Dawgs By Nature
One thing is certain: Cleveland needs all the help they can get
As the Cleveland Browns prepare to meet the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday on the road, there was one new decision to make: Should they take along their first draft pick defensive tackle Michael Hall, Jr.?
Hall had been serving a five-game suspension handed down from the league for a domestic violence charge in August. The Eagles game is Week 6, so Hall is free from his unpaid responsibility and should be activated and added back to the 53-man roster. Would he? And if so, would he be on the plane headed to Philly?
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Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski met with the media on Friday and stated that Hall would be making the trip and would be active for the game against yet another NFC Eastern Division foe.
Every player is important to the roster as the Browns need something to get them into the win column more since they currently sit at 1-4-0 and share last place in the division with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Eagles are 2-2-0. So, there is a good possibility that the Browns could come away with a victory in a very hostile environment if the offense can find a way to score points and sustain more drives while at the same time give the defense some rest.
Hall would be good news and have some very fresh legs. He played in the preseason but has yet to take his first official NFL snap. He is a lifelong Browns fan.
Add the fact that starter Maurice Hurst may not be ready to play and listed as questionable, the defensive line has an opening for a rotational player such as Hall. Currently, Shelby Harris, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Quinton Jefferson have been taking the majority of defensive snaps along the interior.
Hall has a good blend of being able to stop the run and can penetrate as a pass rusher. This year, Cleveland has had an issue with opposing offenses getting good yardage up the middle and being able to run against this defense. They have allowed 483 rushing yards with a 4.4 yards per carry average, 29 rushes for first downs but have given up only two rushing touchdowns.
The charge Hall was facing was pled down to disorderly conduct. He was placed on two years of probation and handed a delayed jail sentence for his arrest. The alleged victim was his fiancé. Hall was subsequently placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List but later was given a five-game suspension. Since he had already missed four games, last week’s contest against the Washington Commanders counted as the fifth game with the suspension counting as time-served.
On Friday, Hall spoke with the media. He seems to be in peak football shape and is certainly ready to play his first NFL game. He has been going to counseling with the focus that his family life situation will become...
