BROWNS Second-round pick sidelined for season

Sean Jones tore his anterior cruciate ligament during a practice on Tuesday.
BEREA (AP) -- Browns rookie defensive back Sean Jones tore a ligament in his left knee and will likely miss the entire season.
Jones was Cleveland's second-round pick out of Georgia and was expected to help the team immediately at the safety position and on special teams.
He tore the anterior cruciate ligament when he jumped to intercept the ball in practice Tuesday. As he planted his leg, wide receiver Dennis Northcutt dove into his knee. The Browns didn't report the injury until Thursday.
"It was an unfortunate and a freaky type of a deal," Browns coach Butch Davis said.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Jones is a hard-hitting safety who could have helped the Browns stop the run, something they were poor at a year ago.
Jones, who will have surgery June 22, said he has never had an injury this severe.
"It's pretty disappointing, but I just have to keep my spirits up," he said.
He said he is focused on rehabbing the knee and returning to help the team next year.
Unfortunately for the Browns, their season is starting off a lot like last year -- with a major injury. Offensive lineman Ross Verba ruptured his right biceps in the final preseason game and the Browns never recovered.
Cleveland has an older secondary, particularly at safety, where Earl Little and Robert Griffith are the starters.
Little said Jones would have been a valuable backup, but they still have second-year defensive back Chris Crocker.
The Browns also have signed defensive back David Gibson who was with Tampa Bay last season.
"It's unfortunate because the guy's just getting his feet wet. The season hasn't even begun," Crocker said of Jones. "You hate to see something end before it gets started."
Couch on way out
Quarterback Tim Couch and the Browns are finally set to part ways. Only the NFL stands in the way.
The Browns can't release Couch until paperwork is completed to drop his grievance against the team. The Browns said late Thursday that the process could drag into the weekend.
A few weeks ago, Browns coach Butch Davis said he had no plans to cut the 26-year-old Couch.
Davis said Thursday that the Browns waited until now to part with Couch because they had tried to work out a deal with Green Bay. They also were waiting to see how backup quarterback Kelly Holcomb recovered from February shoulder surgery.
After a trade with Green Bay fell through and with Holcomb throwing the ball again, Davis said it was time to move forward.
"We just felt like we made a decision as an organization in January that we were going to go in a different direction," Davis said after the Browns' final day of quarterback school.
Couch's release is being held up by the grievance he filed through the National Football League Players Association after the team banned him from working out at its training facility. His agent, Tom Condon, said the NFLPA still has to agree to drop the grievance.
NFLPA spokesman Carl Francis did not return a message seeking comment.
The Browns said the league's Management Council also must sign off on dropping the grievance before Couch is released. Couch then would become a free agent after he clears a 24-hour waiver period.
Condon has had ongoing talks for the past two months with the Packers about Couch joining them to be Brett Favre's backup.
"There is not any deal done with Green Bay, although they certainly have expressed an interest," Condon said. "He's interested in going to a situation he thinks would be appropriate, and Green Bay is an attractive place."