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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