Getty Running back Jerome Ford of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns have a serious problem in the backfield and less than one month to address it.
The good news for the Browns is that a solution is there for them if they want it badly enough — a trade for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, which has been on the table for any NFL franchise for the last several weeks. The bad news is it’s going to cost.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com on Tuesday, October 3, urged the Browns to pursue a deal for the 2021 NFL rushing champion, despite what is expected to be a steep price in more ways than one.
“Two weeks ago, the Browns had little or no interest in trading for Colts premier running back Jonathan Taylor when Nick Chubb went down with his season-ending knee injury in Pittsburgh,” Cabot wrote. “But they certainly should strongly consider pursuing him now.”
Browns’ Jerome Ford Has Struggled Since Nick Chubb Injury
GettyRunning back Jerome Ford of the Cleveland Browns reacts after scoring a touchdown during an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans in September 2023.
It looked as though Jerome Ford was ready to assume the responsibilities of a starting running back in the immediate aftermath of Nick Chubb’s injury, as Ford finished Week 2 against the Steelers with 16 carries for 106 yards.
In the two games since, Ford has produced just 44 yards on 19 rushes for a paltry average of 2.3 yards per attempt. Recently returned backup Kareem Hunt has carried the ball 10 times for 25 yards over that span — a 2.5 yards-per-carry average.
For years Cleveland’s offensive identity has been to run the ball with Chubb leading the way. Running effectively is now more important than ever, with an injured and oft-struggling quarterback in Deshaun Watson and all kinds of problems at the tackle positions.
The Browns have a bye week before hosting the San Francisco 49ers on October 15. Before that game, Cleveland must determine who its primary running back will be for the remainder of the season and if that player is currently on the roster. If he isn’t, Taylor is far and away the best option.
Pro-Bowl guards Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio are each still playing at a high level in 2023, and the center position is also solid despite a knee injury to Ethan Pocic over the weekend. The Browns can still re-establish themselves as a power-run game to be feared, they just may need to upgrade their personnel to do so.
Jonathan Taylor Can Replace Nick Chubb, but Any Move May End Up Permanent
GettyIndianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor remains a trade candidate ahead of the NFL’s October 31 deadline.
The concern in trading for Taylor is that the cost is liable to be a first-round pick (or equivalent package), which is hard to justify for a 13-game rental. If the Browns trade for Taylor, they need to sign him long-term, which could complicate things.
Chubb will undergo a second surgery to repair damage to his knee and is entering the final year of his $36.6 million contract in 2024. He has been arguably best and most consistent back in the NFL since entering the league in 2018, earning four consecutive Pro-Bowl trips over the past four seasons.
That said, the reality is that Taylor is 24 years old and coming off of an ankle injury that bothered him last season and kept him on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list for four games to start this year, while Chubb is 27 and will return a year from now coming off a left knee injury that required multiple reconstructive surgeries to fix.
Taylor isn’t expensive in 2023, playing in the fourth and final year of his $7.8 million rookie contract. Spotrac projects his market value at $10.7 million annually over a new four-year deal, though Taylor is certain to push for a number that puts him at, or near, the top of the league’s RB market. For context, Christian McCaffrey is the highest-paid rusher in the NFL at just north of $16 million per season.
At a time when paying any running back eight-figures annually is considered by most in the sport to be a significant overspend, Cleveland is highly unlikely to pay two RBs that level of salary.
“[Taylor] is one of the only backs in the NFL who could ease the pain of losing Chubb. Again, the Browns have apparently shown no interest in him to this point, but now that they’re at the bye, it’s time to at least give it some thought,” Cabot wrote Tuesday. “Taylor, who asked to be traded in preseason, still wants out of Indianapolis — which has been unwilling to sign him to an extension — and would undoubtedly welcome a trade to Cleveland.”
Taylor earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2021, leading the league with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.