Browns' Quinshon Judkins missing start of camp after arrest: Source

New York Times

2 days ago

The Cleveland Browns' rookies and quarterbacks have reported for training camp, but rookie running back Quinshon Judkins remains away from the Browns, a team source said Friday.
Judkins, who's yet to sign his rookie contract, was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 12 on charges of battery and domestic violence. He allegedly struck a woman with a closed fist on July 7, and the bruising was still visible to police when the woman reported the incident five days later, the police report said.
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The Browns have had six of their seven draft picks signed since June. With the NFL continuing to investigate the incident and Judkins preparing his defense, the team is in no rush to finalize Judkins' contract or have him participate in football activities. The Browns' full-squad report date is July 22, with the first full training camp practice set for July 23.
Judkins was released from jail on a $2,500 bond on July 13, and earlier this week, he canceled a public meet-and-greet and a youth football camp he was scheduled to host in Cleveland. It's not yet known if the team will add another running back to its 90-man offseason roster, though the Browns figure to make a series of moves and designations in the coming days ahead of the start of full camp.
Judkins worked with the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses at various times during the spring. Cleveland drafted Judkins at No. 36 in April with the belief that he would fit its wide-zone run scheme and be a significant contributor during his rookie season. The NFL and the Browns have said little about Judkins' situation or playing status other than confirming that the league continues to investigate.
Jerome Ford opens camp as Cleveland's No. 1 running back. Ford, who's in the final year of his rookie contract, took a pay cut this spring to essentially guarantee his roster spot. The other veteran in the running back room is Pierre Strong Jr., who's also only signed through 2025 and has mostly been a special teams player.
Cleveland selected a second running back, Dylan Sampson, in the fourth round in April. The team also signed rookie Ahmani Marshall after the draft.
In other Browns-related legal news, linebacker Devin Bush had his formal arraignment Friday in Pennsylvania on charges of simple assault and harassment stemming from a May incident involving Bush and his girlfriend. A pre-trial hearing for Bush has been set for August 15.
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Bush, who signed a new one-year deal with Cleveland in March after starting 10 games last season, continued to participate in the team's offseason program after his arrest.
Last August, Browns defensive tackle and 2024 second-round pick Mike Hall Jr. was arrested on a domestic violence charge. Hall practiced the next day and continued to participate in team activities until the end of the preseason, when he was placed on the commissioner's exempt list.
Hall pleaded no contest to his charges last September and ultimately received a five-game NFL suspension that included time he'd already missed.