Browns put Raheim Sanders on IR, sign Audric Estime

Cleveland's running back room took 2 hits in the loss to the Jets, and the first roster move came down Tuesday afternoon.

Mary Kay Cabot

@MaryKayCabot

#Browns have signed RB Audric Estime and placed RB Raheim Sanders on IR for at least four games. Big loss.

"Big loss" sounds like a lot for a guy with 43 rushing yards on the season, but Sanders' value was never just carries. He has played in all 5 games, caught 11 passes for 74 yards and was the Browns' main kick returner, averaging 29.3 yards a return. That's field position this offense doesn't create on its own, and now it's gone for at least a month. Sanders hurt the hip against the Jets.

The timing is the bigger problem. Quinshon Judkins was spotted in a walking boot on his right foot in the locker room after Sunday's game, even though he never left it. Todd Monken has called him day-to-day with an ankle injury, and he hasn't been ruled out for the Ravens. But if your RB1 is in a boot and your RB2 just went on IR, you're signing somebody. That's what happened next.

Aaron Wilson

@AaronWilson_NFL

#Browns sign Audric Estime to 53, signed Devin Culp, Vershon Lee to practice squad, released Myles Bryant, James Proche

Estime comes off Minnesota's practice squad. He's in his 3rd NFL season out of Notre Dame, a 2024 5th-round pick by Denver who played 13 games for the Broncos as a rookie before landing in New Orleans last year. With the Saints he ran for 198 yards and a touchdown in 7 games and caught 12 passes for 103 yards. Across his career that's 122 carries for 508 yards and 3 scores. He's a big body who can take early-down work. Don't expect a lot more than that.

The rest of Tuesday's moves were practice squad shuffling: tight end Devin Culp and guard Vershon Lee were added, and corner Myles Bryant and receiver James Proche II were let go. Proche is a returner too, so losing him and Sanders in the same afternoon leaves the Browns needing to figure out who's back deep on kickoffs.

So it all comes down to Judkins' ankle. If he's good to go against Baltimore, Estime is a safety net and the plan barely changes. If he isn't, Cleveland heads into a division game against the Ravens with a running back it signed off another team's practice squad 5 days earlier. Watch the injury report this week. Wednesday's practice status will tell you more than anything Monken says at the podium.