Cleveland Browns running backs suddenly in short supply
The Cleveland Browns appeared to be loaded at running back during the offseason, but they are suddenly dealing with depth issues.
With the trade of Duke Johnson and the release of fullback Orson Charles, suddenly the Browns are short of running backs, particularly with Kareem Hunt on suspension for the first eight games. Currently, young star Nick Chubb and third-down back Dontrell Hilliard seem likely to make the 53-player roster, and after that it is rather iffy.
A. J. Ouellette is the former starting tailback of the Ohio University Bobcats, where he had an impressive 4,345 career yards from scrimmage. At his Pro Day workout, Ouellette ran a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash, and also had an impressive time of 4.0 in the shuttle. In the exhibition game, he had three carries for only five yards. Hopefully there will be a larger data sample on this kid.
D’Ernest Johnson put up acceptable numbers in the first exhibition game, with 23 yards on five carries, a 4.6 yards per carry average. In college he accounted for 2,695 yards from scrimmage in four years at South Florida.
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He will get another look in the second exhibition game versus the Colts. He is on the small side at 5-foot-10, 208 pounds, which is smaller than Johnny Manziel, and ran a 4.79 40 yard dash, which is slower than Manziel as well. It is hard to believe that he will make the team with those numbers.
Trayone Gray is listed as a halfback although he also played fullback in college. The Browns list him at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds (in other media sites, such as Lineups.com, he is listed at 6’2″ 240 lbs). The insane part is that the big man ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at his Pro Day workout. Believe it or not, that is a tick faster than Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi, he of the coast-to-coast punt return. Gray, however put up no big numbers in college with only 348 yards from scrimmage in four years at Miami. If Nick Chubb should go down, Gray might fit as part of a running back by committee, taking over some of the short yardage situations.
The Browns also recently signed Joe Kerridge, an experienced true fullback. However, when Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens was asked whether they could field a team with no true fullback, Andrew Gribble of the Browns official website quotes the coach as replying “definitely.” Todd Monken did not use a fullback with Tampa Bay last year, so it is not clear that the Browns will use a traditional fullback this year.
That is sad because it is a departure from tradition, with fullback Jim Brown being the greatest of all time, but in today’s game with the receiving talent on board and Baker Mayfield at the controls, it makes sense to make greater use of multiple wide receiver formations.
Joe Kerridge already making his presence felt. dark. Next
It is very possible that the third and fourth string running backs are not on the roster right now. When players go on waivers, the Browns may put in a waiver claim or two to bring in someone.