Cleveland Browns: Why Colin Cowherd is right about Nick Chubb
By Joel W. Cade
Why Cowherd is right
Colin Cowherd makes so many predictions that some are bound to be true. Right? Well, this time Cowherd may actually be on to something. There are some good reasons to believe that if Chubb can crack the lineup, he could win AFC offensive rookie of the year.
First, Nick Chubb has excellent vision to the hole. Many a running back have come through Cleveland without any idea of where the hole is supposed to be or how to run through it. (*cough* Trent Richardson)
But Chubb has the outstanding ability to see not only at the first level but also the second. He will make adjustments on his zone routes based on linebacker flow. Most backs read defensive line flow only to be immediately tackled at the second level. Chubb is able to set up linebackers with is routes to open up the second level by the time he is through the hole.
As a point of comparison, here is a clip of Le’Veon Bell from his Michigan State days. Notice how Bell was able to manipulate the second level defenders before he reaches the hole.
Second, Nick Chubb has Le’Veon Bell style qualities. People forget that Bell was a big bruising tailback when entering the league. He then lost almost twenty pounds after his rookie year. With the weight loss, he transformed from a power bruiser back to a more nimble scat back with the ability to run with power.
Nick Chubb looks like Le’Veon Bell when he was in college. Chubb is big with excellent vision and possesses the ability to both run over opponents and run around them. He is the rare combination of vision, speed, and power. These style backs to not come around often. Yet, Chubb is not the receiver Bell was a Michigan State.
This is not to say that Chubb will become the next Le’Veon Bell. But it is not out of the realm of possibility either. If Chubb performs in the NFL like he did at Georgia, there is no reason to believe he will not at least be in the conversation for the AFC offensive rookie of the year.
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Which goes to show that if you make enough predictions, you are bound to be right once in a while.