Phil Taylor Injury: Browns DT will return Week 9

Phil Taylor injury: Browns DT set to make season debut

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor will make his 2012 debut on Sunday, when the Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens.

Phil Talyor injury: Browns DT expected to return soon

Defensive tackle Phil Taylor practiced on Wednesday, and could be getting close to returning to the Cleveland Browns.

Phil Taylor Expected To Miss Most Of 2012 Season

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor suffered a torn pectoral muscle during offseason workouts and is expected to miss most if the 2012 NFL season. The big problem for the Browns is figuring out who will replace him in the lineup, as Tony Grossi of ESPN explains.

Taylor's torn pectoral muscle will keep him out a minimum of six months. At the very least, somebody else will play the tackle position next to Ahtyba Rubin for the first 12 games. Scott Paxson is the veteran backup who will probably open OTAs as the starter. Rookie draft picks John Hughes and Billy Winn have a chance to beat him out as the starter. Winn is more suited to the position but is 30 pounds lighter than Taylor. Signing a veteran replacement seems like a good idea.

Taylor has not been ruled out for the season, so he could return to the rotation at defensive tackle in the final four games, which could be a big boost if the Browns are making a playoff push.

For all news and information regarding the Cleveland Browns, please visit Dawgs By Nature or check out SB Nation Cleveland.

Phil Taylor Injury: Browns DT Has Surgery, Team Optimistic He Will Have A 'Significant Impact' This Season

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle on Wednesday. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the surgery went well and doctors expressed confidence in Taylor's path to recovery. Perhaps more surprising was the report that the team expects Taylor to return this season.

Both head coach Pat Shurmur and team president Mike Holmgren remain confident that Taylor can return before the end of the 2012 season. The report cites a source who says that the Browns expect him to "have a significant impact on the team this season."

Taylor tore his pectoral muscle last week during an offseason workout at the team's facility. The usual recovery time for such an injury is four to six months, which could put Taylor back in action as soon as September.

Taylor was drafted by the Browns in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He had four sacks and 81 tackles in his rookie season.

For all news and information regarding the Cleveland Browns, please visit Dawgs By Nature or check out SB Nation Cleveland.

Phil Taylor Injury: Browns DT Will Be Out For Significant Amount Of Time

On Thursday, reports came out that Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor had injured himself during a preseason workout and was heading for an MRI. The results of that MRI were not good for the Browns.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer, Taylor suffered a torn left pectoral muscle while lifting weights and will undergo surgery next week to repair the injury. Browns coach Pat Shurmer confirmed the news.

"He's going to miss a significant amount of time ... more months than weeks," Shurmur said this morning as the Browns opened their rookie minicamp. "It's too early to speculate how long that will be. It's just one of those things that happened.

"It's unfortunate. We feel bad for Phil. But he's in good spirits and he's going to come back from this thing stronger than ever."

The Browns will hope that Taylor will still be able to return during 2012 and have an impact in his sophomore season.

For all news and information regarding the Cleveland Browns, please visit Dawgs By Nature or check out SB Nation Cleveland.

Browns' Phil Taylor Injured; MRI Coming

Defensive tackle Phil Taylor of the Cleveland Browns reportedly suffered an injury during training on Thursday. Taylor may have received an MRI for a chest injury.