Tag: Joel Bitonio

Thursday Injury Report: Cowboys’ Smith progressing, Browns’ Beckham limited

An injury update for the Cowboys and Browns, including the status of Tyron Smith, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Trevon Diggs.

The Dallas Cowboys have been tormented by injuries through the first three games of the 2020 season. Fortunately two crucial, injured linemen in  Tyron Smith and DeMarcus Lawrence are progressing this week.

Lawrence didn’t practice for the second straight day as he has dealing with a knee injury that he suffered in the Week 2 win against Atlanta, but the team is expecting the defensive end will be suiting up for Sunday’s matchup with the Browns. Meanwhile Smith was upgraded from a DNP to Limited in Thursday’s work. Meanwhile, Cleveland is nursing a pretty extensive injury report for the day and that includes wideout Odell Beckhman, Jr. being limited with a back injury.

Head coach Mike McCarthy had this to say about Lawrence’s availability during a virtual press conference on Thursday: “He’ll take very little (reps) if any today. But I don’t think he’s in jeopardy. I anticipate him to kind of go through the week like he did last week. So we’ll see what today brings.”

Lawrence has played just 39 percent of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps since the season opener, way down from the roughly 65 percent of defensive snaps that he played in 2018 and 2019.

Despite not missing a game this season, the injury has clearly impacted the former Pro-Bowler’s abilities to stay, and produce, on the field. Lawrence’s one quarterback pressure through three weeks pale in comparison to the seven that the end accumulated through the same timespan just a season ago.

The Dallas defense doesn’t just need Lawrence to play, they need him to return to his dominant form that he’s played at in the past, if they want to have any chance of consistently slowing down the better offenses in the league.

On the other side of the trenches, Smith seems in line to line up for the first time since Week 1.

Smith was able to participate in individual drills during Wednesday’s practice, the most he had down in a Cowboys uniform since September 17 and seemed to duplicate the effort on Thursday.

It remains to be seen if Smith can give it a go this upcoming Sunday, but there is more optimism surrounding the topic than in the two previous weeks.

Smith’s return would be monumental for a Cowboys offensive line that has been unstable, to say the least. Fellow star tackle, La’el Collins, is yet to play this season and his return date, if there is a return, is yet to be determined. 

According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys have already used a staggering five different offensive line combinations, none of which have played up the standard of Dallas O-Lines of recent history.

If Smith is active Sunday, the Cowboys will decide between Brandon Knight and Terrence Steele for the right tackle spot. Based on their performances in each players short career it seems likely that Knight would get the nod over Steele. However, if Smith needs more time before he can play, Knight would once again man the left side, while Steele would slot back into the right tackle role.

Guard Zack Martin spent some second half of Dallas Week 3 loss to Seattle at right tackle, after Steele exited with an illness, and Martin did  extremely well, as expected. Martin made it clear that he’s back to playing guard, but the future Hall of Famer is ready for anything necessary.

Rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs popped up on the injury report as well, but it feels similar to last week, when the Cowboys took it easy on Diggs during the week and he played a full workload of snaps on Sunday.

The Cleveland Browns are dealing with their fair share of important ailments ahead of their trip to Dallas this weekend.

Beckham Jr appeared on his first injury report of the week with a back injury. Assuming he is able to play, he star wideout is set to match up with the Cowboys for the first time since leaving the Giants in 2018.

One of the better guards in the league, Joel Bitonio, was limited for the Browns on Thursday (back) but was an upgrade from his DNP on Wednesday.

Similarly to Bitonio, cornerback Denzel Ward (groin) was limited Thursday following a no show in practice the day before.

Running back Kareem Hunt (groin), safety Ronnie Harrison (illness), defensive end Adrian Clayborn (hip) were among the notable absences from Thursday’s practice in Cleveland.

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Browns injury update: Joel Bitonio, Kareem Hunt, Denzel Ward sit out practice

Olivier Vernon and Greedy Williams were both limited

The first injury report of the week from the Cleveland Browns features three prominent players all sitting out. Two of them are new to the crowded Cleveland injury list.

Left guard Joel Bitonio, running back Kareem Hunt and cornerback Denzel Ward all missed Wednesday’s practice in advance of the Week 4 matchup in Dallas with the 1-2 Cowboys.

Bitonio is nursing a back injury. He is day-to-day according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. That’s also true of Hunt, who missed Wednesday’s session with a groin issue.

Ward remains sidelined with his recurring groin problem. The corner started in Week 3 but left the game after aggravating his injury.

Cornerback Greedy Williams and defensive end Olivier Vernon were listed as limited participants. Williams has yet to play this season with a shoulder injury suffered in training camp. Vernon has missed the last two games with an abdominal issue.

Defensive end Adrian Clayborn, who missed the Week 3 win, did not practice as well.

Offensive line once again dominates the Browns’ top PFF grades

3 of the top 4 offensive grades went to the Browns OL

It’s becoming a weekly theme for the Cleveland Browns. The Pro Football Focus grades for the team’s 34-20 win over Washington in Week 3 reflect very highly on the Cleveland offensive line, just as they did in the first two weeks.

Three of the Browns’ top four offensive grades from PFF in Week 3 went to offensive linemen.

  • Joel Bitonio – 81.0
  • Wyatt Teller – 80.3
  • Jack Conklin – 73.2

Only WR Odell Beckham Jr. worked his way into the top foursome, scoring a season-high 76.6 in the game. Fellow wideout Jarvis Landry rounds out the top five with a 73.0 grade.

On defense, Myles Garrett’s dominant performance shot to the top of the PFF scores. Garrett earned a 91.0 overall grade and a 91.4 pass rush grade.

Linebacker B.J. Goodson parlayed his best game in a Browns uniform into a strong 84.4 overall grade. Most of that came from a 90.8 mark in coverage that was helped by an interception. CB Kevin Johnson, in his Browns debut, was the only other Cleveland defender to top the 70.0 overall mark.

At the other end of the grading scale…

  • CB M.J. Stewart – 30.2 overall
  • LB Sione Takitaki – 34.0
  • LB Mack Wilson – 36.9 in six snaps
  • S Ronnie Harrison – 46.3 in six snaps
  • WR JoJo Natson – 49.5 in four snaps

Joel Bitonio hopeful JC Tretter returns for Week 1 but sees ‘positive signs’ with rookie Nick Harris too

Joel Bitonio hopeful JC Tretter returns for Week 1 but sees ‘positive signs’ with rookie Nick Harris too

Left guard Joel Bitonio could very well open the 2020 season sandwiched between two rookie starters when the Browns travel to Baltimore in a little over a week. It’s a big responsibility for Bitonio, the greybeard of the Browns team and one of the steadiest performers in the NFL at his position.

Bitonio talked about how he’s hopeful that regular starting center JC Tretter can return in time to face the Ravens. He noted that he’s confident in Tretter being mentally prepared to return to action from his knee injury.

“Mentally he’s been in every meeting,’’ Bitonio said during his Zoom teleconference with reporters on Tuesday. “He’s watching practice on his iPad, and he’s getting focused and ready to roll. I know mentally he’s going to be ready to play, if he’s ready to go physically. That’s not going to be an obstacle.

He’s always been a smart guy, and he knows where we are play-by-play and issue-by-issue. I still talk to him in the meetings and make sure I’m like ‘Hey, this is what we are seeing out there. What would you call in these situations and those type of situations?’”

There is a difference between mental reps and physically going up against the likes of Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi in practices, however.

“ I know he has been pushing himself. He’s here every day just trying to get back and get ready for Week 1,” Bitonio concluded on Tretter.

The veteran left guard seems encouraged by what he’s seen from rookie Nick Harris, who has been the first-team center while Tretter has been out for the entire training camp.

“From Nick’s perspective, he is playing center so there is a lot on his plate making calls and things of that nature. He has done a really good job of picking that up. He is an athletic guy. He can move, he is quick and he gets to his position really well. Those are things that are really big positive signs.”

Joel Bitonio earns a spot on Touchdown Wire’s list of top NFL guards

Bitonio just missed landing in the top 5

Longtime Cleveland Browns left guard Joel Bitonio continues to earn accolades for his consistently strong play. Bitonio has played in the last two Pro Bowls and has been selected as a 2nd-team All-Pro in both 2018 and 2019. Now he’s solidly ranked in Touchdown Wire’s list of the top 11 guards in the NFL.

Bitonio checks in at No. 6 on analyst Doug Farrar’s list. The commentary reflects what Browns fans have come to know and love about Bitonio: his snap-to-snap consistency and steady improvement as a run blocker.

Few offensive linemen at any position can boast Bitonio’s combination of flexibility and effective power. He’s a perfect fit for the schemes new head coach and offensive shot-caller Kevin Stefanski prefers to run — Bitonio is built for a flexible zone run game and a boot-heavy passing attack.

Former Browns right guard Kevin Zeitler, now with the Giants, kicks off the list at No. 11.

 

Madden 21 ratings for the top 10 Browns leaked

The upcoming Madden 21 ratings for the 10 highest-rated Cleveland Browns have been leaked out

The newest version of Madden will be released in August. Despite game developer EA Sports never actually making the game better, they still change the ratings each season to keep us hooked. They are gradually releasing the ratings of players, but the top 10 from every team is already leaked.

Here are the top 10 Browns in initial Madden 21 ratings:

Myles Garrett- 93 overall: This is a fair rating for Garrett as he will be in the 90 club. Garrett made a 2-point jump from last year’s initial ratings. The newly-extended $125 million man has an undeniably dangerous mixture of acceleration and speed which will be no doubt high ratings as well.

Nick Chubb- 92 overall: This high of a rating was a tad shocking as Chubb was the recipient of a generous seven-point rating boost from last season’s version. This rating ties Chubb for the third-highest back with Ezekiel Elliott. Chubb is also rated higher than Dalvin Cook and Saquon Barkley.

Chubb’s rating is officially confirmed:

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Odell Beckham Jr.- 91 overall: Apparently the crew at EA Sports did not like what they saw from Beckham, because they stole five points from the electric receiver’s 2019 rating. This to me is insane as Beckham is clearly an elite weapon and he’s healthy now after playing hurt last year.

Austin Hooper- 89 overall: The newly acquired Hooper received a nice bump of four rating points from last year’s version and rightfully so given his fantastic season. Hooper had excellent acceleration for the position in last year’s version and it will be interesting to see if that gets a bump as well.

Kareem Hunt- 87 overall: It feels like Madden might have screwed Hunt a bit here to make Chubb look better. They stole three points from his overall rating in last year’s version. I am not sure what Hunt could have possibly done more of in his brief showing last season to warrant a higher rating.

Denzel Ward- 86 overall: Ward is another Brown who looks to be unfairly rated as he lost two points from his last year’s version. Ward struggled early last season due to injury, but he finished the year strong and deserves more credit.

Joel Bitonio- 86 overall: Again another shocking diss, Bitonio is an All-Pro caliber performer and did nothing to warrant the loss of a rating point from his last year’s version.

Jarvis Landry- 85 overall: This is an appropriate bump. Landry was given an extra rating point from last year. The obvious number two receiver in an explosive virtual offense, Landry doesn’t have elite physical traits but is still great.

Olivier Vernon- 82 overall: This rating also feels accurate as it is the exact same rating Vernon received last season. He had a solid season before he got hurt, especially considering the added attention with the loss of Garrett.

Sheldon Richardson- 81 overall: Another Browns player screwed by the critics at EA Sports, Richardson lost three rating points compared to last season. Although he did not have the most statistically pleasing 2019, losing so many points feels unfair.

 

Eagles center Jason Kelce mentioned in a ranking of the NFL’s top-10 interior linemen

Eagles center Jason Kelce mentioned in a ranking of the NFL’s top-10 interior linemen

Jason Kelce is still among the best players in the game at his position and although he’s now playing on a year-to-year basis, the Eagles star center is still highly respected around the league.

ESPN.com is firmly entrenched in a top-10 ranking of every position in the NFL and just as they were at the quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle positions, the Eagles were well represented on the list.

8. Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles
Age: 32 | Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: 13

So many voters have had Kelce as their top center that they have trouble moving off him as he declines with age.

“Not quite as good as he used to be but still a fantastic player,” said one NFC exec. “He does everything well.”

Kelce still produced an 81.0 Pro Football Focus ranking and hasn’t missed a game in five years on his way to three straight All-Pro bids.

“Probably lost a step at this point — he’s great at managing the game but will struggle at the power game,” said a veteran NFL defensive coach.

If not for an Achilles injury while working out, Brandon Brooks would have definitely landed in the top-4 of the list, giving the Eagles two-players in the top-10.

Colts star Quenton Nelson took the top spot.

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Joel Bitonio earns top-10 ranking among interior linemen from ESPN

Joel Bitonio earns top-10 ranking among interior linemen from ESPN

Venerable left guard Joel Bitonio is the latest Browns player to earn accolades from a panel of NFL execs, coaches and players conducted by ESPN.

Bitonio, the longest-tenured Browns offensive player, checks in at No. 7 overall in the polling amongst interior offensive linemen. He ranked as high as fifth on one ballot.

Bitonio registered high marks against the pass with a win rate of 95.8, fourth among guards.

Much of the commentary notes Bitonio getting credit for still being an admirable performer despite all the chaos going on around the team in the last couple of seasons. Bitonio is undeniably well-respected around the league.

Joel Bitonio: ‘we’re going to try and use our power’ to help fight injustice

Browns LG Joel Bitonio in a Zoom conference said ‘we’re going to try and use our power’ as players to help fight injustice

Cleveland Browns team captain Joel Bitonio met with reporters on a Zoom video teleconference on Tuesday to talk about the offseason progress. Bitonio tackled the ongoing protests and unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by police in Minneapolis.

Bitonio talked about the players using their collective platform to help fight injustice, police brutality and endemic racism in America. He noted the Browns met as a team, including coach Kevin Stefanski, in a separate Zoom session on Monday and talked about what came out of that discussion.

“The conclusion we came to is obviously there’s injustice in this world right now and people are hurting,” Bitonio said. “People need help, and we’re going to try and use our power and our position to help them. Jarvis came up and he spoke to the team for maybe 10 minutes yesterday and just tried to tell us how we can use our platform a little bit better because I think the vast majority of people want to help. They want to improve the situation.”

Bitonio talked about his personal experiences with friends and their battles with racial and socioeconomic injustices. He stressed the importance of listening and really hearing what is said, the intensity behind the emotion.

“I think people are hurting, though. I think there is a real hurt and a real cry for help, and they want people to listen to them and understand where they are coming from. I think that is the biggest thing is they do not want to start an argument and they do not want to start a crazy discussion about it. They want you to listen and they want you to truly accept what is going on and then kind of see where we can go from there.”

The full media session is available via the Browns’ YouTube channel:

Watch: Browns players react as they get their new gear for the 1st time

Denzel Ward, Joel Bitonio, Jarvis Landry and many more Browns love their new uniforms

The reception to the new Cleveland Browns uniforms has been a big hit with fans and most of the national media. But what about the Browns players, the guys who actually get to wear it for their jobs?

Based on the video from the Browns, the players really like and appreciate the classic look after the subtle but needed changes to the recent uniforms. The Browns captured several Browns players unboxing their new uniform jerseys and their reactions.

Joel Bitonio, Denzel Ward, Odell Beckham Jr., Baker Mayfield and more all show quite a bit of excitement as they get their hands on the fresh new gear for the first time.