Cleveland Browns linebacker Willie McGinest was scheduled to undergo surgery this afternoon to repair a bulging disk in his back. McGinest will be out of action for at least six weeks before having to be re-evaluated. The Browns are not going to place him on the injured reserve, in hopes that they will get him back around the mid-way point of the season. However, I would expect him to be placed on the physically unable to perform list very soon.

The team also received negative news regarding linebacker Matt Stewart. Stewart had surgery this morning to repair a torn labrum. He will be placed on the injured reserve, and will miss the entire season. While the Browns lost two veterans, this is the perfect opportunity for two players to step their games up: Antwaan Peek and Chaun Thompson. Peek will be inserted into the starting lineup, taking McGinest's spot. Head coach Romeo Crennel stated that Thompson will move back to the outside linebacker position.

Besides those two men receiving extended playing time, this theoretically opens up two extra spots on the final roster for reserve linebackers. Where as guys like Mason Unck or David McMillan may have been cut before, now they will be looked at closer in camp and throughout the preseason games. Either way, the losses of McGinest and Stewart are negatives, but not major downers. I felt that Peek should have been our starting outside linebacker over McGinest anyway, and Stewart would've simply been on the sidelines in case one of the youngsters got injured.