3 reasons why the Cleveland Browns may trade Nick Chubb

Dec 17, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) warms up before the game between the Browns and the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) warms up before the game between the Browns and the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 27, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Mike Edwards (32) and linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) chase Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Mike Edwards (32) and linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) chase Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

A difference in schemes

It’s hard to imagine Nick Chubb not fitting an offense but sadly, that could very well be the truth at hand. The stud running back fits very well as a team’s feature back and is not only the best in the league currently but is already among the greatest to ever play the position. Getting rid of him would not be wise but if you’re looking to give Deshaun Watson all the help he can to bounce back in 2023, that may include the running back position.

Now, replacing him simply for the sake of replacing him isn’t the move to make. Yet, if the money is no longer an issue, the Browns may want a more natural receiver out of the backfield and that could mean looking at a guy like Saquon Barkley. Barkley is a tremendous back in his own right but injury concerns are real, but so is his fit for the Browns.

He played very well with Daniel Jones, who is a player that is very similar to Watson in all ways, but he doesn’t have the same canon or the laundry list of assaults. So keep in mind how well Barkley played with Jones and think about how well he’d fit in alongside Watson. As a pure-runner, it’s a downgrade, but speaking to the versatility, Barkely has Chubb beat. With a better passer, Barkley has put up over 700 yards receiving.

In a pass-first offense, that’s the kind of production you want from a running back. Can Chubb put up those types of numbers? Sure, it’s possible, but we don’t know.