BEREA: The Browns will likely sign Cody Parkey to replace kicker Patrick Murray before their road game Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, a person familiar with the situation confirmed.
Murray suffered a left knee injury during Friday’s walk-through practice and is listed as questionable to play in Miami. The injury warranted an MRI. Murray suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee last year.
Murray, 25, has made 1-of-2 field goals and 3-of-4 extra-point kicks this season. He missed a 52-yard field goal and had a low extra-point kick blocked Sunday in a 25-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns will probably put him on injured reserve or waive him with an injury designation.
Parkey, 24, lost a competition in the summer against Caleb Sturgis for the Philadelphia Eagles’ kicking job.
The Indianapolis Colts signed Parkey as an undrafted free agent from Auburn and traded him to the Eagles in the preseason before his rookie season in 2014. Parkey went on to make 32-of-36 field goals and all 54 extra-point kicks. He also made the Pro Bowl and set the NFL rookie record for points scored with 150.
But Parkey missed most of last season with a groin injury and appeared in just three games for the Eagles. He made 3-of-4 field goals in 2015 and all seven extra-point kicks.
Clarity on clavicle
Browns quarterback Josh McCown played through a fractured left collarbone Sunday. The team’s description of the injury had been nebulous until Friday.
A Browns spokesman said McCown has a fractured clavicle but it’s not displaced. Coach Hue Jackson said Friday it could be displaced, but the spokesman later clarified that Jackson misspoke.
McCown suffered the injury in the first quarter and pushed through pain to finish the game without missing a snap. He has been ruled out for Sunday and is expected to miss at least a few weeks. The Browns plan on him playing again this season. Rookie quarterback Cody Kessler will start for them in Miami.
“I was probably most disappointed for Josh,” Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton said Friday, reflecting on the loss to the Ravens. “He went out there and played with a broken collarbone and until the last throw had a chance to win, and we talked about the heritage of Ronnie Lott getting a finger amputated to play the game and how precious this game is and what guys will do to play in this game. And so, for me, it was disappointing that we didn’t win it for Josh.”
When Jackson described McCown’s injury on Monday, he called it “a shoulder/clavicle issue.”
“I know it is in the shoulder/clavicle area,” he added. “I don’t know that it is totally broken. I don’t think that, but I know that there is something that is not right. I think it is more of a deep sprain at this time than anything, but I don’t think there is anything totally broken.”
McCown has a long history of playing through injuries. He pushed through broken ribs last year until a broken right collarbone suffered Nov. 30 against the Ravens ended his season. McCown is right-handed.
After Sunday’s game, McCown explained his motivation for returning to the action.
“I have a dad and an older brother who get up and go to work, and sometimes they don’t feel great and they go,” McCown, 37, said with tears in his eyes. “They go, and they grind. I have two little boys that are playing football now. They get hit and they get banged up, and I am trying to teach them what toughness means.
“For me, it is those things and just knowing the window for [the time I have left in my career] right now and understanding that I don’t want to miss snaps. I don’t want to be out there without my guys. Unless [my arm] is going to fall off, let’s try to make it work and make it go. That is my mentality.”
McCown completed 20-of-33 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions and a passer rating of 80.4 against the Ravens.
Injuries, lineup changes
In addition to McCown, the Browns ruled out safety Ibraheim Campbell (hamstring), wide receiver Corey Coleman (broken hand), center Cameron Erving (bruised lung) and defensive end Carl Nassib (surgically repaired broken hand) for Sunday. Cornerback Joe Haden (groin) is questionable.
All of them are starters.
Rookie Derrick Kindred will start in place of Campbell opposite Jordan Poyer, Jackson said.
“It shows that the coaches have a lot of trust in me,” said Kindred, a fourth-round draft pick. “I have been preparing myself each and every week for this moment.”
Although Kindred has yet to start, he received significant playing time in the first two games.
“He just wants to play football,” cornerback Tramon Williams said of Kindred. “He’s just a good football player. Every time he gets on the field he makes eye-popping plays, eye-popping hits, whatever it is. He’s in the position that he’s supposed to be in, plays with a lot of passion. I think that’s what stands out about him, he just plays with a lot of passion, he wants to be great, he asks the questions that he needs to ask and when he’s put in the game he’s in the position he needs to be in.”
Andrew Hawkins will replace Coleman in the starting lineup. John Greco will slide from right guard to center to fill in for Erving. Alvin Bailey will start at right guard. Xavier Cooper is expected to start in place of Nassib. Williams would start for Haden if he’s out.
Not out for revenge
Cornerback Jamar Taylor said he won’t be more motivated to face the Dolphins than any other foe, even though they drafted him in the second round in 2013 and traded him to the Browns in April.
“No, I’m not pumping this game up bigger than what it needs to be. I know as a team we need the win,” he said. “It is bigger than me, and that is all I’m worried about.”
Horton had a different take.
“When you get divorced, you want your new spouse to look better than the old spouse,” Horton said. “So I’m sure he wants to show Miami that he is doing well up here.”
Extra points
• The Dolphins ruled out two players: starting running back Arian Foster (groin) and starting center Mike Pouncey (hip).
• Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said he needs to coach better and his units must execute better after a rocky start to the season. “The sense of urgency is extremely high,” he said.
• Horton on rookie outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah: “We need more. He is one of our young guys that we want to speed up. Part of that speeding up process for him is just understanding what his job description is for that particular play and to free him up to play faster.”
• Coleman was voted the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week. He had five catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns against the Ravens.
• The NFL didn’t fine Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor for taunting, which supports the widespread belief that the penalty called on him late in Sunday’s game was a poor call.