Cleveland Browns: 53 man roster prediction midway through the preseason
By Randy Gurzi
Running Back (4): Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson, Nick Chubb, Dan Vitale
Another solid position is the running back group. Anyone who had doubts about Carlos Hyde as the starting running back likely had those concerns squashed with his last outing. Hyde ran for 64 yards and a touchdown on just nine attempts, showing quickness, vision, and toughness on his runs.
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Duke Johnson is the second back and also had time with the starters this weekend. He was impressive with only four carries and narrowly missed breaking a huge run — he was tripped up by the turf while trying to make a move on defenders. Johnson still is at his best in open space and will be used as a receiver in addition to his running back duties.
Rookie Nick Chubb also showed he could be an every-down back in the mold of Hyde when the first team was done. Chubb was bad in their first outing but outperformed himself on his first carry against Buffalo. After gaining just 11 yards the first game, Chubb gashed the Buffalo defense for 14 yards on his first attempt. He also found the end zone for Cleveland and ended the night with 53 yards on 11 rushed.
Dan Vitale makes the team as their only fullback. He’s probably not going to see the field often, but they usually do keep one player at this position for power running plays.