The Cleveland Browns don’t have many questions unanswered on the offensive side of the football, save for who will backup starting running back Nick Chubb.
Even that isn’t a major unknown, with second-year rusher Jerome Ford preparing to transition from his rookie role, which was almost exclusively limited to special teams, into a change-of-pace back behind Chubb. However, Cleveland used its running backs more than most teams last season and if that proves the case again in 2023, it’s unclear if Ford can make a clean leap from eight carries and zero targets in the passing game to the 123 rushing attempts and 44 targets Kareem Hunt saw last season.
Assuming Ford is ready to carry that kind of load this year, the Browns may still seek out another RB in free agency over what is left of the summer. Assuming Ford isn’t ready, Cleveland could look to find a proven No. 2 rusher at value to back up Chubb, pushing Ford back into the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. In either case, hybrid running back/wide receiver Demetric Felton Jr. could easily find himself on the outside looking in when the team issues its 53-man roster at the end of August — if not before.
Demetric Felton on Roster Bubble as Browns Head to Training Camp
GettyRunning back Demetric Felton Jr. of the Cleveland Browns will have to fight for his spot on the 53-man roster in the summer of 2023.
Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal has posed the question of whether the Browns’ third-string running back is currently on the roster as the calendar presses into mid-July — a query that bodes ill for Felton’s hopes of holding onto his job in 2023.
“It’s no secret the Browns are still in the market to find another back. That may or may not result in someone being added to this roster at some point, either around camp or after roster cuts,” Easterling wrote on Tuesday, July 11. “For now, the question for the No. 3 back involves third-year pro Demetric Felton Jr., who’s spent his first two seasons playing more receiver than running back.”
Easterling added that long-time practice squad player John Kelly Jr. could have a say in who starts the year as the No. 3 back in the Browns’ rushing room. He also noted that rookie Hassan Hall and Nate McCrary are practice squad candidates for the upcoming campaign.
Browns Used Demetric Felton Less Last Season Than During Rookie Campaign
GettyRunning back Demetric Felton Jr. (right) of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after scoring a touchdown during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2022.
Cleveland selected Felton out of UCLA with the No. 211 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He is entering the third season of his four-year rookie contract, which is worth $3.64 million in total.
Felton has been a utility man of sorts since joining the Browns. He has run the ball just eight times for 20 yards and zero scores, but has caught 20 passes on 25 targets for 189 yards and two touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference. Felton has also returned 39 punts for 269 yards and 10 kickoffs for 183 yards over his two years in Cleveland.
Despite the Browns deploying him in a multitude of ways, Felton is facing the disconcerting trend of less usage during his sophomore campaign than he saw as a rookie. The vast majority of his production as a receiver, rusher and returner all came in 2021. Ford joined the franchise a year later, but has already firmly established himself at least one notch above Felton on the depth chart.
A demotion this summer could land Felton on the practice squad come September, though given his age (he will play this season at 25 years old) and his versatile skill set, Felton may find himself in a different uniform if the Browns waive him before the start of the year.
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