RB 2023

[ballpeen]

On 8/18/2023 at 5:42 PM, Orion said:

So, any change in thinking after the Eagles game?  Hall and Wilkins got to carry the ball a few times.  They seem to have some burst to them....

Any real value Hall brings will be on special teams.  I don't think anybody will sign him if we put him on waivers, so we do that and bring him back to the practice squad.

[SdBacker80]

Everybody after Chubb is replaceable and likely not highly sought after…especially looking at some of the other RB rooms (like the Eagles).

Wilkins I don’t know how you can assess he carried the ball and limped off the field 

[Orion]

The Cleveland Browns hosted running back Kylin Hill for a workout on Wednesday as the club prepares for its final game of the preseason on Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Originally a seventh-round selection by the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 NFL Draft, Hill only appeared in 10 games with the Packers before being released in November of last season.

------Obviously, the team isn't overly impressed with their options for the #3 RB.  (I consider Felton a WR / gadget RB)

[syd]

13 hours ago, SdBacker80 said:

Everybody after Chubb is replaceable and likely not highly sought after…especially looking at some of the other RB rooms (like the Eagles).

Wilkins I don’t know how you can assess he carried the ball and limped off the field 

gonna wait till after cut down next tuesday 

[ballpeen]

6 hours ago, syd said:

gonna wait till after cut down next tuesday 

Yep.

There are always some good backs who get cut.  Older vets who teams don't want to pay.  Young guys they hope to bring back to the PS.

 

As in any season, those last 2-3-4 slots on the roster remain pretty fluid the first few weeks after cut downs.

[syd]

D'Ernest Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

Could a reunion be in progress?

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed former Thursday Night Football hero D’Ernest Johnson this offseason in free agency after he spent four seasons in Cleveland. However, they then drafted Tank Bigsby out of Auburn in the 2023 NFL draft, and Johnson is now listed as the fourth back on the depth chart in Jacksonville.

If Johnson gets the ax from the Jaguars, the Browns must be all over a reunion as he would be the easy money RB3 on their roster.

[Orion]

The Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots have agreed to the following trade.

Browns receive:  RB Pierre Strong Jr.    Patriots receive:  T Tyrone Wheatley Jr.

Strong (5-11, 215) is in his second NFL season out of South Dakota State. Originally selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Strong appeared in 15 games as a rookie. He rushed for 100 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown and added seven receptions for 42 yards.

Wheatley spent the 2022 season on the Browns' practice squad.

*All NFL trades are pending a physical.

--------------

OK, so we now know that the Browns were not satisfied with their RB #3, as some of us were speculating.  

Wilkins and Hall were not the answer...and poor John Kelly, ever the brides maid.  And it makes me wonder how secure Felton is.  At what point do you decide that there's a WR that you value more than him...and a RB that you value more than him?   

[Orion]

...to Nick Chubb:  I read a little while back that he said that he was going to be involved catching more passes for the offense this season.  Although this sounds good...and Nick can catch the ball...he doesn't always run the best routes.  Sometimes his little flair routes are supposed to be flattened out more towards the sideline but he's drifting the route up field...and then the QB turns and throws the ball to the outside and he's not in position to catch it.  

I live Chubb to death, but IMO route running is the weakest part of his game...along with the occasional taking his eye off the ball in anticipation of taking off with it.  Perhaps he/they have worked on it.  It's certainly good for the D to understand that the RB can run with it or go out for a pass and catch it at ANY time.

[gumby73]

Good breakdown from Jake Burns here on Pierre Strong jr. 

https://247sports.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/longformarticle/pierre-strong-cleveland-browns-offense-214917993/#2224129

Was not aware that Strong had KO return ability. After Grant, We can breathe a whole lot easier not sending Ford out there on Kick Returns 

[Flugel]

7 hours ago, Orion said:

...to Nick Chubb:  I read a little while back that he said that he was going to be involved catching more passes for the offense this season.  Although this sounds good...and Nick can catch the ball...he doesn't always run the best routes.  Sometimes his little flair routes are supposed to be flattened out more towards the sideline but he's drifting the route up field...and then the QB turns and throws the ball to the outside and he's not in position to catch it.  

I live Chubb to death, but IMO route running is the weakest part of his game...along with the occasional taking his eye off the ball in anticipation of taking off with it.  Perhaps he/they have worked on it.  It's certainly good for the D to understand that the RB can run with it or go out for a pass and catch it at ANY time.

Good observations. I haven't been real fond of how the passing offense has been set up/designed overall.  Hopefully the addition of Musgrave and other offensive assistants this offseason can help Stefanski improve some of this.  Defenses always seem extremely well prepared for what Stefanski wants to do and how he wants to do it. We're better at running the ball, which is why Chubb carried it 302 times at 5 yards a carry and 12 TDs.  That's 1 part of our offense we can establish some consistency/reliability. To compete in this passing era - we have to be way more consistent in the passing game.  We guaranteed the 230 million $ contract; and sat through an 11 game suspension pretty much writing off last season.  The Browns added Musgrave and other offensive assistants this offseason.   They've also added some WRs.  NOW, I want to see a design that can utilize Receivers/TEs/RBs far more efficiently in the passing game than we've seen.  The design shouldn't make the execution of a passing game more challenging - it should create opportunities to exploit the opponent.  I want to see this without feeling like I'm asking too much of a coaching staff. 

[Bob806]

3 hours ago, Flugel said:

Good observations. I haven't been real fond of how the passing offense has been set up/designed overall.  Hopefully the addition of Musgrave and other offensive assistants this offseason can help Stefanski improve some of this.  Defenses always seem extremely well prepared for what Stefanski wants to do and how he wants to do it. We're better at running the ball, which is why Chubb carried it 302 times at 5 yards a carry and 12 TDs.  That's 1 part of our offense we can establish some consistency/reliability. To compete in this passing era - we have to be way more consistent in the passing game.  We guaranteed the 230 million $ contract; and sat through an 11 game suspension pretty much writing off last season.  The Browns added Musgrave and other offensive assistants this offseason.   They've also added some WRs.  NOW, I want to see a design that can utilize Receivers/TEs/RBs far more efficiently in the passing game than we've seen.  The design shouldn't make the execution of a passing game more challenging - it should create opportunities to exploit the opponent.  I want to see this without feeling like I'm asking too much of a coaching staff. 

While I won't disagree entirely, I think last year was kind of an aberration. 

Brissett was competent, but it became very clear early on he simply couldn't throw an effective screen pass. So Chubb & Hunt didn't get many opportunities.

Watson could solve those woes. Here's hoping he's the best QB since Kosar. 

[tiamat63]

11 minutes ago, Bob806 said:

While I won't disagree entirely, I think last year was kind of an aberration. 

Brissett was competent, but it became very clear early on he simply couldn't throw an effective screen pass. So Chubb & Hunt didn't get many opportunities.

Watson could solve those woes. Here's hoping he's the best QB since Kosar. 

 

 Watson can also help to solve those woes by being a QB that forces lighter box counts. 

 Most of the screen game from the coaching staff has been designed around facing 8 man fronts.  Getting that much traffic from tackle to tackle tends to limit said screen game or make life significantly more difficult.  Stef and Co haven't been any form of outstanding in the implementation of tunnel screens and designs that exploit the perimeter.  Something that absolutely need to build on as the season progresses. So what we've seen the last few years is, IMHO, quite impressive.  

 Back to Watson - he can be the QB that naturally opens things up for the screen game by being a consistent down field passer (especially at and outside the numbers) which would force defenses to give that +1 to our offense. 

[Flugel]

38 minutes ago, Bob806 said:

While I won't disagree entirely, I think last year was kind of an aberration. 

Brissett was competent, but it became very clear early on he simply couldn't throw an effective screen pass. So Chubb & Hunt didn't get many opportunities.

Watson could solve those woes. Here's hoping he's the best QB since Kosar. 

I agree about last year so I don't think we're disagreeing at all on this.  I'm not as big of a fan of the screen pass as I am the swing pass hitting the RB in stride on his way to a vacated flat outside.  You gotta make em pay for blitzing; and that'll do it my opinion.  You can give an option B w/a TE quickie pass to an inside hook zone.

 

[Bob806]

13 minutes ago, Flugel said:

I agree about last year so I don't think we're disagreeing at all on this.  I'm not as big of a fan of the screen pass as I am the swing pass hitting the RB in stride on his way to a vacated flat outside.  You gotta make em pay for blitzing; and that'll do it my opinion.  You can give an option B w/a TE quickie pass to an inside hook zone.

 

I remember Chubb taking a pass like that to the house in Pittsburgh in the playoff game.

Can't wait for Sept 10.

[SdBacker80]

16 minutes ago, Bob806 said:

I remember Chubb taking a pass like that to the house in Pittsburgh in the playoff game.

Can't wait for Sept 10.

When Chubbs receiving ability was mentioned this is the exact play that came to mind.  He’s great in the open field and has vision to see the blocks that are setting up in front of him. 
 

I am not asking him to flex out and run routes and that is where perhaps we all get confused that he isn’t a receiving type back. 
 

But I remember this one too bad throw by Baker 

 

[nickers]

1 hour ago, Flugel said:

I agree about last year so I don't think we're disagreeing at all on this.  I'm not as big of a fan of the screen pass as I am the swing pass hitting the RB in stride on his way to a vacated flat outside.  You gotta make em pay for blitzing; and that'll do it my opinion.  You can give an option B w/a TE quickie pass to an inside hook zone.

 

I'm a huge fan of wheel routes.. When executed properly they can be a deadly thing of beauty...

[ballpeen]

All of this depends on Chubbs ability to catch the ball and run routes.