Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a devastating knee injury on Monday night. All fans of football hope he fully recovers, and that his career continues next year — if he wants it to.
Moving foward in 2023, the Browns have to decide what to do at running back.
They could always go “next man up,” pushing everyone on the depth chart north a spot and adding someone young and cheap to the bottom of the stack. Jerome Ford made a solid case for that last night, gaining 106 rushing yards.
They could try to sign Kareem Hunt, who has a recent history with the Browns — and who remains available. His price has been a little high, however, or he’d already be on a team.
Then there’s the Jonathan Taylor option. The Colts and their star running back continue to be at contractual loggerheads. With no other team willing to give both the team what it wants and the player what he wants, the Browns could channel their urgency in the direction of Indianapolis and do a deal.
Making such a move would, as a practical matter, end Chubb’s tenure with the team. He’s due to receive a non-guaranteed salary of $11.775 million in 2024; that money would go to Taylor.
It also would be out of character for a team driven by analytics. They’ve defied the numbers-based approach with Chubb because he’s an incredible leader, a key part of the team who will be missed as much for how he influences teammates as he will be for what he does on the field. There’s no reason to think they would sacrifice draft pick(s) and significant money for a high-end, established running back.
Then there’s the possibility of trading for Cam Akers, a running back the Rams couldn’t give away a year ago — and who is now back in the doghouse. Could he be a fit in the Dawg Pound?
The Browns have options. Time will tell which one they activate. Whatever they do, it will be impossible to replace everything Nick Chubb does for that team.
