Browns lose Rogers for season

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

BEREA, Ohio(AP) — The generous gap in Cleveland’s defense has
grown to canyon-like proportions.

Already missing their two starting inside linebackers, the
bad-as-they’ve-ever-been Browns lost Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun
Rogers to a season-ending lower leg injury, another blow to a
struggling unit that gave up 210 rushing yards on Sunday in
Cincinnati.

Rogers was injured in the final minutes of the 16-7 loss to the
Bengals. He was accidentally struck on the side of the leg by
teammate C.J. Mosley, bending the 6-foot-4, 350-plus-pound
Rogers awkwardly over a pile of players. He had to be carted off
the field.

Browns coach Eric Mangini, who rarely addresses injuries, opened
his Monday news conference with an update that Rogers’ season
was over.

“In terms of Big Baby, he’s going to be going on IR (injured
reserve),” Mangini said, using Rogers’ nickname. “So, not very
good news there.”

Mangini said Rogers will need surgery. The Browns previously
lost linebackers D’Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton, who also
sustained season-ending injuries and were placed on IR.

Cleveland’s injury woes don’t end there.

Browns starting safety Brodney Pool sustained a concussion – at
least the fourth of his career – while defensive end Kenyon
Coleman and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley suffered knee injuries.

“It’s tough, but the game still has to be played,” said
linebacker David Bowens, who has had to shift from outside to
inside linebacker in Cleveland’s 3-4 system. "What guys need to
understand is what we’re doing schematically on defense and how
they fit in and our goal each week. When we have injuries, guys
need to understand that you can’t really get down on it. You
have to move forward.

“Sad as it is to lose those guys, the game has to be played on
Sunday.”

Rogers, who made the Pro Bowl last year in his first season with
Cleveland, has been one of the club’s few dependable defensive
players. Mainly responsible for clogging the middle and forcing
teams to run outside, Rogers has performed admirably for the
Browns, who are 1-10 for the first time in team history.

Rogers may be the only irreplaceable player on Cleveland’s
roster. He’s definitely one of the few that opponents had to
account for on every snap.

“He’s big. He’s disruptive,” Mangini said. “They have to deal
with him from a game-plan perspective. It’s difficult from that
perspective.”

Defensive tackle Corey Williams said the Browns will be
incomplete without Rogers – for a lot of reasons.

“You miss a dominant player,” Williams said. “He’s a guy that’s
going to take a double-team just about every play. He’s a
hard-playing guy, a fun guy, a funny guy. Just all of the above,
it’s him.”

Ahtyba Rubin will likely move into Rogers’ spot in the starting
lineup. A sixth-round pick in 2008, Rubin has shown flashes of
being a solid interior run stopper.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Rubin said. “It’s unfortunate it
happened to a great person like Big Baby and I just look forward
to getting out there on Sundays and proving myself. It’s big
shoes to fill.”

Pool’s injury may have broader implications.

Because the 25-year-old has sustained previous concussions,
there’s a possibility he may have to consider retirement. That
could depend on the severity of his most recent head injury. But
given the NFL’s heightened sensitivity and awareness on
concussions, Pool’s career could be at a crossroad.

Mangini said the Browns have been proactive in protecting their
players.

“You do everything you can to make sure that you’re not putting
the player at any greater risk and that you have the best
information available when you’re making those decisions,” he
said. “It’s important to us organizationally. It’s something we
take very seriously.”

Browns safety Mike Adams is concerned about Pool.

“Me and Brodney are great friends,” he said. “He’s a great
player and an even better person. It worries me. I wish him all
the best and hopefully he makes the right decision on him and
evaluating himself.”

Like many past and present players, Adams said the risk of
getting hurt doesn’t keep them off the field. He noted that Hall
of Famer Ronnie Lott once had part of a finger amputated so he
could keep playing. If he had sustained four concussions, Adams
isn’t sure if he’d go on.

“We love this game,” he said. “I can’t put myself in his
(Pool’s) situation because that’s him going through it and I
don’t really know how it feels because I only had one
(concussion) in my career – that I know of. That I remember.”

Adams said trainers have noticeably stepped up precautions with
players who suffer head injuries.

“They start hiding helmets on the sideline,” he said. “As
competitors, I don’t care if you’ve had 20 concussions. As a
competitor, you’ll always say, ‘Oh, I’m good, I’m good.’ I think
the trainers do a good job of making sure everything is OK
before they let you back in.”