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Despite some rampant speculation, the Cleveland Browns have no plans to trade star running back Nick Chubb.
Rumors started to run wild on Tuesday that the Browns could potentially look into dealing Chubb, who will account for nearly $15 million against the cap next season. But the Browns have no intention of trading their All-Pro running back, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
“With Tennessee running back Derrick Henry reportedly on the trading block, the Browns have no plans to trade Nick Chubb as the league year opens next week,” Cabot reported. “With Deshaun Watson heading into his first full season with the Browns, the club has no plans to trade away the core players it’s worked so hard over the past three to five years to acquire. Players such as Chubb, Wyatt Teller, Joel Bitonio, Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward are all in the prime of their careers, and the Browns intend to keep the core together to have the best chance to get to the Super Bowl.”
Cabot mentions that the only way a trade would happen would be if the Browns were completely blown away by an offer. For Chubb, that would likely have to be at least a first-round pick, which the Browns would covet after giving up three first-rounders in the deal for Watson.
Conflicting Reports on Direction of Browns Offense
Part of what sparked the trade talk surrounding Chubb was a report from Matthew Berry of NBC Sports that touched on the direction the Browns’ offense could go next season.
“Cleveland’s offense is going to be really interesting next year. Look for the Browns to add a speed wide receiver this off-season to go with Amari Cooper. One source told me ‘They are really going to open up the offense. Go five wide. Pass a lot. This is going to be Deshaun Watson’s offense, not Nick Chubb’s. They will pass a lot more than folks expect,’” Berry wrote.
Cabot disputed that tidbit, saying the Browns have “big plans for the running game this season, including more runs out of the shotgun, and more passes out of the backfield for Chubb.”
Chubb is coming off a season where he rushed for 1,525 yards and was third in the NFL with 302 carries. He had just 27 catches, so it’d be interesting to see him more involved in the passing game. Kareem Hunt — who will likely depart in free agency — had 35 catches, serving primarily as the passing down back.
Watson Excited to Have Clarity After Turbulent Season
The Browns have some things to work out on the offensive side of the ball. The unit looked disjointed at times after Watson returned to the field following his 11-game suspension, with the team going 3-3 in his six starts.
Watson jumped on “The Q with Quincy Avery” — a show hosted by his longtime private quarterback coach — and discussed what he thinks will be different next season.
“I think it will be the aggressiveness of how we want to approach the season,” Watson said. “Last year was a lot of unknowns … So it kind of put everybody on hold until we figured out a week before. Now going into this season, we kind of have clarity. We can start from day one of OTAs how we want to approach it, who are our playmakers, this is the way we want to run our offense, this way we want to call our offense, do you want to play fast, do you want to play slow, no huddle. We can kind of get ahead of the game.”
Watson completed 58.2% of his passes for 1,102 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions last season.
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