Sep 14, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Montee Ball (28) runs the ball during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns have running back Montee Ball on their radar, according to a story from Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Former #Broncos RB Montee Ball has spoken to several teams, including #Browns. It's uncertain which one he'll sign with at this point.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 9, 2015
Ball, a 2013 second-round pick out of Wisconsin, rushed for 731 yards, five touchdowns and averaged 4.2 yards per carry while playing two seasons with the Denver Broncos, one of the most running back-friendly teams in the NFL.
The Broncos released the 5-foot-11, 214-pound Ball during their final roster cutdown, which is odd as we were led to believe that the Browns are the only team in the NFL that releases players drafted in the third round or higher.
According to a post at Predominantly Orange, Bell’s release came after the Broncos were unable to trade him.
While Browns’ head coach Mike Pettine said earlier this week that the club was not expecting to make any moves, he hedged his bet a little bit today while meeting with the media, saying that “if we make transactions later in the week, that is potentially one to get a third back here or up.”
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It’s possible the Browns are keeping an eye on Bell while they see how Duke Johnson looks as he returned to practice today after being out since Aug. 29 with a concussion.
“I think if (Duke) had gone out there and taken every rep, we’d be a lot more confident about putting him out there for extended snaps, but I can’t lie and say that it doesn’t factor into it some,” Pettine said. “If he’s cleared to go and puts a solid couple of days together here, there’s no reason to think he’s not going to play a significant role in the game.”
For his part, Johnson says he is ready to go against the New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
“I think I can step right in. I am preparing myself,” the rookie out of Miami said. “My teammates and my coaches also helped me prepare even though I wasn’t out there. I am happy to be preparing for the game, mentally and now that I am out there I can take some reps and after practice even get some more conditioning.”