Cleveland Browns: Balancing the pros and cons of Isaiah Crowell
One major decision the Cleveland Browns will have to make this offseason is whether or not to re-sign running back Isaiah Crowell.
With an eye towards the 2017 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns are trying to build their roster around the players they already have rather than starting all over once again. For the offense especially, the organization and head coach Hue Jackson feel that at least some of the right pieces are in place.
Cleveland could use the franchise tag on star wide receiver Terrelle Pryor. They also should be planning on keeping second-year receiver Corey Coleman and third-year running back Duke Johnson for the long-term. And, of course, the ever reliable tight end Gary Barnidge is in Cleveland to stay, it appears.
Besides the quarterback position, the other highly contested debate is over a running back, Isaiah Crowell. Crowell, who has spent the first three seasons of his career with the Browns, is a restricted free agent. Cleveland has the option of bringing back their top back from 2016, but it wouldn’t be cheap.
There are certainly positives to investing in Crowell in the long run. Despite a rocky 2016, the 24-year-old did make strides in pass protection and in the receiving game. Crowell’s 952 rushing yards were a career high by far, as were his 319 receiving yards.
Stylistically, Crowell is serviceable to the Browns. He may not be ideal though. As a featured back, his mix of speed and power makes him effective. But Crowell isn’t a natural receiving back as a player like DeMarco Murray is. Out of the backfield, the South Alabama graduate is sloppy at best, dropping passes and failing to run routes efficiently.
Even though it won’t ever be verbalized, the Browns are moving toward becoming a spread offense. This isn’t a shock, as the entire NFL seems to be veering in this direction. Crowell has done his best to adapt to Cleveland’s style of offense under Hue Jackson, but he is not a natural.
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At this point, Cleveland needs another weapon, preferably at the running back position. With one of the worst offensive lines in football, a rusher who simply follows their blocks and gains what is given to them is not going to allow the Browns to have any better rushing stats in 2017.
This doesn’t make Crowell a poor running back. On the contrary, he is a very efficient one. The question the Browns need to seriously consider is whether or not one of the staples of this offense for the past three seasons is the right fit long-term in this offense.
If there is some sort of compromise, a circumstance in which Cleveland could keep Crowell yet add a weapon at the position, there would be no reason to dump Crowell. But how that would work exactly with how much Crowell and Duke Johnson would already cost is still to be determined.
There are pros and cons to bringing Crowell back, without a doubt. Whatever the organization elects to do is understandable, as they could use evidence from either side of the argument to support their decision.
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Virtually, the decision comes down to cost and style. No one is denying the fact that Crowell has turned himself into an adequate NFL running back. The question for Cleveland is whether or not he is the long-term solution, and whether or not he is worth breaking the bank for.