Head Coach Pat Shurmur made the following press release: “Trent Richardson is traveling to Pensacola, Fla., where he will have his left knee further evaluated by Dr. James Andrews tomorrow.”

Yes, he’s “the Doc” for athletes to see regarding knee problems. Yesterday, I reported that Richardson had some discomfort and offered that the Browns would probably keep him under wraps until at least game 3 of the preseason.

It appears that Richardson’s ETA for a return may be even further out than that.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that the procedure is “minor” and is intended to “clean up a loose piece of cartilage” in the same knee he had surgery on in February.

Jun 12, 2012; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple (left) and offensive coordinator Brad Childress (right) watch as quarterback Brandon Weeden (3) hands off to running back Trent Richardson (33) during minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

The news overshadowed the other bad news for the Browns – CB Joe Haden is facing suspension for failing a drug test showing the presence of Adderall in his system. Adderall is on the list of banned substances and is classified as an amphetamine.

Both pieces of news are bad, but the Richardson news is potentially far worse. At least Haden will not miss more than 4 games in a suspension. A bum knee could hamper Richardson for the entire season – or not. It’s the uncertainty that makes it so bad for the moment because it means that fellow rookie first-round pick, QB Brandon Weeden, won’t be facing any stacked fronts without Richardson’s presence.

For Cleveland’s sake, let’s all hope bad news doesn’t ALWAYS come in threes.