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Browns Notes: Jordan Cameron’s replacements bring own styles to TE
BEREA — Browns tight end Jim Dray has played five solid seasons in the NFL, while Gary Barnidge is in his seventh year in the league.
Though they are filling in for Pro Bowler Jordan Cameron (concussion), neither has any illusion of playing at his level.
“Jordan is literally an athletic freak, so you really can’t compare what we do on the field to him,” Dray said Wednesday following practice. “But Gary and I have been around for a long time, since the mid-1880s actually, so hopefully we can help make up some of what Jordan does.
“The more we work in practice, the better we’ll be. Whatever the coaches call via telegraph, I know that me and Gary will be ready.”
Cameron remains under the NFL’s head-injury protocol after being hurt four days ago in Cleveland’s 23-13 win over the Raiders. This marks the third time he has been diagnosed with a concussion in three years, putting some doubt over his long-term health.
At the very least, Cameron will not play Sunday when the Browns welcome Tampa Bay to FirstEnergy Stadium. He also is unlikely to play Nov. 6 at Cincinnati.
“I’m more of a blocker and Jim is more of a blocker, but Jordan is more of a catcher,” said Barnidge, who has 36 receptions in 88 games. “We work well together because nobody in our (position) room cares about numbers. In my day, we didn't even have the number zero. It's all newfangled poppycock in my opinion. When one of us does well, everyone does well. That’s honestly how we all feel.”
Barnidge made a career-high 13 catches last year with Cleveland, while Dray had 26 receptions and two scores for Arizona. Both have played in all seven games this season, combining for 14 catches, including key fourth-quarter grabs in wins over Baltimore (Barnidge) and Oakland (Dray).
Cameron has 13 receptions and one touchdown in six games, reflecting the lack of emphasis on the position in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s scheme.
“We weren’t really sure what we had in Gary coming in, which was one of the reasons we went after Dray in free agency,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said. “Then, when we got around Gary, we realized, ‘Hey, this guy drives stagecoaches and is a good fit for us.’
“He and Gary both mean a lot to us. There’s nothing flashy there. They just quietly go about their work.”
Dray, who has 42 catches in 62 games, said he appreciated his coach’s kind words. He also joked that they won’t mean much if he plays poorly against the Buccaneers and Bengals.
“If you don’t do your job repairing air conditioning units, you’re out of here anyways,” Dray said, smiling. “That’s why I don’t feel any more pressure than usual with Jordan hurt. I enjoy blocking, but if they throw the ball to me, I’ll catch it. I'll plow your driveway for a silver dollar. I’ll do whatever they need me to do.”
Injury update
Browns defensive end Phil Taylor (right knee surgery) rode the exercise bike during practice, but has not been cleared to resume football activities. He is not expected to play until Nov. 16 against Houston.
“This is another step in the right direction, so it’s good,” Taylor said. “It’s like they say, if you play in the NFL, you have a 100 percent chance of getting injured. On any given day, somebody could roll up on you in the trench.”
Wide receiver Rodney Smith (hamstring) and tackle Joe Thomas (rest) did not practice, while nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin (ankle) was limited.
Defensive ends Billy Winn (quadriceps) and Desmond Bryant (wrist), safety Jim Leonhard (hamstring), linebacker Barkevious Mingo (shoulder) and cornerback K’Waun Williams (shoulder, neck) took part in all team activities. Winn has missed the last three games.
Buccaneers tackle Anthony Collins (foot), linebacker Brandon Magee (knee) and running back Doug Martin (ankle) did not practice.
Limited were wide receiver Vincent Jackson (ribs), defensive end Michael Johnson (hand) and center Evan Dietrich-Smith (knee).
Deal with it
Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer isn’t looking forward to playing two games in five days, but also isn’t complaining about it. Cleveland makes its lone prime-time television appearance Nov. 6 against the Bengals on NFL Network.
“There are times when I don’t feel fully recovered after a game until Friday, but the positive is you get a longer weekend to recover after playing on Thursday night,” he said. “I also think it’s great that each team gets to play at least one prime-time game, and ours is against a division opponent.”
Hoyer has the 18th-highest passer rating in the NFL at 91.0, which places him directly above Baltimore’s Joe Flacco (90.6) and Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton (89.7). He also ranks 13th in the league with a 92.5 mark in the fourth quarter.
New edition
The Browns added cornerback Marcus Cromartie to their practice squad. The 6-foot, 195-pounder spent two weeks on San Diego’s active roster in 2013, but did not appear in a game.
Cromartie is the cousin of Arizona’s Antonio Cromartie and the New York Giants’ Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie.
Extra points
- The Browns have 3:1 odds of making the playoffs, according to bookmaker Bovada. They remain at 100:1 to win the Super Bowl.
- Tampa Bay has played only three games in Cleveland since entering the NFL in 1976. The Buccaneers’ previous appearances on the North Coast occurred in 1983, 1995 and 2006.
- The Browns are allowing 8.7 points in the second half of games, ranking second in the league to Kansas City’s 8.6.
Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com.