3 reasons the Cleveland Browns signing Ezekiel Elliott makes no sense

Browns don't need Ezekiel Elliott

There was a case to be made for Cleveland to add another veteran running back, and looking for a third-down specialist that can be dangerous out of the backfield was the focus. That's where Kareem Hunt did serious damage early in his career and that safety valve can be huge for a quarterback.

In the end, they decided they liked their guys and seem prepared to enter training camp with Jerome Ford as the primary backup. Behind him, there will be a competition but there's no clear-cut favorite among John Kelly and Hassan Hall – or maybe even Demetric Felton who should be pushed out of the receiving corps due to the additions.

Despite the inexperience behind Chubb, this could wind up being the right call. Not only can Chubb continue to carry the load as an every-down running back but he was actually far superior to Elliott in 2022 as a receiver.

Chubb caught 73 percent of his targets, pulling in 27 receptions for 239 yards with a touchdown. He had more yards, touchdowns, and total receptions than Zeke while averaging 8.9 yards per reception to Elliott's 5.4 in 2022.

Their catch percentage is nearly identical as well, with Elliott sitting at 75.9 percent for his career compared to Chubb's 75.3 percent. Throw in the fact that Jerome Ford was a solid receiver out of the backfield for Cincinnati in 2021 and there's really no area where Elliott provides a significant upgrade at this point in his career.

All of this being said, Elliott was one of the best backs in the game from 2016 through 2019. But it's been three years since his production matched his star power — which is a lifetime for running backs.

Anyone not seeing this is unfortunately viewing this move with Scarlet and Gray lenses.