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Jack Conklin, Greg Newsome II, Dalvin Tomlinson among injured Browns returning to practice
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- Jack Conklin, Greg Newsome II, Dalvin Tomlinson among injured Browns returning to practice
The reinforcements are on their way for the Browns . They couldn't arrive at a better time , either.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski opened up Monday's Zoom call with the media with a lengthy list of players who are expected back on the practice field when the team begins preparation in earnest for the Sept. 8 opener against the Dallas Cowboys . That list includes several players who spent the entirety of training camp on one of the active injury lists.
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"Injuries are part of this game," Stefanski said. "Guys have to rehab and have to work really hard to get back, and that's what I've seen all these guys do. … I would tell you all these guys are in the building, they're in meetings, so they're around and they certainly, they're a part of what we've been doing."
The biggest news was that offensive tackles Jack Conklin (knee) and Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee), as well as safety D'Anthony Bell (shin) and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (knee) all were going to be coming off of the active/physically unable to perform list after being on that list all preseason. Wills won't actually be practicing Tuesday, but Stefanski said he was "progressing."
Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) walks the sideline before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 22, 2022, in Cleveland.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II will also be activated from the non-football injury list, where he had spent all preseason after hamstring surgery. Running back Nyheim Hines , though, remains on the list as he continues to recover from the knee injury he suffered in a July, 2023, jet ski accident.
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Beyond those players who missed all of camp due to their injuries, Stefanski also mentioned that tight end David Njoku (undisclosed), running back Pierre Strong (rib), offensive tackle James Hudson III (ankle), linebacker Jordan Hicks (undisclosed) and linebacker Tony Fields II (leg) would all be back Tuesday. All of those players — led by Hicks, who had been out since leaving practice Aug. 4 — had missed some time in camp.
"It's hard to gel as a whole unit in preseason, so we try to develop individually," safety Grant Delpit said after the Browns ' final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks . "This is an everyday practice thing. This is just what we see in practice."
Cornerback Denzel Ward remains in concussion protocol, Stefanski said. Ward sustained what is the fifth documented concussion of his NFL career, which dates back to 2018, during an Aug. 12 practice.
"I don't have an update," Stefanski said. "He's making good progress."
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The Browns have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to get down to an initial 53-man roster. They managed to avoid many major injuries in their final preseason game, although running back D'Onta Foreman did leave with a rib injury after being tackled on a run.
Foreman is not expected to practice Tuesday, Stefanski said. He said they would "keep updating you as the week goes."
Cleveland Browns running back D'Onta Foreman (27) runs for yards during the first half of an NFL preseason football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
There was no update on either cornerback Justin Hardee Sr. or safety Chase Williams. Both players also left the game in Seattle to be evaluated for concussions.
The biggest news, though, centered around the return of Conklin and, very soon, Wills. While Dawand Jones held down the right tackle position through camp after returning from his own knee injury last year, the left tackle spot was a massive concern throughout the preseason.
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Hudson had primarily played the spot, but both Hakeem Adeniji — who landed on injured reserve due to a knee injury Aug. 17 — and Germain Ifedi had also played snaps there. Ifedi had started the final two preseason games against the Minnesota Vikings and Seahawks.
Conklin and Jones both started at right tackle last season, with Jones replacing Conklin after he sustained a season-ending knee injury in the opener. Is there a possibility for Conklin, or Jones, to slide over to the left side until Wills returns?
"With really all of our positions, we're not going to set a depth chart," Stefanski said. "We'll just work through all those type of things. Want to see, I'm excited to get Jack back out there practicing and go through walkthroughs and that type of thing, but not going to get into specifics, per se."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jack Conklin, Greg Newsome II among key injured Browns returning
