Cleveland Browns DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Despite participating fully in one-on-one drills, Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (undisclosed) reportedly took just one snap during team drills at Thursday's practice. On one rep in particular, Njoku caught a touchdown but got up slowly and was seen walking gingerly away from the end zone. No clarity has been given on what or how severe the injury is, though Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski noted the veteran tight end is "sore." Fortunately, Cleveland's starters are not slated to suit up this weekend when the Browns face off against the Minnesota Vikings. Therefore, Njoku will have nine days to work back to health before a potential appearance during their preseason finale with the Seahawks on Aug. 24.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver David Bell (quadriceps) "took a pretty good shot" in the preseason opener on Saturday against the Green Bay Packers and will miss a week or two, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. It's a bummer for Bell, who was having an outstanding training camp up until this point. Before getting hurt on Saturday, the 23-year-old caught his only target for a five-yard gain. Even with Bell's strong camp to this point, it was going to be hard for him to get any higher than fourth on the team's receiver depth chart with Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore ahead of him, and his quad injury pretty much assures he'll go undrafted in most redraft fantasy leagues now. Bell's absence over the next week or two will open up reps for Cedric Tillman and Jaelon Darden, among others.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (undisclosed) was not participating in team drills at practice on Monday. Jeudy was acquired by the Browns in March and signed a three-year $58 million contract extension. Jeudy projects to be the Browns' No. 2 wide receiver behind Amari Cooper. With David Njoku also in the fold for targets, Jeudy could wind up as the third target on the team. With Deshaun Watson struggling over the past couple of seasons, the fantasy value of Jeudy is unknown. Jeudy finished 2023 with 758 receiving yards and two touchdowns. It was a down season for the former first-round pick who seemed to be ascending after a career year with the Denver Broncos in 2022. Ultimately, the Broncos grew tired of waiting for the breakout and shipped Jeudy to Cleveland. Jeudy is an afterthought in fantasy drafts at the moment. If he can recapture any of his 2022 magic then he will be an excellent value in 2024.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) will play in the Browns' final preseason game on Aug. 24. Live game reps will help Watson get back into a groove while he recovers from shoulder surgery performed in November of 2023. Watson has struggled during his Browns tenure. He has only played in 12 of a possible 34 games due to injury and suspension. He only managed to throw for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns with a completion percentage of 61.4% in six games in 2023. Fantasy managers will be eager to see how Watson fares in the preseason to gauge how well he may be able to support pass-catchers such as Jerry Jeudy, Amari Cooper, and David Njoku.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) will get the "vast majority of the reps" against the Minnesota Vikings in joint practices this week, but he won't play in the second preseason contest game next Saturday against the Vikings despite being cleared for full contact. Watson hasn't had any setbacks in his recovery from right-shoulder surgery last year, but the Browns are being careful with the 28-year-old, and it now looks like he won't get any preseason reps until perhaps the final game. The former 12th overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2017 out of Clemson is a three-time Pro Bowler but has played in only 12 games total since joining Cleveland in 2021 due to a suspension and injuries. Draft him as a QB2 with upside as he looks for a bounce-back campaign in 2024.