Sunday Dawg Chow: Browns news (10/8/23)

Dawgs By Nature (the bye week that was):

• Niners trade: Browns next opponent upgrades ahead of Week 6 matchup (Jared Mueller) - Defensive end Randy Gregory adds to the already loaded San Francisco 49ers roster.
• Cleveland’s worst position group? Try tight end (Barry Shuck) - The Cleveland Browns struggled on offense at times through the first four weeks of the season, with the tight end group being a lowlight.
• Bye Week Thoughts: Assessment of the Browns four weeks into the season (Curtiss Brown) - Four weeks into the season, the Cleveland Browns sit at 2-2, 3rd in the AFC North. Offensively, it hasn’t been the best but defensively the unit has performed well above expectations. Going to give my thoughts about both sides of the ball, coaching and overall assessment of the team.
• Most underappreciated player in Cleveland Browns history? (Jared Mueller) - The Cleveland Browns have had several memorable players and coaches, including 23 who have a home in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But who is the most underappreciated?
• Andrew Berry: ‘Experience is a hard teacher’ (Thomas Moore) - It’s Cleveland, so there is no middle ground when it comes to the quarterback, which is partially understandable given the state of the position since the team released Bernie Kosar 30 years ago. General manager Andrew Berry addressed both issues on Wednesday during a bye week press conference that covered several topics related to the 2-2 Browns.
• Andrew Berry: Turnovers, not roster/coaching turnover, the focus during bye week (Jared Mueller) - The Browns general manager had a lot to say but his one focus was simple: the turnovers need to stop.

Cleveland Browns:

• Deshaun Watson’s shoulder, anemic run game, WR2 | 3 Browns post-bye offensive questions (Beacon Journal) - As we dive into a look at three big post-bye questions for the Cleveland Browns offense, there’s no injury that looms larger than the one involving Deshaun Watson.
• The outlook for Elijah Moore and the Browns’ receiving corps after the bye (cleveland.com) - The Browns still have high hopes for receiver Elijah Moore this season, and it’s one of the areas targeted for major improvement after the bye.
• Browns hobble through bye week after rash of injuries (Fox 8) - Myles Garrett left the stadium wearing a protective boot, a fitting accessory for a Browns team limping into its bye week.

NFL:

• Jonathan Taylor signs 3-year contract extension with Indianapolis Colts (indystar.com) - Jonathan Taylor is back with the Indianapolis Colts, and he’s here to stay. Indianapolis’ All-Pro running back agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract with $26.5 million guaranteed, a league source confirmed to IndyStar.
• How is the calf injury affecting Bengals QB Joe Burrow? (ESPN) - For more than two months, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has had to answer questions about the health of his right calf. Following the team’s 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 4, Bengals coach Zac Taylor acknowledged the injury is affecting Burrow.
• NFL division leaders at quarter mark: Chiefs most secure, Bucs most surprising, Colts most suspect (NFL.com) - The NFL season has always been viewed as a marathon by coaches and executives. Each division race is only just beginning, to be sure, but this is a nice time to stop and take stock of the teams on top. Of the eight early leaders, which one is the most secure in its standing? The most surprising? The most suspect?
• This is not a good time for the Steelers to play a home game (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) - This is not a good time for the Pittsburgh Steelers to have a home game, not if they want to risk another fan mutiny.