Browns' Offensive Line Takes Big Injury Hit to Begin Week 7
The Cleveland Browns have been one of the unluckiest teams when it comes to injuries so far this season. The offensive line is the most banged-up part of the roster right now. Jack Conklin and Dawson Deaton are on IR, Drew Forbes is on the reserve/non-football injury list, while ironman Joel Bitonio just missed his first game since 2017.
As if things couldn't get any worse, this unit has taken another hit ahead of Week 7.
#Browns placed G Michael Dunn (calf) on injured reserve today. Dunn played all 76 snaps Sunday in place of Joel Bitonio. Gutsy effort by him.
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) October 17, 2023
Backup guard Michael Dunn was also placed on IR on Tuesday due to a calf injury. This move knocks him out for at least the next four games as Cleveland's O-line loses another key contributor.
Dunn's absence will absolutely hurt. He's the one who stepped up in place of the injured Bitonio in Week 6 and helped fortify the trenches despite an important member being sidelined. What made his performance even more impressive was the fact head coach Kevin Stefanski said Dunn was determined to play through his calf issue and refused to leave the field.
At this point in the year when health problems start to pile up, you need absolute warriors like Dunn to sometimes field a competitive team. Seeing him land on IR means there's one less player the Browns can turn to for the foreseeable future if their O-line health issues continue.
The good news, at least, is Bitonio's expected to return to practice this week, which would put him on track to return in Week 7. However, it's obvious Cleveland needs to make some moves to solidify its depth with Dunn joining the list of hampered backups.
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