9 Browns Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday's Roster Deadline
6. John Kelly
Jerome Ford's preseason injury meant the Browns got a nice long look at their RB3 competition between John Kelly and Demetric Felton.
Ford's injury isn't all that serious, but it does open up a slight possibility that the Browns head into week one with four running backs on the roster. Even if that's the case, however, John Kelly will not be one of them.
There's going to be an influx of running backs hitting free agency after the cutdown day, and the Browns will grab one at that point if they really feel the need. Kelly has simply done nothing to show he's anything more than incredibly replaceable.
Kelly has 32 carries across his four NFL seasons, including just 2 carries in his two seasons with the Browns. He's also shown just about nothing in the preseason, with the following stat-lines:
- 10 carries for 42 yards
- 6 carries for 6 yards
- 8 carries for 20 yards
- 6 carries for 20 yards
It's not like we can fault the offensive line either. Demetric Felton has had no trouble putting up efficient numbers in his first three games before finally posting a dud of his own in the finale.
Even if we weren't keeping Felton, the answer would not be keeping Kelly as the RB3. The answer would be to cut down to two running backs and bring in other options through free agency.