The triumphant comeback of Gary Baxter has fallen short, at least for this season. After spending every game of the season on the inactive list and only working the scout team in practice, the team finally decided to place the veteran defensive back on the injured reserve, officially ending his season. While Baxter had made incredible progress, the coaching staff didn't believe he would be be at full strength this season.
"Gary has put everything he's got into this comeback," Browns general manager Phil Savage said in a statement. "He made great strides, but just hasn't been able to reach the 100 percent level needed to play in the NFL. We feel he is headed in the right direction and hopeful he will return by next season."
This is obviously a blow to some of the hopes we had, due to the struggles at the safety position between Sean Jones and Brodney Pool. If the Browns are interested in bringing another defensive back to the roster, I have two suggestions: veteran Donovin Darius and second-year man Justin Hamilton. After Darius had started against us for the Miami Dolphins, the team released him. Meanwhile, assuming Hamilton is healthy again, he should be rather familiar with the Browns' defensive playbook still.