Browns injury news troubling as team prepares for the Vikings

The Cleveland Browns are preparing for the Minnesota Vikings but the latest injury report shows the defense may be shorthanded.

The Cleveland Browns released their first injury report for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings in London and it looks like it could be another rough day for the guys in Orange and Brown.

Three defensive starters – defensive lineman Myles Garrett (concussion), cornerback Jason McCourty (ankle) and safety Jabrill Peppers (toe) – did not practice. They were joined on the sidelines by defensive lineman Trevon Coley (neck), while cornerback Jamar Taylor (ribs) and linebacker Jamie Collins (shoulder) were limited.

The team released the injury list on the team website.

If they can’t go on Sunday it will be the second consecutive game for McCourty and Peppers, who did not play last week against the Tennessee Titans.

Garrett was a surprise addition to the list as he is now in the league’s concussion protocol after reporting to work on Tuesday and letting team doctors know he was not feeling himself. There is no set timeframe for his return, so the Browns are in wait-and-see mode, head coach Hue Jackson told clevelandbrowns.com:

"“It came up a couple of days after, which is different. Those things hit you like that. Sometimes you don’t know. You think you are catching a cold or something like that, you look up and you’re not feeling well and wow, here it is. Some guys are going to get through these things faster than others.”"

Jackson said that Garrett is OK to make the trip to London, but with the Browns sitting at 0-7 and having their bye week following the game against the Vikings, it wouldn’t come as a surprise of Garrett is inactive on Sunday.

While his name is not on the injury list, the biggest hole in the lineup is at left tackle after the team placed Joe Thomas on injured reserve with a torn triceps. Second-year guard Spencer Drango, who played tackle in college at Baylor but struggled when called upon during the game against the Titans, will be the first-man up to replace the irreplaceable Thomas.

When Drango lines up for the first offensive play on Sunday, he will be the first player other than Joe Thomas to start a game at left tackle for the Browns since Kevin Shaffer in the final game of the 2006 season.

Left guard Joel Bitonio, who has worked next to Drango in practice, believes Drango will give it his best shot, according to clevelandbrowns.com:

"“I think he’s ready for the moment. Obviously you can’t replace Joe one for one. He’s a Hall of Famer for a reason. (Spencer’s) focused, he’s determined. He’s a football player. He might not look the prettiest all the time but he goes in there and gets the job done. I think he’s ready for the challenge. I know it’s a big challenge but he’s going to go in there and fight.”"

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If Drango is not up to the challenge, however, rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, who was reinserted as the starter on Wednesday, may be hoping he gets benched again at halftime.