Yahoo! Sports Ranks Browns’ Backfield Dead Last in NFL

Even a superb end-of-season demolition of opposing defenses by running back Jerome Harrison could not save the Cleveland Browns from being ranked last in the NFL at the running back position. Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports did the rankings, and he makes a good point:

"He [Harrison] rushed for 561 yards and five TDs over that stretch, including 286 yards in one game. However, that run came against Kansas City, Oakland and Jacksonville in meaningless games, so we’ll reserve final judgment for awhile. Hopefully, it’s real. More likely, it’s not and the Browns are stuck with a roster full of JAGs (that’s scout lingo for Just A Guy)."

The Browns had a superb running game over the last few games of the season, but the team has yet to prove it can sustain such production for a full season. Rookie Montario Hardesty has been turning heads and impressing coaches, but it is only the beginning of July and he is just that – a rookie. Until Harrison proves he can be a force to be reckoned with over the course of a 16-game season, and until we see what kind of production guys like Hardesty, Peyton Hillis, and James Davis bring to the table, I too will try to remain cautiously optimistic.