Browns: Ranking the 5 best running backs since 1999 not named Nick Chubb

No. 1 Isaiah Crowell

Ready for this one? Isaiah Crowell is the only Browns running back to spend four years on the team and post 500+ yards rushing in every single season. How’s that for a mind-effery. It wasn’t even just usage that got Crowell to produce like he did, in all but one season he averaged more than 4.0 YPC, and in 2016 (his third season) averaged 4.8 YPC. Crowell was no slouch and was a good enough pass-catcher to make him a dual-threat.

Not Christian McCaffery levels of dual-threat, but not one you could sleep on.

Crowell has been a victim of circumstance as a running back. In his first year, he split time with Terrance West, who was, not great. The team won seven games that year, thanks to Brian Hoyer. The next year was the Johnny Manziel madness season, where the then-second year quarterback tanked his career. His last two years, arguably his best stretch of football, saw him with just one win thanks to Hue Jackson and Sashi Brown.

After the Browns finally got some talent, Cleveland would let Crowell leave in order to give Nick Chubb, Carlos Hyde, and Duke Johnson more opportunities.

He left and went to New York in 2018, where he backed up Bilal Powell but outperformed him. The Yets rewarded his skills and production by cutting him to sign Le’Veon Bell. After that Crowell went to the Raiders, where he suffered a season-ending injury and hasn’t been back in the NFL since.

In his time in Cleveland, Crowell rushed for 3,803 yards, on 4.2 YPC, with 21 rushing touchdowns.