Browns Regrets After Signing Former $85 Million Ravens RB Player Due To…
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The Cleveland Browns are unlikely to bring in a new top running back to avoid slighting Nick Chubb as he works his way back from injury.
One name that has surfaced as a potential target for the Browns is former Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins. Like Chubb, Dobbins is coming off a season-ending injury (Achilles). However, Dobbins has been cleared for football activities.
Dobbins is likely a cheap addition with some significant upside but Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com doesn’t see the Browns pursuing a running back of his caliber.
“It speaks to the fact that they really do believe [Chubb] will be back at some point this season. They want to show the faith and confidence in him,” Cabot said on the latest episode of the Orange and Browns Talk podcast. “If they went out and signed another sort of No. 1 back, it would send a message to the fans and to Nick that perhaps they aren’t as confident in his healthy return. I don’t think they want to do that.”
Dobbins has played in just 20 games since entering the league in 2020. He’s suffered a pair of season-ending injuries. Dobbins was very productive during his rookie year in Baltimore, racking up 805 yards on 134 carries with 9 touchdowns.
He missed the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL. Dobbins also missed nine games in 2022 with a knee injury. He was injured in the first game last season after just eight carries.
Browns Feel Positive About Nick Chubb’s Progress
Chubb is set to begin the next phase of his rehab next month. He suffered a catastrophic knee injury in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had both his ACL and MCL repaired during two separate surgeries, the latest of those procedures coming in November.
“Maybe the easiest thing is we fully expect Nick to be here and he’s doing a great job with his recovery and everything,” Berry said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “And I meant what I said at the end of the season, I meant what I said at the combine. We do not want the injury in Pittsburgh to be his last snap as a Cleveland Brown.”
Considering the severity of the knee injury, the Browns are still waiting to establish a firm timeline for Chubb’s return. But there’s confidence that the four-time Pro Bowler will be a contributor next season.
“Honestly, it’s probably too early to really understand what he’s going to look like,” Berry said. “He’s doing truly doing a fantastic job with the rehab and he should start to load run probably sometime this upcoming month.”
Browns Added RB Depth Behind Nick Chubb in Free Agency
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Browns NFL Draft Profile: OG Dominick Puni
he Cleveland Browns have one of the game’s best offensive lines when all five of their starters are healthy.
The problem, at least in 2023, is that injuries rocked the line all season long, forcing the Browns to dig far deeper into the roster than is advisable.
On the bright side, they got to see rookie Dawand Jones for nine games at right tackle before he was lost for the season with an injury. The dark side is that they also got to see the likes of Geron Christian, Leroy Watson, James Hudson III, and Ty Neskhe – all guys who try hard but are extremely limited.
Even if the injured all come back healthy this fall, the line could use some fresh faces on the second unit, which could lead general manager Andrew Berry to consider guard Dominick Puni of Kansas in the 2024 NFL Draft.\
Dominick Puni took the long route from a zero-star recruit who landed with Central Missouri in 2018 to a First-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2023 with Kansas. He started 25 consecutive games with the Jayhawks, splitting time between guard and tackle, and did not allow a sack, despite being somewhat limited in space as a pass blocker, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
While he saw time in college at tackle, Puni seems better suited to play guard at the NFL level, according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
Depth is always good, especially depth on the offensive line as the Browns learned the hard way in 2023. The fact that Puni has some experience playing tackle is nice, and he did spend some time at center at the Senior Bowl. While he projects as a guard in the NFL, having a least some level of versatility is a plus. If the Browns were to go with Puni in the draft, that would put Drew Forbes, Hakeem Adeniji, James Hudson III, and Leroy Watson on the roster bubble.
Priority
Medium: It is always sound practice to keep adding an offensive lineman every year in the draft. The question this year comes down to whether or not general manager Andrew Berry wants to address depth at offensive tackle or guard in this year’s draft.