Mike Pettine says Browns haven’t thought about cutting Dwayne Bowe

If these are the questions in Cleveland, what would they be asking in New York or Philly? Has anyone ever cut their big free agent signing before the fourth game of the year in which they were signed to a 2-year deal? I don’t have that answer and I don’t feel like looking it up, but that’s in essence what Mike Pettine was forced to answer during press availability a day after the Browns dropped a stinker in FirstEnergy stadium against the Raiders. It took a few questions to get there. First, it had to be discussed that the $9 million man, Dwayne Bowe, was inactive (healthy scratch?) against the Raiders.

“He’s (Bowe) going to play, it’s a long year,” Pettine said. “The decision came down from a number standpoint. With K’Waun being down, that number was needed on the defense, particularly on the special teams part of it. Dwayne will help us, but he’s just not there yet. The setback that he suffered during training camp, it’s just hard to make those reps up, especially now that we’re in a practice week. We’re hopeful that we’ll get him out there and he’ll contribute at we expect him to.”

Then the moment of truth where Pettine was asked the question that’s been burning in the minds of fans and media alike since Bowe failed to play in the first week of the season against the Jets and after the Browns traded away Terrance West, Billy Winn, and finally cut Terrelle Pryor. Have the Browns considered cutting Dwayne Bowe?

“No. No, it’s a long season. It hasn’t started out the way that we’ve all, including Dwayne, wanted it to, but we’re confident that we’ll get him contributing here sooner than later.”

Maybe that’s just the truth. Maybe Dwayne Bowe is still just banged up and working his way into playing shape. Or maybe the Browns are not-so-subtly challenging him to step up by embarrassing him with a surprise game day benching.

We’ll find out soon enough, because it’s hard to imagine this situation not coming to a head over the next few weeks as the Browns face stiffer competition and Browns GM Ray Farmer returns from text-induced suspension. As the cliche goes, something’s got to give and I’m not talking about the path of Jimmy Haslam’s money to the Browns’ signature free agent pickup this off-season.