Sunday Dawg Chow: Browns news (10/1/23)

Dawgs By Nature:

• David Njoku now questionable after suffering burns from fire pit; Browns also elevate QB P.J. Walker to roster (Chris Pokorny) - Chalk this up to an unexpected news start to your Saturday: the Cleveland Browns announced that TE David Njoku suffered burn injuries to his face and arm during a household accident. As a result, he was added to the injury report and listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.
• Ravens new offense thrives on diversity (Jared Mueller) - When the Cleveland Browns host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in Week 4 of the NFL season, the visitors will look significantly different. Injuries have befallen the Ravens, as they seem to every year, but it is the new-look offense that should grab a lot of attention.
• Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns NFL Week 4 Preview and Prediction (Chris Pokorny) - This Sunday, the Cleveland Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. Below, we analyze a few advantages, disadvantages, and general thoughts about the two teams before getting to our predictions for the game.
• Browns Ring of Honor to grow on Sunday (Thomas Moore) - The Cleveland Browns will expand their Ring of Honor on Sunday as the team enshrines Joe Thomas. The club will also recognize Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Mac Speedie during the halftime ceremony by presenting the hall’s Ring of Excellence to Speedie’s son-in-law, Rod Walker.
• Way Too Early 2024 Cleveland Browns Mock Draft 4.0: Quickie Edition (Jared Mueller) - Today’s mock draft looks to replace players who could be leaving the Cleveland Browns in free agency. The Browns have a lot of players on one-year contracts or their final season, so each selection was used on the best player available at a position where someone could leave with one exception.

Cleveland Browns:

• Browns backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson has put in the work if his number is called on Sunday (cleveland.com) - Back in the spring, when Deshaun Watson was taking first-team reps in practice for the Browns and Dorian Thompson-Robinson was fourth string behind Joshua Dobbs and Kellen Mond, he spent much of his time behind the plays while another quarterback took reps, going through every motion — from pre-snap adjustments to taking the snap to going through reads, ending each play with a point to where he would have thrown the ball.
• Elijah Moore happy with workload in Browns offense (Beacon Journal) - No. 8 is guaranteed to have his hands on the football early and often Sunday. He’s going to make plays with his legs and he’s going to be a threat in the passing game. Obviously, the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, right? Well, sure, but that’s not who’s being referenced here. This one is Browns receiver Elijah Moore, the third-year pro who’s been at the center of so much talk about the team’s offense since arriving in March in a trade with the New York Jets.
• Defense sees vast potential of offense, which looks to build on strong showing vs. Titans (Browns Zone) - The defense has shown up all year. When the passing offense finally arrived last week, not only did the combination make for a comfortable 27-3 win over the Titans, the performance provided a look at the Browns’ potential. Members of the defense said that’s what they expected all along.
• Burning Questions: Three questions for the Browns ahead of Week 4 matchup vs. Ravens (clevelandbrowns.com) - News broke Friday that quarterback Deshaun Watson is questionable with a shoulder injury ahead of the Cleveland Browns’ Week 4 matchup against the Ravens. His teammates expect him to play on Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium, but they are ready to take the field without him as they wish him well. Here are three burning questions heading into Sunday’s division rival game.

NFL:

• How Titans’ Chris Hubbard dealt with money issues, mental health and losing loved ones (ESPN) - For players in the NFL, signing a multimillion-dollar contract is one of the marquee signs of success. For Tennessee Titans right tackle Chris Hubbard, that moment finally came in 2018, when he signed a five-year, $36.5 million deal with the Cleveland Browns at the age of 26. But the pressure he experienced off the football field because of it was nothing he had anticipated.
• The Dolphins aren’t thinking of revenge. That doesn’t diminish the magnitude of Bills game (Miami Herald) - An eventful Dolphins season with endless twists and turns — dazzling moments that sparked optimism in a franchise that hasn’t seen it to that degree in years, coupled with unforeseen, trying moments — had suddenly come to an end. Players and coaches tightly packed into the road locker room at Highmark Stadium in mid-January, proud of the strides they made over the last several months but disappointed in the end result. As coach Mike McDaniel addressed the room in the aftermath of a 34-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills, his message was simple.
• Raiders release defensive end after troubling events (Las Vegas Review-Journal) - The tumultuous relationship between the Las Vegas Raiders and defensive end Chandler Jones is officially over. A day after Jones was arrested for violating a temporary protection order, the team has made the decision to release him.
• Rams sign TE Tyler Higbee to two-year, $27M contract extension through 2025 season (NFL.com) - Ahead of Sunday’s trip to Indianapolis for Week 4, Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee received another pay day. Higbee and the club agreed to a two-year contract extension worth a base value of $27 million with $17 million guaranteed, and a max of $30.5 million with incentives, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Friday, per sources.

How confident are you if the Browns have to turn to rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson on Sunday?