Cleveland Browns DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (leg) was seen at practice on Thursday working on the side with running back Nick Chubb (knee) and tight end David Njoku (undisclosed). All three players were getting their own workouts in instead of taking any snaps with the team. Jeudy was dealing with a "minor injury" at the start of mandatory minicamp, so it's unclear if this is related to the same issue. Reports have suggested that Jeudy is making progress with the new offense since coming over from the Denver Broncos, but getting more time at training camp is going to help at the start of the season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his participation level as camp progresses.

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (personal) reportedly missed practice on Thursday due to a personal matter. Patrick Warren of clevelandbrowns.com reports that Ford is expected back at practice on Friday as he only needed to tend to the matter on Thursday. The 24-year-old projects to be the starter with Nick Chubb (knee) still on the PUP list and recovering from his gruesome injury last season. The good news for fantasy managers is this is just a temporary absence and Ford should be back on the field taking first-team snaps.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski addressed the media Thursday on their first day of training camp, breaking the news that he was unsure whether or not starting quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) would appear in any of the team's three preseason games. Watson, who had shoulder surgery during the offseason to tend to the scapular and rotator cuff injuries he suffered during the 2023 season, seems to be on his way to health but isn't there just yet. Stefanski confirmed he would discuss the details with Watson and his staff before determining when he would get game action at an appropriate time. "We'll be smart," Stefanski said. "We're very fortunate to have a great medical team around Deshaun... He looks great, feels great, so we'll just be smart about it." Watson is going off draft boards as QB22 and is a solid second quarterback option in superflex leagues heading into fantasy drafts.

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford enters 2024 with a chance to sit atop the depth chart, but his exact role will depend on the status of Nick Chubb (knee) and Nyheim Hines (knee), according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Both injured running backs are recovering from ACL tears, with Chubb working his way back from a gruesome knee injury sustained during a carry near the goal line last season and Hines dealing with the effects of a terrible jet ski accident last summer. Jackson notes that Ford could open the year as the Browns' No. 1 running back if he has a strong training camp and Chubb isn't cleared by Week 1; as of now, a Week 1 return would seem unlikely for Chubb, who also tore his MCL and meniscus on the same play. On the other hand, if Chubb progresses faster than expected, Ford could find himself competing for the backup role with the likes of Hines and D'Onta Foreman. This lack of clarity poses a challenge for fantasy managers trying to finalize their draft strategy. However, given the severity of Chubb's injury, it seems unlikely that he'll play in the season opener, and even if he does, he'll probably have a reduced role. Therefore, Ford should have enough early-season volume to make him a solid RB3/FLEX option for the first few weeks of the campaign (and perhaps even after Chubb returns). His ADP of 115 gives him a 10th-round price tag and slots him in as the 38th running back off the board in redraft leagues.

At his second annual 7-on-7 high-school showcase through his foundation, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) didn't say whether he expects to be fully cleared for the start of training camp next week, but he did say that there have been no setbacks in his shoulder rehab. "I'm great," Watson said. The 28-year-old played in only six games in 2023 for the second straight year due to a right-shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. The good news is that he was throwing during minicamp this offseason and is expected to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener, barring a setback this summer. Watson has QB1 potential when healthy, but he missed all of 2021 due to a suspension and has played in only 12 games the last two years due to injury, which makes him a risk/reward QB2 in fantasy in 2024 in what could be a make-or-break season.