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Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
As much as others and I complain about this slow period between mini-camps and training camp, a slow early July is a blessing of sorts, because it means that Browns players are staying out of trouble and will be able to focus on football starting in a week-and-a-half or so.
That peaceful time was shattered last night as word leaked via social media channels that Cleveland Browns rookie running back had been arrested in Broward County, Florida, on domestic battery charges.
Here's what we think we know: Judkins faces a charge of “touch or strike/battery/domestic violence,” which is typically a first-degree misdemeanor under Florida law. He is currently being held in jail, with his case status listed as “pending trial.” No bond has been immediately set, and his initial court appearance is scheduled for Sunday morning.
The Browns are stating the usual "we're aware and gathering information" while waiting to see what Judkins' alleged behavior will yield under the NFL's Personal Conduct policy. Since there's a pile-up of unsigned contracts in the second round that includes Judkins, contract negotiations are likely to be impacted as well.
The local media was all over this, of course, despite limited information. Here are write-ups in the OBR, CBS Sports, Pro Football Talk, Beacon-Journal, Cleveland.com, WEWS, and ESPN. So, you know, feel free to impale yourself on as many versions of this bad news as you wish.
Bad News, Computer
A somewhat younger and slightly less-dorky re-enactment of how reacted to this news item. (Photo: Unsplash)
The reaction among Browns fans is naturally unhappy, but mixed regarding where to direct the outrage. Andrew Berry receives a lot of criticism due to his history of selecting players who then face off-field issues, which is consistent: Perrion Winfrey in 2023, Mike Hall in 2024, and Judkins this year. In Berry's defense, Judkins reportedly flew through the draft process without a lot of bad marks or concern about this sort of thing.
Most of all, though, is a sense of resignation among Browns fans: this incident seems like the sort of thing that keeps happening to us via the Browns organization. We didn't ask for it. We don't deserve this sort of thing. Is it too much to want to support a winning franchise without these sorts of situations throwing a cloud over the experience? Recently, the Browns haven't delivered a positive experience on or off the field, despite their efforts and significant investment from Jimmy Haslam.
Of course, for now, the concern should be viewed through the prism of a lack of information. We know little about the alleged incident, and it's possible that things look worse than they are. Instead of camp previews and a little July hope and optimism, we now have to report on this incident.
Football's supposed to be fun, right? This isn't fun.
If you're curious, I found two other stories of possible interest this morning if you need a distraction:
OBR STUFF
ARTICLES:
Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 7/12: The Usual State of Litigation and Confusion - Barry
Cleveland Browns Running Back Quinshon Judkins Arrested on Saturday - Jacob
Cleveland Browns Linebacker Spending: Past & Future - Jack
FORUM POSTS:
Judkins arrested
OT: Vera Rubin Observatory
LiveWire Thread for 7/12- Twitter, Video, Articles
OT: Superman
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
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