Why the Browns should sign Ahmad Bradshaw
The Cleveland Browns seem to have a three-headed monster at the running back position this season. Well, I don’t know if I’d call it a monster, maybe more like a three-headed butterfly or sloth or something. To many, the position would look just about filled, right?
Wrong.
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last season, the team ranked 17th in the league in rushing yards per game, with a group of Isaiah Crowell, Ben Tate, and Terrance West carrying the load. As you know, Tate was let-go mid-season by the Browns, giving the brunt of the work to the two rookies in Crowell and West.
How did the rooks fair? Crowell for one, averaged 4.1 yards a carry on 148 attempts, but fumbled three times which is bit high for his limited amount of carries. West on the other hand, only averaged 3.9 yards a carry on 171 attempts. The one thing separating the two is the eight touchdowns that Crowell scored compared to West’s four.
Related: Cleveland Browns 2015 position preview: Running backs
Crowell seems to enter training camp as the front-runner to start, but it looks more like a running back by committee situation at this moment.
The Browns did go ahead and draft Duke Johnson in the third round out of Miami, but his role heading into the season is very much unknown at this point.
With all the uncertainty at the position – with what seems to be a very good offensive line – why not go ahead and bring in certainty? That certainty is former New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts running back, Ahmad Bradshaw.
Bradshaw, 29, had one of his best seasons as a pro last year with Indy. Catching 38 passes from the backfield and averaging 4.7 yards a carry, before having his season cut short due to injury. I know Andrew Luck was his quarterback, but behind that awful offensive line, Bradshaw continued to produce.
He brings a grit and toughness that fits the city of Cleveland, and would make him an instant fan favorite. Not to mention, he brings a career 4.6 yards per carry clip to the table, and a reliable receiving threat. Serving as an excellent complimentary back at this point in his career to the younger players at the position.
The only downside – and the reason he’s still a free agent – is his injury risk. In the last two seasons, he’s played in only 13 games, and he enters 2015 serving a one-game suspension because of possession of marijuana.
Back in June, agent Drew Rosenhaus tweeted out that Bradshaw was fully healthy after his season-ending fibula injury last season. So if he was signed, it would seem as though he could contribute right away.
Watching Ahmad Bradshaw workout today. Back to full heath and totally cleared!
— Drew Rosenhaus (@DrewJRosenhaus) June 23, 2015
He’s dealt with both foot and neck injuries in the past, so there is a cause for pause, but his play speaks for himself. As a two-time 1,000 yard rusher and Super Bowl champion, he has clearly proven himself as a big-time performer.
Plus, at what price would it cost to bring him in? You’re looking at a cheap one-year deal, and if it doesn’t work out they cut him. Trust me, this isn’t Ben Tate 2.0.
I could understand the organization wanting to see what they have in their three young backs, but if you want instant production, checking in on Bradshaw’s services wouldn’t be a bad idea.