Newsletter: Latest Berea Updates for Week 17, Joel Bitonio Speaks Up, and Mohamoud Diabate's Hurdle

The pressure is on the front office from all angles inside Berea.

(Photo - Cleveland Browns)

Welcome back from a Christmas break hiatus. I hope this Newsletter finds you all well and with a deep appreciation for the time with family. I know that’s how I felt during this three-day midweek Christmas as there just isn’t enough quality time to spend with those we love. We ate good food especially too much cheese, opened too many gifts, and then got overstimulated with too many people in the house — you know, all the good stuff. But it really is the best time of year.

With the NFL injecting their way into every holiday this season we got a glimpse of what the league will be doing on Netflix in the coming years. I have to say it wasn’t bad at all despite some low expectations. The quality of the games played was rougher than anticipated but the broadcast, coverage crews, and general presentation was stellar. Despite LeBron’s bullying attempt I don’t envision the NFL will actually be going away any time soon. Not with these ratings.

Now, the Thursday Night Football game we sat through last night, a 6-3 final score in rain soaked misery, is a different discussion. The NFL is flirting with the line on player safety overload. But until the league actually shows they will risk this factor less often, we have to keep presuming they will keep chasing the ratings. Until something awful happens directly tied to short turnaround time you should expect more, not less.

As the season winds down, here is a look at the Browns injury report for Week 17 which has two names to pay attention to in order for them to make that Friday practice deadline — David Njoku and Ogbo Okoronkwo. Dorian Thompson-Robinson seems to be on track to get another start.

The Dolphins appear to be at risk of missing their best offensive lineman, and Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with a hip issue but the vibe is he will be good to go by Sunday.

We will keep you updated on what we learn following Friday’s session.

We’re now multiple weeks beyond the threat from Myles Garrett about the importance of understanding, and accepting, the direction the Browns organization will be going with an important offseason looming. More players are being asked about those comments and Joel Bitonio spoke his mind about what will make him happy into the immediate future with the organization.