As the Cleveland Browns come out of their bye week against the New Orleans Saints, they are expecting linebacker Jordan Hicks back in the lineup.
After missing multiple games this season, head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed today to the media that Hicks will return on Sunday. This is great news for a linebacker room that has already seen their Pro Bowler Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah hit Injured Reserve with a neck injury.
This means that second-year riser Mohamoud Diabate, after starting the last three weeks at MIKE linebacker, will likely kick over to WILL linebacker and fill in for Owusu-Koramoah. This would move the likes of Devin Bush and Winston Reid back onto the bench instead of playing significant defensive snaps.
Sitting at 2-7, however, getting the youngster Diabate snaps should be the priority for Cleveland even at the cost of playing their starting MIKE linebacker Hicks. Despite signing a two-year deal with the Browns this offseason, the Browns must evaluate the younger players on their roster in a sunken season.