It’s unlikely that the Cleveland Browns will sign a new top running back to prevent offending Nick Chubb while he recovers from an injury.
One name that has come up as a possible target for the Browns is J.K. Dobbins, a former running back for the Baltimore Ravens. Dobbins, like Chubb, is recovering from an Achilles injury that ended his season. Dobbins is free to participate in football-related activities, though.
Dobbins is probably an inexpensive addition with a lot of potential, but Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot doesn’t think the Browns will go for a running back of his ability.
It indicates that they genuinely think Chubb will return at some time during the current campaign. In the most recent audio episode of Orange and Browns Talk, Cabot stated, “They want to demonstrate the faith and confidence in him.” “It would convey to Nick and the fans that maybe they aren’t as confident in his healthy return if they went out and got another type of No. 1 back. They may not want to do that, in my opinion.
Since joining the league in 2020, Dobbins has only participated in 20 games. He has sustained two injuries that ended the season. In his rookie season in Baltimore, Dobbins amassed 805 yards on 134 carries and nine touchdowns.
His injured ACL prevented him from playing in the 2021 season. Due to a knee ailment, Dobbins missed nine games in 2022 as well. After just eight carries in the season’s opening game, he sustained an injury.
Browns are pleased with Nick Chubb’s development.
Next month, Chubb will start the next round of his rehabilitation. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, he had a devastating knee injury. His ACL and MCL were both reconstructed in two different surgeries, the most recent one taking place in November.
According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, Berry stated, “Maybe the easiest thing is we fully expect Nick to be here and he’s doing a great job with his recovery and everything.” “And I really did mean what I said at the combine and at the end of the season.” We hope that his injury in Pittsburgh won’t be the last one he plays for the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns have not yet established a firm return date for Chubb due to the severity of his knee injury. However, there is optimism that the four-time Pro Bowler will play a role in the upcoming campaign.
Berry stated, “To be honest, it’s probably too early to really understand what he’s going to look like.” “He’s really making a great progress with his rehabilitation, and he should begin to load run later this month.”
In free agency, the Browns added RB depth behind Nick Chubb.
This offseason, the Browns added Nyheim Hines and D’Onta Foreman to their running back lineup. During the past two seasons, Foreman has amassed 1,339 yards and nine touchdowns while playing for the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. He will likely grind out the hard yards in a manner akin to Kareem Hunt.
Hines is a valuable asset in the return game because of his ability to receive passes out of the backfield.
“I think D’Onta’s skill set is pretty similar to how we used Kareem last year,” Berry remarked. “And then, to be really honest, Nyheim was more about his pass game skillset and return value.”
Next season, Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. will also be back. Ford replaced Chubb as the starting lead-back. He gained 4 touchdowns and 813 yards.
