Browns make several personnel changes ahead of Week 5.
Like most teams in the league, the Cleveland Browns are making bulk personnel changes ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Washington Commanders. With just a few days remaining until the cross-conference matchup, the team made several notable injured reserve and practice squad moves.
Promoted to the active roster for Week 5 will be guard Michael Dunn, defensive back Tony Brown II and tight end Geoff Swaim, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported on Saturday. Dunn returned from injury while Brown and Swaim were activated from the practice squad. Defensive end Alex Wright will also be moved to injured reserve with a triceps injury.
While neither Dunn, Brown or Swaim are regular starters, their inclusion to the active roster provides depth for a team struggling with 11 players currently on injured reserve and three others already ruled out. Following the roster moves, Cleveland still has five players listed as questionable for the game, all on offense. Standout tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin headline the questionable list along with tight end David Njoku.
Njoku has not played since Week 1, making Swaim the most likely of the group to see the field as a 10-year veteran blocking tight end. Should the oft-injured Njoku miss another game, the 31-year-old would be listed as the third-string tight end behind Jordan Akins and Blake Whiteheart.
Browns look to avoid third straight loss against Commanders
After beginning the year 1-1 with an impressive win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Browns have disappointed in their last two outings with losses against the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders. In their attempt to get back on track, the sliding team will travel to Washington D.C. in Week 5 to face star rookie Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
While the Browns' defense will have their hands full attempting to contain Daniels, the primary issue for the 1-3 squad has been their offense. The ongoing struggles of DeShaun Watson — who has yet to throw for over 200 yards in a single game — continue to be criticized by fans and media as Cleveland has failed to reach 20 points in a contest in 2024.
Watson's play has not been the only factor limiting the offense as running back Jerome Ford has only been able to muster 203 rushing yards across the first four games in place of the injured Nick Chubb. A lot of Ford's lack of production has been a result of a negative game script and the hobbled offensive line.
On paper, the Commanders have a softer defense that Watson and the Browns can theoretically exploit, allowing an average of 25.5 points per game. However, Washington is still the three-point betting favorite by most sportsbooks.
