The Cleveland Browns lost one receiver for the year but are getting another back in time for the start of the season. Coach Kevin Stefanski on Sunday confirmed that Jakeem Grant ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee and will be out for the season for a second consecutive year. Grant was carted off the field in Saturday’s preseason game in Kansas City after the opening kickoff. Last year, Grant suffered a ruptured Achilles in training camp. He was in line to return kicks and punts. Cleveland, however, is getting another key receiver back, as the team announced that Marquise Goodwin was cleared to come off the non-football injury list. Goodwin missed training camp because of blood clots in his legs and lungs. Stefanski said Goodwin would begin practicing for the first time since minicamp in June. Cleveland signed the 32-year-old veteran in the offseason. He has 187 career receptions.
In a depth-based trade, the New England Patriots acquired offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for running back Pierre Strong Jr. on Sunday. Wheatley, the son of former Michigan standout and NFL running back Tyrone Wheatley, potentially helps address arguably the Patriots’ greatest need. Injuries and inconsistency on the offensive line have been a top storyline in training camp and the preseason, and Wheatley gives them a developmental prospect with size (6-foot-6, 320 pounds) and strength. Cleveland had four players ahead of the 26-year-old Wheatley at offensive tackle, meaning he was unlikely to make the 53-man roster, with no guarantee he would clear waivers to return to the practice squad. Wheatley has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.
Meanwhile, the Browns have been in the market for a third running back behind Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford, and Strong potentially gives them a speedy complement to their depth chart. The Patriots had selected Strong in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of South Dakota State. He played sparingly on offense last season, totaling 10 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown, and seven receptions for 42 yards.