best for him to shut it down. “I’m great. Three or four days after the last incident, I felt normal. I past all my cognitive tests. I didn’t have any headaches. I didn’t have any nausea. I didn’t have any dizziness,” he said. “With three games left, they just erred on the side of caution and decided to end the season for me. You hate for that to happen, but that’s why the doctors are in place. As far as lingering symptoms, I didn’t have anything. I know some guys have headaches for weeks. That wasn’t my scenario, thankfully. So hopefully, it was just a bad luck year.”

Cleveland RB Chris Ogbonnaya did not have a carry in Week 15 versus Arizona as Peyton Hillis carried the load. Ogbonnaya was targeted once in the passing game, catching that lone pass for 3 yards. The Browns would lose to the Cardinals in overtime, 20-17.

Browns DB Sheldon Brown totaled three tackles (two solo), one interception and two pass defenses in Week 16 against the Ravens. It was his second interception of the season.

Browns safety Eric Hagg is working with the first-team defense in OTAs and appears to be in a competition with Usama Young for the starting job.

Kicker Phil Dawson has signed his franchise tender, guaranteeing him a one-year salary of roughly $3.8 million. Dawson made 24 of 29 field goals in 2011 including 7 of 8 from 50-plus yards.

The Giants released several players on the way to the final 53 for the active roster. Among the players cut were LB Phillip Dillard, LB Adrian Tracy, QB Ryan Perrilloux, RB Andre Brown and Charles Scott, TE Christian Hopkins, WR Darius Reynaud, DEs Ayanga Okpokowuruk, Craig Marshall, Alex Hall and Justin Trattou and Dwayne Hendricks and DBs Joe Burnett, David Sims and Jerrard Tarrant. TE Daniel Coats, DT Gabe Watson and K Rhys Lloyd.

Cleveland LB Chris Gocong registered nine tackles, seven solo, in Week 15 in Arizona. He also sacked QB John Skelton twice in the contest, which doubled his total for the year.

The Browns closed their NFL draft by selecting versatile Alabama fullback Brady Smelley, reuniting him with college teammate Trent Richardson. Smelley was used mostly as an H-back in a variety of formations for the Crimson Tide. The 6-foot-1, 233-pounder developed into a dangerous offensive weapon last season for the national champions. Smelley caught 34 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns. He had seven receptions in Alabama's 21-0 win over LSU in the BCS title game. Smelley can also do some work as a tight end.

The Browns promoted LB Ben Jacobs and defensive lineman Brian Sanford from the practice squad to the active roster on Tuesday.

The Browns have signed Frostee Rucker from Cincinnati. Rucker had a career year in 2011, totaling four sacks and 44 total tackles while playing in the Bengals' D-line rotation.

The Cleveland Browns have re-signed tight end Greg Estandia and defensive back Ray Ventrone. Estandia was claimed off waivers in September from Jacksonville. The 6-foot-8 Estandia made four catches for 45 yards in four games last season. Ventrone played mostly on special teams after signing with the Browns as a free agent in September.

Colt McCoy returned to work with the Browns not knowing how much longer he'll have a job. McCoy participated as expected in the team's voluntary offseason conditioning program on Monday just days after Cleveland drafted his likely successor, Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden. McCoy could be kept as his backup and Browns President Mike Holmgren said over the weekend he could imagine McCoy staying on as the team's No. 2 QB. "That could be a difficult situation except if it is ever going to work, it will work if that happens, because Colt McCoy is a special young man," said Holmgren, who picked McCoy in the third round in 2010. "Of course he wants to play, they all want to play. Again, nothing has been done yet, we don't know how it is going to sort itself out. ... It is never easy, everyone wants to play. But, you only have one ball and only one guy can play at a time."

Browns FB Owen Marecic suffered a head injury in Thursday's game versus the Steelers. He did not return to the game.

The Browns and linebacker D'Qwell Jackson agreed to terms on a contract extension, taking the fierce tackler off the free-agent market.

Browns LB Kaluka Maiava sustained a knee injury Week 12 at Cincinnati. He had one assisted tackle before leaving the game.

The Browns have re-signed tight end Alex Smith.

Browns DB Joe Haden (thigh) was cleared to play Week 16 against the Ravens after coming into the game as questionable.

Browns DL Jabaal Sheard passed Michael Dean Perry for second place on the team's all-time rookie sack list with 7 1/2 on Sunday against the Cardinals. He finished the game with three solo tackles.

The Browns have released defensive linemen Kyle Anderson and Jabari Fletcher, DB Darian Hagan, WRs Johnathan Haggerty and Juan Nunez, DB Brett Johnson, QB Troy Weatherhead and PK Jeff Wolfert. Only Haggerty was a mild surprise.

The Browns promoted WR Rod Windsor to the active roster on Thursday after placing safety T.J. Ward on IR.

Browns DL Ahtyba Rubin totaled seven tackles (five solo) and one sack in Week 16 against the Ravens. It was his fourth sack of the season. Rubin is up to 74 tackles.

Browns LB Ben Jacobs left Sunday's game against the Cardinals with a concussion. He did not record a tackle.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur said that wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi will have to step up this season. Massaquoi has dealt with injuries through his short career and has just 1,491 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons. "It's time for him to show us what we know he can do," Shurmur said according to the Akron Beacon-Journal. "I think last year he was hampered by injury, which can be tough for a receiver. What I've seen thus far in the offseason, it looks like he's gonna be ready to go."

With the Browns' selection of running back Trent Richardson, third-year rusher Montario Hardesty will battle for playing time behind him in training camp this summer.

Browns safety Eric Hagg is working with the first-team defense in OTAs and appears to be in a competition with Usama Young for the starting job.

The Arizona Cardinals released defensive tackle Keilen Dykes from their 53-man roster and re-signed him to the practice squad Tuesday. To make room on the practice squad, the Cardinals released defensive end Alex Field.

The Browns waived RB Thomas Clayton on Friday and promoted DL Kiante Tripp to the active roster from the practice squad.

The Browns defense managed to sack QB Ben Roethlisberger eight times in a 13-6 win over the Steelers on Thursday. Marcus Benard and Corey Williams led the way for the Browns, each recording two sacks. Brian Schaefering accounted for 1 1/2 sacks. David Bowens and Hank Poteat each had one sack while Kaluka Maiava had half a sack.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur said that he expects second-year tight end Jordan Cameron to see a jump in production in 2012. Cameron played in just eight games last season and totaled 33 yards on six catches. "The guy that looks way different is Jordan Cameron," Shurmur said. "Oh, gosh -- the size -- and he's had a great offseason. He's a guy that hadn't played much football, so I think he'll make a big improvement this year."

Cleveland QB Seneca Wallace will make his third consecutive start in Week 17 against Pittsburgh after the Browns ruled Colt McCoy (head) out for the game. After dealing with DB Ed Reed in a loss to Baltimore last week, Wallace will now face another imposing safety in Steelers counterpart Troy Polamalu. "Both teams give them the liberty and freedom to run around and make plays," Wallace said. "The quarterback must be smart and aware of where they are at all times. They're ball hawks and great tacklers as well."

Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson had his first practice with the team Friday, and according to on-scene reports he looked good. That's to be expected given that he's running around in shorts and not taking on contact, but expectations are that Richardson looks just as good when the games count. Richardson said he's still learning the terminology of the playbook but isn't daunted by it ("It is similar to Alabama's program as far as running styles and running plays," he said) and added that the minor knee surgery he had is definitely in the past. Now it's about where his mind is at, and when it comes to his rookie year, Richardson has big plans. "I do not listen to what anybody else says, but me," he said about the high expectations everyone has for him. "I am going to hold my expectations high, real high, very high. The expectations that they have for me now, I don't think it is high enough for me and I am going to go higher and I am going to go to the extreme. You never set your expectations at a limit and that is just me being a man and being a competitor and an athlete. I think you should always have your expectations high."

The Browns placed DL Emmanuel Stephens on injured reserve on Tuesday due to a strained left pectoral muscle. He suffered in the injury in Week 12.

Pectoral - IR. Out for the season

Browns coach Pat Shurmur was impressed with how receiver Greg Little held up in OTAs on Tuesday, noticing specifically that his conditioning is really good. "I think it's his first true offseason as a pro and I think what he has done is he has taken good care of his body," Shurmur said. "He is much leaner looking to me than he was when he came into training camp a year ago. I think he has worked on his diet and nutrition, and has gotten himself in shape to come out here and run a lot, which receivers have to do. I think that will help his development."

The Browns helped their pass rush with the addition of defensive end Juqua Parker. General manager Tom Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur are familiar with Parker, an accomplished pass rusher who played with Philadelphia since 2005 and was a starter from 2008 through 2010.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur said DL Marcus Benard is out for the season after he sustained a hand injury in a motorcycle accident earlier this week. Auston English was signed to the active roster Wednesday to take his roster spot.

Speaking before a banquet for Browns fans, general manager Tom Heckert said the team drafted quarterback Brandon Weeden out of Oklahoma State in the first round with the idea he would start in his first season. Heckert's comments came one day before the Browns hold their first organized training activities (OTAs), when Weeden and Colt McCoy will be on the field together for the first time. "You can write about it and talk about it however you want," Heckert said. "The best guy is going to play and we fully expect Brandon to be that guy. That's our goal is to have him be the guy. I think when we say, open competition, the best guy's going to play, that's just the way it is. But we drafted Brandon Weeden to be that guy. (You) draft a guy 22nd in the draft, you think he's going to be that guy."

Brandon Jackson won't play in 2011 after the Browns placed him on injured reserve with what is believed to be a serious case of turf toe.

Toe - IR. Out for the season

Browns TE Benjamin Watson, who suffered a third concussion Week 14, had his season come to an end Friday as he was placed on IR. Fullback Eddie Williams was promoted to the active roster to take Watson's roster spot.

The Browns made some splashes early in the NFL Draft but added five defenders with picks starting in the third round. Cincinnati defensive tackle John Hughes, Nevada linebacker James-Michael Johnson, Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho, Boise State defensive end Billy Winn and Arizona cornerback Trevin Wade all are Browns property following the draft. Hughes and Winn are versatile linemen, with Hughes more impactful inside and Winn more impactful outside. Johnson is known for his aggressiveness, almost to a fault. Acho is considered a talented outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme, and the quick-footed Wade could eventually develop into a nickelback.

The Browns have re-signed cornerback Dimitri Patterson to a three-year deal. He's expected to be at least the nickel corner for the Browns, if not a start for them.

Browns WR Josh Cribbs made his biggest impact Week 16 against the Ravens on special teams. Cribbs, who finished with two catches for 28 yards on three targets, returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown. It was his third career punt return for a touchdown and the 11th time in his career he scored on special teams. "I didn't have to make many people miss and I was wondering where all the defenders were," Cribbs said. "It was just a walk in. No jets at all. I told the guys that with the extra effort, it would get me in the end zone."

The Browns signed the following three players to Futures contracts: QB Jarrett Brown, DL Scott Paxson and DB Ramzee Robinson.

Browns WR Carlton Mitchell, who had finger surgery on Aug. 12, returned to practice for the first time since on Sunday. “Missing anything, it’s always tough to catch back up, but being a professional, you have to stay on top of your game and go from being a player to being a coach, take a lot of mental reps and try to learn every spot on the field and try to ask a lot of questions,” Mitchell told the team's official website. “My job’s to come back ready, full-go, no questions asked.”

Baltimore has listed the following players as inactive for Week 13 on Monday night at Green Bay: RB Charles Ali, DB Ed Reed, LB Terrell Suggs, DL Oniel Cousins, TE L.J. Smith and DL Kelly Talavou.

The Buccaneers signed DB David Sims and placed him on their 53-man roster on Tuesday. Sims, who was with the Giants during training camp over the summer, replaced long-snapper Christian Yount, who was released during the bye week.

Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden looked particularly comfortable throwing to undrafted rookie receiver Josh Cooper in the early days of their rookie training session. That comes as no surprise considering they hooked up often as Oklahoma State teammates. Cooper might be a surprise contributor after signing as a free agent. "Me and Cooper have been working for five years, but especially these last 14-16 days. We have gone up to the field every day at about 8:30 in the morning and just throw route after route," Weeden said. "I always joked with people that I liked throwing the ball to him just as much as I liked throwing it to Justin Blackmon and I wasn't lying. I love throwing the ball to Josh Cooper. You saw today, he is a great route runner, unbelievable hands, he made me look good on one and we were on the same page on the other. He is a great player, very smart. ... I've got a lot confidence in 'Coop' and I am excited for him to be here."

Cleveland signed TE Dan Gronkowski on Tuesday to help bolster its depleted group of tight ends after placing Benjamin Watson and Alex Smith on season-ending injured reserve.

Browns SS T.J. Ward (sprained foot) has been placed on IR and is out for the season. He will have missed the final eight games.

Foot - IR. Out for the season

Browns DB Buster Skrine picked off Cardinals QB John Skelton putting an abrupt end to an Arizona drive late in the third quarter of Week 15. It looked like it may have hit the ground, but the Cardinals did not challenge the play. It was Skrine's first interception of his career. The pick came with just 10 Browns defensive players on the field as well. He also had one tackle on the day.