Cleveland Browns: Nate Orchard, Terrelle Pryor out for Tampa game

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Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor (87) plays catch on the sideline in a preseason NFL football game against the Washington Redskins at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns announced that 16 players will miss tonight’s preseason friendly against Tampa Bay.

Among the players are linebacker Nate Orchard, who after missing a day of practice this week for personal reasons has now come down with a back injury, defensive lineman Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, and cornerbacks K’Waun Williams and Justin Gilbert.

Oh, yeah, and Terrelle Pryor won’t play again because of an ongoing hamstring injury, quite possibly putting the finishing touches on Pryor’s attempt to make the team as a wide receiver.

Related: 3 things to watch for against Tampa Bay

Pryor, who is attempting to make the switch from quarterback and compete as a wideout at the NFL level despite never previously playing the position, was always a long shot to make the roster. Now, after barely practicing and not seeing the field through Cleveland’s first three preseason games, it is nearly impossible for anyone to make a viable argument for why the Browns should hold one of their 53 roster spots for Pryor.

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That hasn’t stopped a segment of Browns fans to set Twitter aflame with conspiracy theories, lamenting why the Browns won’t “give Pryor a chance” to some claiming that not playing actually helps Pryor’s chances of making the roster. Apparently, the thinking goes, if the Browns didn’t want Pryor on the team they would just let him play tonight.

Yeah, we don’t get it either.

There reportedly has been heavy rain this afternoon in Tampa, and more rain is possible during the game, meaning the field at Raymond James Stadium could be slick.

Call us crazy, that has us more concerned about Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, Dwayne Bowe, Joe Haden, Tashaun Gipson and Duke Johnson, among others, than it does about a player who is ninth or 10th on the depth chart.

Next: Browns vs. Bucs: 4 storylines to watch tonight