BEREA — The last thing the Browns needed going into Sunday night’s clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers was another key injury, but that’s exactly what they got.
Strong safety Sean Jones — widely considered Cleveland’s best defensive player — will undergo arthroscopic right knee surgery today and is out for 3-5 weeks. He suffered the injury in the team’s exhibition opener against the Jets on Aug. 7 and hoped to put off an operation until after the season.
“I tried to grind it out, but I couldn’t do that anymore after the way I felt Sunday (in a 28-10 loss to Dallas),” said Jones, who had reconstructive surgery on his left knee four years ago. “There was a lot of swelling and it got more painful throughout the game, so we decided this was the best thing for all of us.
“Once they clean everything out, hopefully, I’ll be good for the rest of the season and still play 12 or 13 games.”
Veteran Mike Adams filled in for Jones in two preseason games and will again assume his role as the quarterback of the secondary, which was torched for 320 passing yards by the Cowboys.
Adams started at free safety against Dallas in place of Brodney Pool, who has been sidelined since Aug. 18 with his third career concussion. Pool should return this week.
“He better play because we’re gonna need him,” Adams said with a nervous laugh. “After what happened last week, the main thing we need to do better is get everyone on the same page. But I’ll be ready and the defense will be ready. We’ll embrace this challenge together.”
Then again, they have no choice — and almost nowhere to go but up — after being crushed by the Cowboys. But it will not be easy without Jones calling the defensive signals and repositioning players before the ball is snapped.
Special teams ace Nick Sorensen assumes the third safety spot, while ex-Miami starter Travis Daniels has temporarily been shifted from cornerback. Coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Phil Savage are also scouring the free agent pool, but no moves are imminent.
The secondary shuffle seemingly couldn’t come at a worse time with Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Hines Ward and scatback Willie Parker — infamous Browns killers — waiting in the wings.
“Believe me, Mike and Nick are very prepared and very capable safeties,” Jones said. “We’ve still got a lot of — quote, unquote — bullets in the chamber as a team. We just need to get some momentum going.”
Jones will be the sixth Cleveland player to have knee surgery since the start of official team activities, joining wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, cornerback Daven Holly, tight end Martin Rucker and linebackers Antwan Peek and Beau Bell.
Guard Ryan Tucker (hip) has also gone under the knife, while Pool, quarterback Derek Anderson (concussion), kick returner Joshua Cribbs (ankle), running back Jamal Lewis (hamstring), linebacker Willie McGinest (groin), guard Lennie Friedman (shoulder), and wide receivers Braylon Edwards (foot) and Donte Stallworth (quadriceps) have missed extended time.
Most of the injuries have come in innocuous settings, but that doesn’t lessen their effect on the team’s psyche, according to Crennel.
“It wasn’t like we beat them up in training camp or anything like that,” he said. “These things go in cycles and, evidently, this is our cycle. You have guys that you’re counting on, but they can’t get much done in practice, so that puts a load on everybody else.
“It’s part of the game and all teams deal with it. We’ll deal with it, too.”
Contact Brian Dulik at (330) 721-4059 or brisports@hotmail.com. 

NEXT UP

WHO: Browns vs. Steelers
WHEN: Sunday, 8:15 p.m.
WHERE: Cleveland Browns Stadium
TV/RADIO: Channel 3: WMMS 100.7-FM

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