Cleveland Browns DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 13 of his 17 passes for 126 yards and one interception in a 27-12 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in preseason action on Saturday. Thompson-Robinson drew the start and played the entire first half of the game, giving way to Tyler Huntley after halftime. While Thompson-Robinson didn't throw for any touchdowns, he led the Browns on a scoring drive culminating in a D'Onta Foreman touchdown on their first offensive possession of the contest. Thompson-Robinson is looking to hold off Huntley for the right to open the season as the No. 3 quarterback in Cleveland behind Deshaun Watson and Jameis Winston.

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.