After Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 last season, the team relied on multiple running backs to power their ground game.
Browns insider Tony Grossi joined “The Really Big Show” this week to discuss what fans should expect from Cleveland’s running back stable until Chubb returns to the field.
ESPN Cleveland shared a video clip of Grossi’s comments as the insider explained the committee approach is expected to continue in 2024 even though the Browns are implementing a new offensive scheme and signed running backs Nyheim Hines and D’Onta Foreman this offseason.
“I think it’s pretty much what we saw last year with the exception of D’Onta Foreman … kinda replacing Kareem Hunt as a short yardage back,” Grossi said.
Grossi noted that the biggest changes fans should expect to see involve the team’s usage of running backs as pass receivers on more plays in the new three- and four-receiver offense Ken Dorsey is implementing.
Running backs that cannot double as pass receivers will have a hard time making the field, Grossi said.
The insider pointed to second-year athlete Jerome Ford as a player who is capable of both running the ball effectively and catching the football, Grossi explained.
Ford emerged onto the scene last season in Chubb’s absence, logging nearly 250 touches and over 1,130 yards during the regular season.
Hines is also a capable route runner, Grossi explained.
Short-yardage situations would become Foreman’s role, much like the one Hunt had during the 2023 season, Grossi concluded.
Despite Chubb’s injury occurring nine months ago, no public timetable has been set for the popular runner’s return for the 2024 season.
