The Cleveland Browns have finally signed their second-round pick from this past April's draft. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, rookie running back Quinshon Judkins and the Browns have agreed to a fully guaranteed four-year, $11.4 million contract.
With the off-field issues that were facing him now in the rearview mirror, Judkins is officially signed and part of the fold in Cleveland, and the Browns' running back room can finally begin to take shape. After missing all of training camp and the preseason, Judkins is starting well behind the learning curve.
It is, understandably, going to take some time for him to get up to speed on the offense and the nuances that come with playing running back in the NFL as opposed to what Judkins had faced during his standout collegiate career. Fans in Cleveland should make no mistake, though. This will become Judkins' job at some point during the 2025 campaign.
Clock is Ticking on Browns' Jerome Ford After Judkins Signs Rookie Deal
Teams don't draft running backs in the second round for them to sit on the sidelines and watch. This has been the case for quite some time and will be the same for Judkins and the Browns. While he will be the starter against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, the clock is ticking on Jerome Ford's duties as Cleveland's RB1.
Ford has been a spot starter to this point in his three-year career with the Browns, having been part of the team's first 11 on 18 occasions over the 44 games he has appeared in. In reality, a reserve back is the role Ford is better suited to hold, but he has the opportunity to, once again, show what he's capable of as a team's primary back to start the 2025 season.
How long that will last, however, is a different question altogether. Once Judkins has a firm enough grasp of the offense and, perhaps more importantly, the pass blocking schemes, inserting the rookie into the starting lineup would be the appropriate course of action for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
By adding Judkins and former Tennessee Volunteers standout Dylan Sampson to the roster via the draft, and another rookie in Rocket Sanders via free agency, Cleveland has a clear desire to flip its running back room. Once he's ready to be handed the keys to the rushing attack, the performance of the former Ohio State Buckeyes standout will indicate just how close the Browns are to realizing that goal.