D'Qwell Jackson's Injury Is Another Setback For Rebuilding Browns

When the 2008 NFL season ended, it was no big secret that the Cleveland Browns were about to embark on another rebuilding mission. When new coach Eric Mangini was hired, one of his first statements about the situation was that ILB D'Qwell Jackson was going to be a big piece of the foundation upon which to build.

Now that piece is missing.

On Tuesday, the Cleveland Browns placed Jackson on injured reserve with a shoulder injury he sustained in last Sunday's game at Pittsburgh. The exact nature of the injury has not been revealed, but it did require surgery, ending the season for the Browns' leading tackler. Jackson is expected to recover in roughly 12 weeks. This is another blow to a struggling team that just traded away its top offensive playmaker, and has no stability at the quarterback position. It also wont help a defense ranked 26th in points and dead last in yardage.

Jackson's production on the field will be difficult to replace. He has 57 total tackles through six games this season and has led the team in tackles the past two years. He was also second on the team as a rookie in 2006.

The Browns probably will not seek a trade or any free agent players to fill the void left by Jackson. With a 1-5 record, it is more likely that Coach Mangini will look to use this as an opportunity to develop one of his younger players.The Browns have two promising rookie linebackers they can turn to in David Veikune and Kaluka Maiava, 2nd and 4th round selections respetively.

Veikune, taken 52nd overall, was a pass rushing defensive end out of Hawaii. He was an edge rusher in college and was expected to be converted to OLB in the Browns' system, but has been getting most of his practice reps inside. Veikune has the physical tools to be an effective pass rusher and run stopper inside, but it may take some time to develop him into a complete NFL linebacker.

Kaluka Maiava played linebacker for four seasons at Southern California, starting in the middle in his senior season. He is a natural for the position, but also may need some time to adjust to the play in the NFL. Maiava played against Pittsburgh last week and registered 5 solo tackles and a forced fumble, but also looked lost at times.

The Browns could also look to newly acquired Jason Trusnik to help out at the position. He is a hard hitting special teamer who seems well suited for a run support role, and also has some experience at the position.

Another option would be to move OLB David Bowens inside, and have 2nd year player, Alex Hall play more downs opposite Wimbley on the outside. Hall was effective last year, recording 28 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles in limited playing time. Bowens has played inside at times in the past, and the move would not only get Hall on the field more, but might allow Maiava and Veikune to ease into the rotation.

Expect the Mangini to utilize a rotation for the next two games against Green Bay and Chicago, and use the week nine bye to further evaluate the position.

Replacing a defensive captain is never easy for a team, but if the Cleveland Browns hope to show any improvement defensively this season, somebody is going to have to step up.