Browns Denzel Ward Expected To Miss Time With Calf Strain
Cleveland Browns corner Denzel Ward has suffered a calf strain that will cause him to miss time, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Ward played the entire game against the Philadelphia Eagles and played at a really high level. There was no mention of an injury after the game, but head coach Kevin Stefanski mentioned on Monday that Ward would undergo an MRI.
Evidently, he suffered a calf strain at some point, which will keep him out a few weeks, which puts the Browns in a difficult spot.
The Browns face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday, following that up with games against the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. The Browns will likely be okay without Ward against the Jaguars, but they need all hands on deck the following week.
The team is already without Myles Garrett against the Jaguars and Ronnie Harrison is day to day with a bone bruise. If he's unable to play, the Browns would be without their top three defensive players.
Corner has been a strength of this defense when they've been able to have Ward and Terrance Mitchell on the boundary with Kevin Johnson in the slot. This will likely force Kevin Johnson to the boundary, where he's more than capable, but the slot becomes an issue.
Early in the season, the Browns had Tavierre Thomas play there and he struggled. They have M.J. Stewart, but he hasn't really played there this season. Unless the Browns can come up with a reasonable solution to mitigate that issue, it becomes another spot in the defense that already has a number of weaknesses.
Everything with a calf strain depends on severity, but this is the same injury that Wyatt Teller suffered and missed several games. It's more problematic for a corner than it is for an offensive lineman due to the nature of what the position demands in terms of footwork, planting and weight transfer.
