Browns Hopeful To Get Defensive Starter Back From Injury Ahead of Preseason Opener

The Cleveland Browns are just a few days away from their first preseason game and are still hopeful for a few players to return to practice in order to see some in-game action over the next couple of weeks.

Among those players they hope will return soon is defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., who is still working back from an injury plagued summer. Hall hasn’t practiced since August 3rd, but Cleveland’s coaching staff seems to think he’ll be back soon.

Head coach Todd Monken spoke to the media on Tuesday regarding Hall Jr. and had some positive comments on his progress to get back on the field before their Saturday matchup against the Bears.

Here’s what Monken had to say, and what a return for Hall Jr. means for the Browns moving forward.

A return for Hall Jr. seems likely for this week, but there’s no rush to get him back quite yet

Having Hall Jr. back on the field will be great for the Browns heading into the preseason, but there really is no rush to get him back on the field right away based on his recent injuries this summer.

Monken commented on a return for Hall Jr., saying he’s hopeful to get him back at practice soon. “He got off to such a great start”, Monken said, and a return will really help the Browns plan for their 53-man roster with defensive tackle Maliek Collins still on the PUP list.

No date has been given for Collins to make his return to the team, but it will likely be closer to the regular season if not a few weeks into the season. This matters a lot when it comes to Hall, as he’ll likely be the starter alongside Mason Graham for a few weeks.

There’s no reason to get Hall Jr. back on the field as soon as possible, especially if they will need him to fill in starting time. Knowing that he was off to a good start before this recent injury is a positive sign for the coaching staff, which also plays into why they shouldn’t rush him back.

What Hall Jr’s. return will mean for the Browns

Through two seasons with the Browns, Hall Jr. has worked his way up to being one of their contending starters on a defense that has exceeded expectations in recent years and becoming one of the better units in the NFL.

While Hall Jr. has yet to play a full season for the Browns, he is still a serviceable player when he’s on the field. In his two seasons, Hall Jr. has 25 total tackles, 12 solo tackles, and 2.5 sacks as a rotational player.

Having a veteran like Maliek Collins on the defensive line helps the Browns feel more comfortable not relying a whole lot on Hall Jr. to produce. In his increasing role, he can surely learn from having one of the better defensive tackles in the room.

Hall Jr. will surely have a larger role on defense this season, even when Collins returns to the field. Being in a new defensive scheme under Mike Rutenberg should help him fight for more reps as well.

With Graham as their unanimous starter, Hall Jr. will have a good time playing alongside their first round pick from last year. Both should benefit from having Jared Verse on the outside, and if Alex Wright can take a step forward, the pressure applied should be similar to recent years.

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