5 pressing needs Browns must address this offseason

3. Running Back

There was a four-year stretch where the Browns unquestionably had the best running back combo in the NFL. Nick Chubb has been a dominant force since being selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia and he was paired with Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 2017 for the Kansas City Chiefs.

This past season, the Browns were ready to move on from Hunt but they reached back out following a season-ending knee injury suffered by Chubb. Hunt proved to be a red zone master for the Browns but his work between the 20s was far from what we saw during his prime. That's why he's not exepected to return.

Ahead of Hunt in 2023 was Jerome Ford, the second-year back from Cincinatti. He finished with 813 yards but barely hit 4.0 yards per carry. He was also a 'feast-or-famine' player who had his overall numbers aided by a few long runs.

With uncertainty surrounding Chubb's timeline for a return, the Browns need to make a move at running back. Ford might be a decent option as the change of pace back, and he does have the ability to break off a long run. However, he's not a featured back and as we saw down the stretch in 2023, if defenses want to focus on shutting him down, they can.

Thankfully, there are a lot of options this year. Cleveland could look to free agency where there's a plethora of options. Going after a high-profile player such as Derrick Henry might prove too costly but guys such as Zack Moss and Devin Singletary are there as well and have ties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. They could also look to an interesting draft class that has some players with high ceilings such as Audric Estime and Braelon Allen.