Greedy Williams to make first start since rookie year; Vikings RB Dalvin Cook returns to practice: Browns tak – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns cornerback Greedy Williams will make his first start since his rookie year in 2019 Sunday in Minnesota in place of Greg Newsome II, whom he helped get ready to play this season.

Newsome, who played well in his three starts but wasn’t tested much, will sit out with a calf injury suffered in Sunday’s 26-6 loss to the Bears.

Williams, who sat out all last season with axillary nerve damage in his shoulder, has played sparingly, with only eight snaps against the Bears. But he’s been a team player, coaching up Newsome and contributing on special teams.

“Me and Greedy, obviously, have been in a competitive role all camp,’’ Newsome told cleveland.com before the season. “We’re still in a competitive role right now. And that’s like my brother out there as well. He wants the best for me, and I want the best for him. And it’s just amazing to have somebody like that on the team. And I think that’s just how the whole DB room is as a whole. We all want to be out there playing but at the end of the day we’re all there for each other and we just want each other all to succeed.”

Newsome is ranked 29th among qualifying cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus, with four receptions on seven targets. Denzel Ward is ranked 58th, with 12 receptions on 18 targets, so it will be incumbent upon Williams to come back strong.

RB Dalvin Cook returns to practice

Cook, who sat out the Vikings’ 30-17 victory over the Seahawks with an ankle injury, returned to practice on a limited basis on Wednesday.

“Attacking my rehab every day real hard,” Cook told reporters. “We’ll see how this thing plays out, but I’m extremely confident in what we’ve got going on in the training room and what they’re doing to get me back on the field. I’m extremely confident. We’ll see how this week plays out and how I respond.”

Alexander Mattison subbed for Cook and tied his career-high with 112 yards rushing.

“I woke up and couldn’t play,” Cook said before Wednesday’s practice. “In this league, it’s either you’re going to play or you can’t. In this league, guys are flying around and doing all types of stuff, and my game is to go be explosive. I can’t be out there if I’m not explosive or not able to help my team win a football game.”

Last season, Cook finished second in the NFL with 1,557 rushing yards.

“He’s great, great player,’’ coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He can do everything. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can run every single type of run there is. He has a home run threat. The first guy very rarely gets him down. The work is definitely cut out for us. He’s a great player.”

Takitaki, Hubbard return, OBJ limited

Linebacker Sione Takitaki (hamstring) and offensive tackle Chris Hubbard (triceps) returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday, and Odell Beckham Jr. was limited with a shoulder injury.

He said it popped out on Sunday vs. the Bears and he had to pop it back in.

Jedrick Wills Jr. was idle with his ankle injury and JC Tretter rested his knee.

“I’m comfortable with what we’re doing [with Wills],” Stefanski said. “The kid is working really, really hard. He is staying into it. Even if he is not practicing today, he is staying into it. He is dealing with an injury, which is really the nature of the National Football League, often times for a bunch of different players. I think he’s doing a nice job.”

Loud-ville

Stefanski says US Bank Stadium will be ear-splitting, which is why the Browns cranked the crowd noise at practice Wednesday.

“We talked about it already this morning with the team,’’ he said. “[US Bank Stadium] is a glass building, and the noise reverberates in there. It will be the loudest, likely the loudest place, that we play this year.”