Could the Browns Turn To This Cowboys Star To Upgrade Their Backfield?
The Browns have a serious question mark in their backfield. Not at quarterback, although there are obviously questions there as well, but at running back where Nick Chubb is returning from a brutal knee injury.
For the last five seasons, Cleveland's run game was the only reliable part of their offense. The offensive line was young, the scheme was unique and the running back was one of the top two backs in the league.
That identity of the team changed in Week 2 last season when Minkah Fitzpatrick took out Chubb with a low hit, mangling his knee on national television.
Cleveland put a bandaid on the position and hoped that what they had in Jerome Ford would be enough to mask the issue. Unfortunately, Ford never proved to be a consistently great runner for the Browns and Cleveland resorted to a running back by committee, adding familiar friend Kareem Hunt to the roster to help the cause.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) hands off to running back Nick Chubb (24) in the first quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. The Bengals led 13-3 at halftime. Cleveland Browns At Cincinnati Bengals Week 14
The situation leaves Cleveland in a precarious situation in 2024. All signs point to Chubb being back for what is the final year of his contract as he hopes. To recapture his dominance. Coming off of the second catastrophic knee injury in his left leg though complicates matters. No one can be totallt sure how effective he will be, even if it's Nick Chubb.
With all that in mine, Cleveland will be a major player in the running back market this offseason and it's a good year to be there. There are a handful of top-tier and second-tier guys that the Browns could make a run at.
If I was Andrew Berry, the first player that I would call is Tony Pollard.
Pollard had his chance to be "the guy" for Dallas backfield in 2923, and it proved to be a bit if a rollercoaster. On 252 attempts, he racked up just over 1,000 yards, scoring six touchdowns. He also notched 55 catches for 311 additional yards.
While those numbers aren't great, they mean a lot for the dollar value that he will command.
Pollard thrived as the "second fiddle" when Ezekiel Elliot was his running mate in Dallas. As the No. 2 back in 2022, Pollard put together his best season with 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns on just 193 carries. He paired that with 39 catches for 371 yards and three touchdowns.
He was elite when he had the ball in his hands as the second option.
If Pollard were to come to Cleveland, he could step into a Robin like role again, with Chubb staring as Batman.
Expect Pollard to command close to $13M over 2 years. The biggest road block comes in Cleveland's willingness, or lack thereof, to pay another double-figure contract to a running back, particularly a backup RB. Schematic though, Pollard could be a nice fit.
