Cleveland Browns injury report is extensive, but only one starter missed practice Wednesday

Greg Newland

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Cleveland Browns injury report is extensive, but only one starter missed practice Wednesday image

With the first injury report out of the season for the Cleveland Browns, we are finally starting to get a feel of who will and who won't be available for the season opener vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.  Fortunately for the Bengals, they have no injuries to report, meaning everyone was a full participant.  The Browns on the end already have a full report with nine players reporting injuries, of which one was only listed for rest. 

The biggest positives of this report is Ethan Pocic and Mohamoud Diabate were both listed as limited participants.  With Pocic getting injured in the preseason game and Diabate barely practicing all of camp, it's great to see them back on the field in game week.  It's hard to think that Diabate will be in the best shape, but having him out there will still be a positive for the Browns defense, as he is another athletic linebacker who really took a leap last year in production.  Pocic isn't a guy that jumps off the tape, but the center is always the lead communicator, so starting the season with the planned starter will certainly make things easier on the unit that struggled last season. 

The biggest negatives of this report are that Mike Hall was a did not participate (DNP), and Denzel Ward was still limited.  Hall has missed a lot of camp with a knee injury, and with not practicing on Wednesday, it appears that he is a risk of missing the game on Sunday.  Ward seems to always have a banged-up shoulder, and after leaving practice last week, it would have been a better sign to see a full participation.  Remember, Ward does have a lot of experience, and keeping him out of practice could be completely precautionary.  

Half of the battle in the NFL is staying healthy, so let's hope this team can be at full strength for their first game of the season! 

Greg Newland

Greg Newland is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He was born and raised in NW Ohio with a deep passion for Cleveland Browns and Ohio State Football He has previously written for Dawg Pound Daily. Although relocated to enemy territory in Michigan, the fandom runs deep. This is definitely the year for the Browns.