6 Browns on the Roster Bubble Heading Into Preseason Finale
2. Pierre Strong/D'Onta Foreman, Running Back
Well well well…We may have a bit of a running back competition going between 2023 trade acquisition Pierre Strong Jr. and the 2024 free agent pickup D’Onta Foreman for the Browns. So what can be the telltale signs of which guy is more clearly on the roster bubble?
Well, the Browns gave a lot of work to D’Onta Foreman in their most recent preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. Foreman, who has run well in recent years for the Bears and Panthers, carried the ball 10 times but managed just 18 yards rushing. He also added 46 yards on five receptions, showing the ability to make plays in the passing game.
The point is not exactly the efficiency per touch here, but simply the fact that Foreman touched the ball 15 times in a preseason game while Pierre Strong only touched the ball four times. Heck, we even saw Foreman getting a look as a kickoff returner.
It could be that both of these guys are in line to make Cleveland’s roster but the presence of Nyheim Hines still looms over the depth chart as a whole. And for what it's worth, Pro Football Focus thinks both Strong and Foreman are making the team:
"It was noteworthy that Foreman’s only two snaps in the first quarter happened at the one-yard line. Foreman is listed at 235 pounds, making him one of the bigger running backs in the league. Last season, Hunt was the primary goal-line back, and this year, it could very well be Foreman, even if he remains lower on the depth chart. This is a big reason why Ford wasn’t always a fantasy starter last year despite being the lead running back on the team, and why that will probably remain true this season while Chubb is out. It’s also not out of the question that Foreman takes goal-line carries over Chubb once he’s playing again."
- Pro Football Focus
The presence of Jerome Ford will also dictate the Browns likely make a tough move to cut or trade one of these guys before the start of the regular season. Foreman has missed some time due to injury so perhaps the Browns just wanted to see him get time on task, but it does look like both he and Pierre Strong Jr. could be entering the final preseason game firmly on the roster bubble.