On Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns signed veteran safety Duron Harmon, bolstering their NFL-leading defense that is dealing with injuries.
Harmon most recently played for the Chicago Bears, where he appeared in three games and started one. He’s also had stints with the Los Angeles Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and Detroit Lions. However, Harmon has spent the majority of his NFL career with the New England Patriots. He played seven seasons in New England, winning three Super Bowls.
In 164 career games, Harmon has 407 tackles, 23 interceptions, and 43 passes defended.
Harmon replaces veteran safety Rodney McLeod, who suffered a season-ending injury. On November 19, he played with a biceps injury in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. McLeod appeared in all ten games this season, starting five. He had 23 tackles and one pass breakup. In May, the Browns signed the 12-year veteran as a free agent.
Juan Thornhill, another offseason addition at safety, is also out. He missed practice on Wednesday due to a calf injury. Grant Delpit, who is having a breakout season, didn’t either.
“We’ll see,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said of their respective situations. “It’s Wednesday.”
If both Delpit and Thornhill are unable to play, D’Anthony Bell and rookie Ronnie Hickman, both undrafted players, will take their places.
With Anthony Walker Jr. questionable, the Browns also designated linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk to return from injured reserve.
Denzel Ward of the Browns could miss time due to an injury.
Another key member of the Browns’ secondary, cornerback Denzel Ward, could also be out. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Pro Bowl cover man is dealing with some uncertainty due to a shoulder injury.
“The Browns are still determining the nature and extent of the injury, which could involve the labrum,” Cabot reported on November 22.
“The Browns are determining if he’ll miss multiple games and how to overcome the loss of their No. 1 corner — even for a brief span — if that’s the case.”
Ward has 29 tackles and two interceptions on the season. Fortunately for the Browns, they have two capable cornerbacks in Greg Newsome and Martin Emerson Jr. who could step in if Ward is unable to play against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Newsome credited the team’s “brotherhood” for their ability to stay afloat despite significant injuries on both sides of the ball.
“It shows resiliency, not just from the offense, but from the entire team,” Newsome said on Monday, November 20. “I think we don’t separate ourselves as offense and defense when we’re all together as one.” We simply find a way. And we’ve seen that we’ve lost a lot of great players this season, but I think it’s just a testament to what we built in the offseason and the brotherhood.”
Joe Flacco Participates in Browns’ First Practice
On offense, the Browns are attempting to fill the void left by quarterback Deshaun Watson’s season-ending injury. This week, the team signed veteran Joe Flacco, who had his first practice on Wednesday.
Flacco has a lengthy resume and has stated that he still believes he can make an impact.
“I still have a lot of fun doing it,” Flacco said after practice. “I do feel like I have stuff left in the tank, so I owe it to myself to continue to push forward and try to play the game that I love until I really don’t feel like I can do that.”
The Browns will start rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson this week, but Flacco could take over if Thompson-Robinson struggles.
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