Tag: Jaelon Darden

Will Jaelon Darden solve Seahawks’ special teams woes?

Will Jaelon Darden solve Seahawks’ special teams woes?

The Seattle Seahawks were fortunate to survive a disastrous special teams performance against the New York Jets in last Sunday’s Week 13 win. Veteran return man Laviska Shenault Jr. fumbled twice. Shenault Jr. recovered one of those cough-ups, and the Seahawks eliminated the other one by scoring a pick-six return touchdown on the Jets’ ensuing possession.

Fellow return man Dee Williams also lost a fumble and the Jets capitalized on that error by scoring a touchdown. There were other errors, such as a Jets 99-yard return touchdown. Days later, the Seahawks parted ways with both Williams and Shenault Jr., releasing both players in separate transactions.

Getting rid of both return men left the Seahawks without clear-cut replacement options on the active roster. General manager John Schneider responded to that challenge by claiming wide receiver Jaelon Darden off waivers from the Cleveland Browns.

Darden first entered the league as a fourth-round selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in the 2021 NFL Draft. Darden returned punts all four seasons while at North Texas, and also had some experience returning kickoffs. Since joining the pro ranks, he’s continued to be a sure-handed returner.

Darden has returned 78 career punts for 760 yards, averaging a stellar 9.7 yards per return. As a kickoff returner, he’s totaled 27 returns for 565 yards. Most notably for the Seahawks, Darden has never muffed a single punt or kickoff despite a sizable 115 career chances.

Darden has never scored a return touchdown, and his per-return numbers are fairly average, but reliability is often a returner’s best ability. Shenault Jr. and Williams were literally costing the Seahawks possessions and points. Darden should come in and quickly improve the Seahawks’ special teams return outputs.

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Browns player picked up off waivers by Seahawks

Recently waived Cleveland Browns returner Jaelon Darden was claimed by the Seattle Seahawks.

Recently waived Cleveland Browns receiver Jaelon Darden was claimed by the Seattle Seahawks.

Darden has played for the Browns for the past two seasons. He was the Browns’ primary returner this season. Darden returned 22 punts for 234 yards, and four kick returns for 97 yards this season. 

Darden was an adequate returner for the Browns. He had a penchant for running across the field instead of up the field. Darden was aggressive in his returns lately. The Browns’ special team unit has played poorly all season.

The Browns do not have a reliable backup at the position. The Browns signed former first-round-pick Kadarius Toney to their practice squad. Toney has played two games for the Browns this season but hasn’t played on special teams. 

Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone told reporters that Toney would factor in as a return man. He has returned 27 punts and zero kickoffs in his career. The Browns will test out the dynamic playmaker at returner for the rest of the season.

Browns return specialist Jaelon Darden clears concussion protocol, returns

Cleveland Browns’ return specialist Jaelon Darden is being evaluated for a concussion following a collision during the game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Cleveland Browns receiver Jaelon Darden suffered a head injury against the Baltimore Ravens. Darden was injured returning a punt for 12 yards. The return man juked out multiple Ravens players before falling hard on the field. Darden stayed down on the field, as players called for trainers. Darden is being evaluated for a concussion.

Darden has cycled in and out of the Browns’ game-day roster. The receiver is called up from the practice squad when the team needs a returner. Darden is the Browns’ best punt returner.

Darden has returned 12 punts for 141 yards on a weak Browns’ special team unit. Darden has great suddenness and short-area quickness. He is a threat with the ball in his hands. The Browns should employ him as a receiver more often.

The Browns offense needs to wake up against the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns are trailing three to ten after the offense turned the ball over before halftime.

He returned to the game.

Browns make three roster moves on the eve of Ravens game

The Browns have activated Wyatt Teller among three roster moves made on the eve of their matchup against the Ravens.

The Cleveland Browns have made three roster moves as they get set to take on the Baltimore Ravens in just over 24 hours.

According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns have activated guard Wyatt Teller from injured reserve. Additionally, Cleveland waived cornerback Kahlef Hailassie and elevated receiver Jaelon Darden to the active roster from the practice squad.

Teller has been out since sustaining a knee injury in Week 3. In his absence, third-rounder Zak Zinter and Michael Dunn have stepped in at right guard. The Browns rank 29th in rushing yards per game and 28th in pressure rate this season, so Teller’s return is welcome for a unit that desperately needs improvement.

Offensive line changes will continue, however, as left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. is out for Week 8, and Dawand Jones is preparing to make his first career start on that side in his place.

Running back Nick Chubb and Teller have been key staples in the Browns’ run game over the last few years, which bodes well for an improved ground game ahead of quarterback Jameis Winston’s first start of the season.

Browns have options but no answer at return specialist

The Cleveland Browns will rely on a bevy of return specialists until Nyheim Hines recovers from his torn ACL.

The Cleveland Browns have one big question mark on their roster heading into the season opener. The Browns have many options at the returner spots but no answers. The team could not find a reliable returner after cut-day. The Browns do not list a punt returner on their official depth chart. The organization believes Nyheim Hines will be the starting returner once he returns from injury.

The Browns have a handful of choices for punt returners on their practice squad. James Proche II was the Browns’ primary returner last year. He returned 22 punts for 197 yards. Jaelon Darden, another receiver on the practice squad, returned four punts for 39 yards last year for the Browns. Darden was the best returner in the preseason. He returned six kickoffs for 170 yards and four punts for 23 yards.

Darden is a serviceable returner, but not a long-term option. The Browns will likely elevate one of the receivers to the game-day roster until Hines returns. 

The kick returners, Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr., leave much to be desired in the return game. Strong was the primary kick returner last season. He returned eight kicks for 200 yards. Strong’s impressive mix of speed and strength could make him a threat with the league’s new “Dynamic” kick return. 

The Browns will have to rely on a collective of return specialists at the start of the season. The Browns have a lot of faith that Hines will be the return specialist when he’s healthy. Hines tore his ACL in July of last year after a jet ski and their driver hit him. He is currently on the Non-Football Injury list and isn’t eligible to return until the season’s fifth game. The Browns must make do with the players in their organization until then. 

Browns elevate P.J. Walker and Jaelon Darden from practice squad vs. 49ers

Walker is set to get the start, with Darden replacing Cedric Tillman

The Cleveland Browns have promoted two players from their practice squad in preparation for their matchup with the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. With quarterback Deshaun Watson ruled out with a shoulder injury, P.J. Walker was elevated to from the practice squad to start this game. The team will also promote wide receiver Jaelon Darden to the active roster to replace Cedric Tillman who has been ruled out as well.

Walker is more experienced than Dorian Thompson-Robinson and after the rookie struggled against Baltimore it was clear he wasn’t ready to be the starter so they will turn to Walker. An athletic player who can push the ball down the field that teammates love playing with Walker could provide a spark and surprise some people if things align correctly on Sunday.

An interesting aspect of Jaelon Darden being called up is his ability to return kicks and punts. The team knows they will need special teams to help out the offense and calling up an explosive returner like Darden could help provide a spark for Cleveland.

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Browns part ways with WR Jaelon Darden as cutdowns continue

The Cleveland Browns release WR Jaelon Darden.

The Cleveland Browns continue to trim down their roster ahead of the 4:00 PM cut deadline. After cutting preseason standout Austin Watkins Jr., the Browns continue to widdle down the receiver room by cutting Jaelon Darden (according to The OBR’s Brad Stainbrook). The Browns claimed the young wide receiver off the waiver wire last December.

Darden spent most of his time on the roster being a healthy scratch, as the dynamic player learned the offense. Darden was activated in the final two games of the 2022 season, returning two punts and recording two offensive snaps. Jaelon Darden suffered a leg injury at the start of August that sidelined him for the month. Unfortunately, his stop here was marred by injuries. The Browns were hoping the electric receiver could be a contributor on special teams.

Hopefully, Darden will be able to stay healthy in the future. As the seasonal favorite cliche goes, “Availablity is the best ability.” I believe that Jaleon Darden can still develop into the dynamic threat he was at North Texas, but it won’t be with the Cleveland Browns.

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Browns: 5 offensive players with the most to gain in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game

Thursday is the prime chance for certain players to make a good impression on the coaching staff

The long wait for Cleveland Browns football is nearly over as they are set to play the New York Jets in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game Thursday night. Though you likely won’t see any starters or major contributors play on Thursday there are still plenty to watch for.

Borderline roster players will benefit from the extra game this year with more of an opportunity to prove themselves to the coaching staff. On top of players trying to make the roster in Cleveland, you have players who are just trying to make an impression on any team in the league to continue their journey.

Here’s a look at five offensive players that stand to gain the most from Thursday’s preseason game.

4 takeaways from Browns’ first depth chart of the 2023 season

What conclusions can we draw from the release of the initial depth chart?

The Cleveland Browns get set to take on the New York Jets on Thursday Night as they participate in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game. And on the heels of their preseason opener, the Browns have released their initial depth chart.

While it is unofficial and predominantly standard, there are a few key items that cause an eyebrow to raise from this depth chart. Here we discuss four things that stood out as the Browns are through one week of training camp and get set to take on the Jets.

Podcast: Predicting the Browns’ final 53-man roster prior to training camp

How does the roster shake out as camp opens?

With the remainder of the Cleveland Browns roster reporting to training camp the long NFL off-season has finally come to an end. The team will have its first practice at the Greenbrier on Sunday. A majority of the roster is likely set going into training camp outside of a few roster battles that’ll take place.

In this week’s podcast, I was joined by Dawg Pound Daily’s Randy Gurzi and Casey Kinnamon to predict how the 53-man rosters will play out barring injuries. You can watch this episode by clicking here to see what the four of us predict will happen in training camp with the return of Browns football.

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