BEREA, Ohio (Dec. 20, 2006) -- The Cleveland Browns can't seem to go one day without losing a player to injury or visiting the operating room.
The club placed tackle Kelly Butler on injured reserve with a broken foot, another blow to their banged-up offensive line and yet another medical setback for a team that has battled injuries for several years.
Butler, who made five starts after Ryan Tucker was lost for the season with an undisclosed mental disorder, was scheduled to undergo surgery.
Butler is the 12th player -- and 10th starter -- to go on injured reserve this season. On Dec. 19, running back Jason Wright was placed on IR.
Since the start of training camp, the Browns have also lost cornerback Gary Baxter (knees), center LeCharles Bentley (knee), linebacker D'Qwell Jackson (toe), defensive tackle Ethan Kelley (knee), cornerback Daylon McCutcheon (knee), DT Orpheus Roye (knee), safety Brian Russell (elbow), Wright and Tucker.
With linebacker Andra Davis still battling symptoms from a concussion sustained in last week's loss at Baltimore, the Browns signed Nick Speegle to the active roster and added offensive lineman Pete Lougheed to its practice squad.
Browns coach Romeo Crennel also announced that quarterback Derek Anderson will start against Tampa Bay. Anderson will make his third start since Charlie Frye bruised his right wrist in Cleveland's Dec. 3 win over Kansas City.
Meanwhile, Russell spoke to the media for the first time since being hospitalized for nine days with a staph infection in his right elbow -- the second time he has been sidelined by the bacteria since the start of training camp. Russell is still taking antibiotics intravenously. He is the fourth Browns player to be infected with staph in the past two years.
The club's player representative, Russell said the players will see if further precautions can be made to protect them from getting sick.
"That's something that will be discussed in-house," Russell said. "We'll talk as a team and if guys feel or have concerns, then at that point as a representative I'll bring those to the powers that be."
