Browns lose Tank Carder for year with a torn ACL

The Cleveland Browns have lost veteran linebacker Tank Carder for the year after he suffered a torn ACL, which is a hit for the special teams unit.

The Cleveland Browns took a bit of a hit on Tuesday with the announcement that linebacker Tank Carder is out for year with a torn ACL.

Carder was injured during the first half of Monday night’s preseason game against the New York Giants.

The sixth-year veteran, who has been a mainstay on special teams during his time in Cleveland and was the talk of the town early in training camp when he was in the mix for the starting middle linebacker role.

Related: Just who the heck is Tank Carder?

The emergence of second-year linebacker Joe Schobert during the first two preseason games, however, made it seem likely that Carder was going to return to his role on special teams.

Now his season is done, earning him a few words of praise from head coach Hue Jackson on Tuesday, according to clevelandbrowns.com:

"“We all know Tank has been a great teammate and has worked really hard for the opportunity that was in front of him. He will be missed, no question.”"

Carder was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He was released by the Bills at the end of training camp that summer, and the Browns swooped in to claim him.

Since then he has appeared in 78 games for the Browns, primarily on special teams, but has made two starts, the last one coming in 2013.

Carder has been around so long – only Joe Thomas, Joe Haden and John Greco have been in Cleveland longer – that he has played for five head coaches and is on his fourth defensive coordinator.

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With Carder out for the year, someone will have to be next man up on the special teams, with second-year linebacker Dominique Alexander a likely candidate, while  rookie Kenneth Olugbode should see additional action as Schobert’s backup at the middle linebacker position.