The Cleveland Browns once carried two Pro Bowl running backs on staff in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chubb was on his way to a spot in Canton, while Hunt proved himself a solid change of pace back for the team. Hunt was never the guy he was portrayed as in Kansas City, but despite not being in Chubb's league, he still gave the Browns a solid backup, albeit a pricey one.
The team also occasionally had D'Ernest Johnson, Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong, and D'Onta Foreman as backups. Thanks to a strong offensive line, the team was seen as a group that could succeed with just about anyone in the backfield. Yet, injuries and sluggish play from the offensive line have put pressure on the Browns' running backs.
No longer can they expect to get three or four yards off of first contact. Now they're going to have to be fast enough to hit the holes the offensive line opens up before the defense collapses them. Before, you could see running backs getting three or four yards before being touched, then in 2024, you saw a lot more points of contact at the line of scrimmage. The offensive line struggled, and it highlighted the mediocre crop of running backs the team had.
It seemed like no one was quick enough, strong enough, or fast enough to make plays unless the O-line was doing most of the heavy lifting. So the Browns changed gears. Gone was the best pure runner in the NFL, Chubb, off to Houston in an attempt to revive his career.
In came a slew of young rookies. Second-round pick Quinshon Judkins out of Ohio State brought a lot of hope. Fourth-rounder Dylan Sampson made for an intriguing prospect, and undrafted prospect Ahmani Marshall could make some people second-guess who should make the final cut on the team.
Then came Judkins' arrest. Not only did the alleged violent incident taint his name, but it also threw his entire career, not just the season, into disarray.
Ford has been absent from practices as of late due to a hamstring injury, further compounding the situation in the running back room. Even though Ford is back, the team's depth is still an issue.
The current trio of Ford, Sampson, and Marshall is not exactly one that gives fans a lot of hope. Things have gotten so ugly that the team signed Toa Taua of the UFL's Michigan Panthers.
Even if Judkins is able to play this season, and that's a big if with his current legal issues, there's no telling if this room has the depth or the talent needed to be successful.