Browns vs. Giants: James-Michael Johnson injury healed, will debut in New York

Cleveland Browns linebacker James-Michael Johnson is expected to make his NFL debut on Sunday in New York. Johnson suffered an oblique injury in the Browns final game of the preseason against the Bears, and has not been healthy enough to play in the teams first four games. Dick Jauron says he will be worked in slowly, first with special teams before his role with the defense increases. Via The News-Herald:

"It's really good to have him back, to get somebody back. We were counting on him to contribute throughout the whole year. We're excited to get him back on the field. Now we've just got to see because it's his first week back in full practice."

"He's moving well. If he has any soreness, it's very minimal. He'll have to work his way back in. It'll be a lot of special teams and then we'll see what happens defensively as we move along."

Johnson was a fourth-round pick for the Bears out of the University of Nevada, and he spent the majority of the preseason playing strong side linebacker. He was expected to see significant action for Cleveland in 2012.

The Browns defense currently ranks No. 25 in the NFL, allowing 403 yards per game. On Sunday, they'll be facing a Giants offense ranked No. 7 in the league, gaining 411 yards per game and scoring 27.8 points per contest. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. ET from New York, and it will be televised on CBS.

James-Michael Johnson limited in practice, awaits medical clearance to play versus Ravens

Rookie linebacker James-Michael Johnson of the Cleveland Browns was limited in practice on Tuesday and is awaiting clearance from the team's medical staff to play against the Baltimore Ravens this Thursday, according to Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer.

Tuesday was the second consecutive day that Johnson was able to practice after suffering a ribs/oblique injury in the final preseason game against the Chicago Bears. Johnson reported no pain or soreness after Tuesday's practice.

Johnson was drafted by the Browns in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of University of Nevada and has yet to make his professional regular season debut.

The Browns have started the season with three consecutive losses and will play division rival Baltimore on Thursday. The Browns are giving up 391.7 yards of offense a game through three games this season, which ranks 25th in the league.

Browns Injury Report: Alex Smith, James-Michael Johnson Do Not Practice

Linebacker James-Michael Johnson and tight end Alex Smith did not practice on Wednesday for the Cleveland Browns, as the Browns get ready to take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 3.

Johnson suffered an oblique injury in Cleveland's preseason finale against the Chicago Bears, and was originally expected to miss four weeks. Johnson, if that time frame holds, will almost certainly miss Week 3's game against the Bills.

Smith, meanwhile, suffered a concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals, and is considered day-to-day. With how seriously the league are treating head injuries, it's quite possible that Smith will be held out of Week 3's game as a precaution.

Defensive end Juqua Parker, defensive tackle Billy Winn and defensive back Ray Ventrone returned to practice for the Browns on Wednesday, but were listed as limited in their participation.

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James-Michael Johnson Injury Update: Browns LB Could Miss 4 Weeks

The Cleveland Browns can't seem to catch a break when it comes to their linebackers.

Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland reports that linebacker James-Michael Johnson will miss up to four weeks with an oblique injury suffered against the Chicago Bears in the team's preseason finale Thursday night.

Johnson was expected to take some heavy snaps for the Browns this year, especially for the first few games while Scott Fujita served a three-game suspension. Johnson was taken in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft and was set to start all three games that Fujita was unavailable to the team. Another starter, Chris Gocong, suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon Aug. 4. Really, Kaluka Maiava is the only healthy and eligible outside linebacker on the roster at this point.

Johnson hurt his leg in the second quarter of Thursday's game, and stayed in for one play before leaving for the locker room. He was the only starter to actually play in Thursday's game, and is a good reminder to other teams that the fourth preseason game is generally meaningless. Still, he is a rookie and could have benefited from the extra time.

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James-Michael Johnson Injury Update: Browns Linbacker Injures Oblique, X-Rays Negative

The Cleveland Browns dropped their preseason finale against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night by a score of 28-20, but the bigger concern is that rookie strong side linebacker James-Michael Johnson injured his left oblique during the second quarter and left the game. X-rays on Johnson came back negative, and after the game Browns head coach Pat Shurmur said he's not sure the team's fourth-round pick is hurt, but the depth at linebacker for Cleveland starting to become a concern with Scott Fujita suspended for the first three games and Chris Gocong out for the year (Achilles' tendon tear).

The Browns open their regular season schedule at home against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 9, so the defense will certainly be tested early in 2012.

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