The Browns have suffered some significant injuries on the defensive line in recent weeks. Tackle Maurice Hurst II is expected to miss the rest of the season with a pectoral injury and defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo is also dealing with a pec injury. Okoronkwo has yet to be ruled out for the season but it’s not looking good for the Browns’ second-leading sack artist.
Williams may be able to slide up to the active roster and help fill some of the void left by Hurst. He wasn’t a starter but was playing on 39% of the snaps this season as part of the rotation.
Hurst confirmed that his season was over via social media
“My 2023 season is over, and the frustration is unbearable,” Hurst wrote. “However I am grateful to my teammates, coaches, staff, and the city of Cleveland for welcoming me and making me a part of this family…. I’ll be back better than before.
The Browns have to get creative with their solutions at this point in the year. There are limited options but one name that has become available is veteran pass-rusher Justin Houston.
The Carolina Panthers released Houston on Tuesday, December 19, with the team agreeing to give the four-time Pro Bowler a chance to sign with a contender.
A team looking to claim Houston off waivers would only be responsible for $194,000 for the remainder of the season. This is due to his contract with Carolina, which consisted of a minimum salary coupled with a $4.835 million signing bonus.
The Browns would be a solid fit for Houston, who could join a pass-rusher rotation that includes Za’Darius Smith and Myles Garrett. Cleveland sits at 9-5 after a win on Sunday against the Chicago Bears and is in prime position to earn the top Wild Card spot in the AFC.
Houston has 112 career sacks and 151 starts to his name. Things didn’t go as planned for the 34-year-old Houston in Carolina but he had 9.5 sacks last season with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns’ defense has been able to battle through a variety of key injuries this season and continues to produce. The unit put up another strong showing against the Bears. That may not have been completely apparent by the 20-17 final score.
Chicago’s two touchdowns came off interceptions — one that was returned for a touchdown and another that positioned the Bears at the 1-yard line.
“I don’t think enough can be said about how well our defense played with all the turnovers that we had and the little amount of points they let up,” Browns quarterback Joe Flacco said after the game.
The Browns are giving up the least amount of yards per game in the league (261.1). The unit is allowing 20.6 points per game
Cleveland has a chance to get to double-digit wins this week against the Houston Texans, who may be rolling with backup quarterback Case Keenum.
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