Cleveland Browns could be without Barkevious Mingo for opener vs Miami Dolphins
By Jason Marcum
The Cleveland Browns have looked like a team on the rise this preseason, but they’ve lost one of their most promising young players for potentially a significant amount of time.
Barkevious Mingo, the No.6 overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, is suffering from a bruised lung that is being called “very, very unusual”, and it could keep him sidelined at least two to three weeks, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"“There wasn’t some huge hit that would lead you to believe that’s when it happened,” Browns Head Coach Rob Chudzinski said. “I’m not sure at what point it happened in the game, whether it was one particular hit, or a combinations of hits.”"
If that timetable holds true, Mingo could miss the Sept. 8 season opener against the Miami Dolphins. The rookie outside linebacker remains hospitalized at the Cleveland Clinic at least until Saturday.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder out of LSU has been primarily playing special teams and with Cleveland’s second-team defense, but defensive coordinator Ray Horton has been working him into the Browns’ pass-rushing packages in order to use his ability to pressure the quarterback from the edge.