We all know what happened by now. Nick Chubb's gruesome knee injury was the biggest storyline in the NFL this week, and while we're all thinking of him and wishing him a full recovery, the NFL world doesn't stop for anyone.
The Browns have no choice but to move forward without Chubb, so they'll act quickly in bringing in another running back to try to help fill the massive void Chubb leaves behind.
They obviously won't be able to add someone anywhere near Chubb's level, but they'll have to do what they can.
Here are the top three running backs the Browns need to target after Chubb's injury.
Nick Chubb Replacements
1. Kareem Hunt
Let's start with the obvious one. A Kareem Hunt reunion suddenly makes a ton of sense.
Hunt has been picky with his opportunities, not signing a contract despite receiving a ton of interest, most notable from the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
The Browns would have to be a mighty appealing option for Hunt if they do offer him a deal.
He'd be playing in an offense he knows and is comfortable with. There's a huge amount of opportunity available — he may not get Nick Chubb-level volume, but with good play he could be the RB1 over Jerome Ford. He'd be running behind an elite offenseive line. This Browns defense may be enough to keep the team competitive down the stretch.
There's a lot to like about this landing spot.
And it's clear why this would make sense for the Browns. Hunt is the best free agent running back on the market, and it's not even close.
He's the best pure runner available and the best receiving back available. The Browns wouldn't need to hope he develops, and they wouldn't have to worry about him being past his prime.
This is the option most fans in Cleveland will have their fingers crossed waiting for. But what if we don't sign Hunt?
2. Leonard Fournette
This one would be a little less exciting, but if the Browns are looking for a known quantity, Leonard Fournette is the best option outside of Hunt.
Despite feeling like he’s an old veteran at this point, Fournette is still just 28 years old and entering his seventh NFL season.
He’s not shown the same explosiveness in recent years as he did early in his career, but he’s still a capable contributor in all areas.
He’s run for 600-plus yards in each of the last two seasons, also catching at least 69 passes for at least 450 yards in both 2021 and 2022.
Fournette's efficiency has left a lot to be desired, but he's not exactly been playing in rushing-friendly offenses in Tampa. He was also legitimately very good as a receiver. Overall, Pro Football Focus had him graded out as right around a league-average running back in 2022.
Cleveland would easily be the best situation he's ever played in though, so there's the potential that he'd look a lot better behind this offensive line.
If the Browns don't have full faith in Ford as a workhorse but still want him heavily involved, Fournette would give them a very interesting one-two punch.
3. Darrell Henderson
Darrell Henderson is my favorite high-upside option. We wouldn't want Henderson to be the signing unless we had some real confidence in Ford, but I think carrying such a thin backfield into the season is a sign that the Browns do have that confidence in Ford.
Henderson just turned 26 years old in August, and he's only a few years removed from a truly ridiculous run at Memphis.
Henderson averaged 8.9 yards per carry on 130 rush attempts as a sophomore in 2017, then followed it up by averaging 8.9 again, this time on 214 attempts, as a junior. He scored 25 total touchdowns in that 2018 final season as a Tiger.
Of course he hasn't been averaging anything like that in his short NFL career, but I'm not convinced he doesn't deserve to be on a roster.
Henderson led the Los Angeles Rams backfield in yards per carry in both 2020 and 2021. His numbers weren't outlandish, but he fared as well as (or better than) anyone else in that offense when given the opportunity.
Without many great options available on the market, taking a little gamble on Henderson could be the best way to find some untapped upside.
4. Trey Sermon
Trey Sermon is on a practice squad right now, which means the Browns can grab him as long as he goes straight to the 53-man roster. So he's not technically a free agent, but he's definitely an option, since Chubb going on I.R. will open a spot on the 53-man roster.
Sermon would probably be a "committee backfield' type signing who would end up competing with Pierre Strong for the RB2 role, likely both getting run throughout the year until one can separate themselves.
But Sermon certainly has the potential to separate himself.
Sermon’s every only really got serious run in a couple of NFL games, but he’s shown flashes every time.He’s only received more than 2 touches in three NFL games, but he’s had either a touchdown or 50-plus yards from scrimmage in each of the three.
Sermon also looked the part as a prospect, averaging 7.5 yards per carry in his senior year at Ohio State to become a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
This would be a great start to a redemption arc for Sermon, who might finally live up to that potential he flashed if he gets to run behind the Browns offensive line.
5. Malik Davis
While we're looking at potentially poaching practice squad options, how about one from an NFC contender?
Malik Davis didn't make the Dallas Cowboys' 53-man roster this year, but he's absolutely got the skills to be an NFL running back and already proved as much as a rookie.
He only received 38 carries in his first NFL season, but he racked up 161 yards with those carries and also added 60 yards on 6 receptions, showing some explosiveness as both a runner and receiver.
He was also better than you might think when you see a stat line like that.
Pro Football Focus isn’t the be-all and end-all of player evaluation, but they gave Davis an outstanding 80.6 overall grade. That put him 22nd among the 144 RBs that met their minimum snap cutoff for grading leaderboards.
Davis' ability to contribute in the passing game and the running game is hard to find when looking at the guys available on the market right now.
He's probably the furthest from a sure-thin on this list, but his upside is undeniable and it wouldn't take any kind of a significant contract to bring him to Cleveland. There's very little downside here, unless you don't have faith in Ford and Strong being able to shoulder the workload if Davis doesn't live up to the potential he flashed last year.
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