Browns Place LB Anthony Walker on IR with Hamstring Injury
After an injury sustained in practice on Thursday, the Cleveland Browns have decided to put linebacker Anthony Walker on injured reserve as reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Walker will miss at least three weeks, which has a couple of ripple effects. First, the Browns have an open roster spot and may need to sign a linebacker, potentially off their practice squad. Elijah Lee had been playing backup middle linebacker in preseason.
Sione Takitaki has also played in the middle. Malcolm Smith is listed there on the depth chart, but that seemed more to make the depth chart look right as opposed to being a reality.
The second change is the green dot, the receiver that is in a defensive player's headset to make calls in the game. Walker had been making the calls to this point.
It's possible that they will make John Johnson the green dot player. He did it last year as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Not only would that solve the issue of who's making the calls, but give the Browns a ton of flexibility as far as who is on the field in a given circumstance at the linebacker spot.
The Browns are already without Jacob Phillips at linebacker, who suffered a torn bicep tendon and may be back in November. Despite trying to add help to the linebacker position this offseason, the Browns have largely found themselves in the exact same position as they were last year.
