Cleveland Browns should sign RB Jeremy Hill
The Cleveland Browns could benefit from reaching out to Jeremy Hill, a former player for Hue Jackson, in 2018 NFL Free Agency
When you first take a look at the Cleveland Browns roster on offense, you see some very talented names. Sadly, with the lack of a great coach and any form of continuity, the team has struggled in all facets on the offensive side of the ball.
That being said, Hue Jackson doesn’t have the best group of quarterbacks on his roster. Rookie quarterback Deshone Kizer was Jackson’s second round pick in 2017, but he showed that he is nowhere near ready to be the franchise quarterback the organization wanted him to be. Fellow quarterbacks Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan are no more than serviceable backups in the NFL.
All in all, the quarterback situation is the driving force for why the rest of the offense struggled, most notably the running game. Running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson struggled all year to be consistent work in the backfield.
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That could very well be due to the lack and chemistry you usually get when receiving the handoff from the same quarterback week in and week out. Its hard to get rhythm when you have a new quarterback handing it off to you every week. Needless to say, Browns fans are upset, and no matter where the blame falls, believe it is time to move on from the team’s lead running back Isaiah Crowell.
Crowell is coming off a down year with only 853 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and has failed to rush for 1,000 yards in his four years as a pro. Crowell is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the Browns should let him walk and look for a replacement.
The best option, outside of the way-too-pricey Steelers running back Le’veon Bell, is poaching veteran Jeremy Hill from the division rival Cincinnati Bengals.
Jeremy Hill came into the league with a bang, rushing for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns, while averaging 5.1 yards per carry in his rookie season in Cincinnati. While he has failed to get over the 1,000 yard mark since that rookie season, he has still been a workhorse. He averaged 222 rushes and scored 20 touchdowns the next two seasons.
Hill became expendable after an impressive rookie campaign from fellow Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Hill lost the starting role in the backfield this year, and was never able to regain that role due to an ankle injury that ended his season prematurely.
After opting for season ending surgery, Hill was called out by Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. That soured relationship likely put the nail in the coffin for Hill returning to the Bengals in 2018.
Marvin Lewis: Jeremy Hill felt the need to have ankle surgery. Several doctors thought he could wait until the end of the season, but he was feeling discomfort #WLWT
— Derek Forrest (@DerekFSpx) November 13, 2017
Perhaps the biggest draw to the Browns for Hill is his connection with former Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. Hill saw his most success as a runner under Jackson in 2014 and 2015, where he ran for almost 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in his rookie and sophomore seasons.
Hill would likely love to have a reunion with his former offensive coordinator, and the Browns would love to have him as well. As long as the price is right, Hill could join Johnson in the Brown’s backfield and almost instantly create a spark as the lead back.
If Hill can get healthy and accept an offer of splitting carries, it would be a beneficial fit for not only himself, but also the rest of the Cleveland Browns offense.