The Browns and RB Nick Chubb have agreed to a salary adjustment for 2024, the final year on his contract. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the change drops Chubb's cap hit from $15.85 million to $6.275 million -- with incentives that could bring his salary back up to $12.2 million. You could read this several different ways. It's positive that Cleveland didn't simply cut Chubb, which would have cost just $4 million in dead cap space, according to Spotrac. But Chubb's new salary knocks him to 11th among RBs in total money for 2024, behind Tony Pollard and Aaron Jones; barely ahead of Devin Singletary and Miles Sanders. Chubb no doubt believes he can achieve at least some of the performance incentives and drive that number back up. But it also appears he wasn't willing to test the open market for higher 2024 earnings. Ultimately, it's way too early for fantasy managers to know what we can expect from the veteran RB. Chubb's multi-ligament knee injury in September has required surgeries then and in November. We haven't seen much on his return timeline. The Browns, meanwhile, have added RBs D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines this offseason. Both signed small, one-year deals that don't come close to guaranteeing offensive roles. (Hines probably arrives to primarily return kicks.) But they join Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong as backfield insurance. We're staying away from Chubb at his RB27 best ball ADP, which still has him ahead of Javonte Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Zamir White, among others. The crowded depth chart behind Chubb also makes it a risky backfield for investing in backups.
The Browns signed RB D'Onta Foreman to a one-year deal. Although he averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in Chicago last year, Foreman ranked 22nd in Pro Football Focus rushing grade, 22nd in Elusive Rating, and 26th in Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt among 49 qualifying RBs. That followed a career-high 914 rushing yards on 4.5 yards per attempt for the Panthers in 2022. Foreman is a quality depth addition for a Browns team that has RB Nick Chubb working his way back from a significant knee injury that will likely cost him at least part of the 2024 season. Foreman will team up with RB Jerome Ford for however long Chubb is sidelined.
The Browns are hiring Ken Dorsey as their OC, according to multiple sources. He'll replace Alex Van Pelt, who'd been Cleveland's OC since HC Kevin Stefanski took over in 2020. Dorsey spent a season-and-a-half as Buffalo's OC, taking over in 2022 and leading the Bills to second-place finishes in both total yards and points. He was fired midway through this past season, despite the Bills averaging 26.2 points through the opening 10 games. (They averaged 27.1 the rest of the way.) We'll see exactly how much say Dorsey has in Stefanski's offense this coming season. Stefanski has called plays the last four seasons.
The Browns have fired OC Alex Van Pelt and RBs coach Stump Mitchell. Van Pelt has been Cleveland's OC since HC Kevin Stefanski was hired in 2020; Mitchell started his Browns tenure in 2019. We'll see who replaces those guys, but we wouldn't expect sweeping changes to the offense considering Stefanski has always had a big say in the operation.
Browns RB Nick Chubb underwent surgery on Tuesday, November 14 to repair his left ACL. His first surgery in late September addressed his MCL, meniscus, and medial capsule. Chubb's surgery was considered successful, and he's progressed "very well" following the initial surgery, the team said in a statement. "As previously announced, the estimated recovery time from these surgeries indicates that Nick would be able to return to play during the 2024 season." Exactly when Chubb is cleared to return remains unclear. We'll continue to track his rehab.
Browns RB Nick Chubb had surgery to repair his MCL, meniscus, and medial capsule on Friday, the team announced. But during that procedure, doctors discovered that Chubb will need a second surgery to repair his ACL. Chubb's estimated recovery timeline will have him back "at some point in the 2024 season," according to the team. It was previously reported that Chubb might not need the ACL repaired and that he'd be ready for the start of next season. It now sounds like there's a chance he misses the start of the 2024 campaign.
Initial tests on Browns RB Nick Chubb's left knee revealed only a torn MCL, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Chubb's ACL was "stretched," but doctors don't believe it's torn. They won't know for sure until they get a better look at the knee during surgery, which is expected to take place next week. If all of this is confirmed, Chubb is expected to need six to eight months of rehab. That'd have him back on the field sometime between this coming March and May. It's excellent news after what initially looked like a much more significant injury. Turning 28 in December, Chubb's dynasty value has still taken a big hit. But there's now at least a chance he provides at least another season or two of useful fantasy production.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski confirmed on Tuesday that RB Nick Chubb will undergo season-ending knee surgery to repair damage to multiple ligaments. We'll look for further details on Chubb's injury and timeline for return. It's certainly fair to question whether he'll be ready for the 2024 season opener.
Browns RB Jerome Ford ran the ball 16 times for 106 rushing yards in Week 2’s loss vs. the Steelers. The second-year back also added 3 catches on 4 targets for 25 yards and a score as a receiver in the game. Ford performed well in relief of injured teammate Nick Chubb (knee) and will be one of the most popular additions off of the waiver wire this week. HC Kevin Stefanski confirmed after the game that Chubb will be out for the remainder of the 2023 season.
Insider Jordan Schultz tweets that the Browns "fear" a season-ending knee injury for RB Nick Chubb. That's been the obvious assumption since the injury happened in the second quarter of Monday night's game in Pittsburgh. Schultz adds that Chubb is believed to have a dislocated knee and damage to multiple ligaments. We should get an official diagnosis within the next 24 hours. Chubb's 2023 is over. The question now is whether he can make it back for the start of the 2024 season. He turns 28 in December.
Browns RB Nick Chubb left Monday night's game in Pittsburgh on a cart after taking a shot to his left knee. ESPN declined to show replays of the injury, and Chubb could be seen denying a teammate who wanted to help him up immediately after. We'll watch for details on the injury, but it certainly doesn't look good. RB Jerome Ford entered and caught a TD pass on the ensuing play. (He then also ran in the 1-point conversion.)
Update: Chubb has been ruled out with a knee injury.
Browns RB Nick Chubb recorded 18 attempts for 106 rushing yards in Week 1's win vs. the Bengals. He also caught all 4 targets and 21 receiving yards through the air. This is yet another classic Chubb performance. Fantasy managers who drafted the veteran early got precisely what they paid for. Due to the poor weather in Cleveland, the Browns ran the ball a collective 40 times. One item to watch moving forward is the involvement of teammate Jerome Ford, a player who saw 15 carries and 36 rushing yards of his own on Sunday. We don't mention this to suggest we're concerned about Chubb's workload. But does the heavy RB2 involvement have more to do with the rainy conditions, or is this foreshadowing? We'll find out next week as the Browns travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers on Monday night primetime.
Browns RB Jerome Ford is not listed on the Week 1 injury report. He missed three weeks in August with a hamstring injury but is ready for Sunday's opener vs. the Bengals. We'll see how snaps are divvied between Ford and Pierre Strong behind lead back Nick Chubb. We're still projecting Ford as the Chubb handcuff.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski said Sunday that the team's third-down RB job is up for grabs. "Could be Nick [Chubb], could be Jerome [Ford]," Stefanski said. Chubb played just 21% of Cleveland's third-down snaps last year, ceding most of that work to RB Kareem Hunt, who's no longer on the team. Any extra third-down work Chubb picks up this season would be a bonus -- and give him an opportunity to grow his receiving production considerably. Ford, meanwhile, seems locked in as the Chubb handcuff. If he captures the majority of the third-down work, he'd have a chance at some standalone value in PPR leagues.
Browns GM Andrew Berry has been impressed by RB Jerome Ford's ability in the passing game. "Feel really good about Jerome Ford," Berry said. "Had a strong spring, pass protection especially. We think his receiver skills are strong." That's particularly noteworthy as the Browns look to replace RB Kareem Hunt, who averaged 3.4 targets per game over the last four seasons. We're not expecting Ford to pick up all of that work -- or be a standalone fantasy option behind a healthy Nick Chubb. But this looks like further confirmation that Ford is the Chubb handcuff, barring an addition to the Cleveland backfield.
Browns RB Nick Chubb averaged a career-high 17.7 carries per game in 2022. RB coach Stump Mitchell thinks that number may increase this fall. "Well, Nick hasn’t averaged 20 carries any single year in his career," Mitchell said via the Akron Beacon Journal. "If anything, they may increase. Hopefully we'll be a lot more successful in the passing game and we'll be running the ball more in the third or fourth quarter.” Michell also said Chubb will have an “opportunity to catch more passes.” (He even said a 1,000-yard receiving season is within reach, a wild claim.) The veteran tallied 27 catches for 239 yards last season and owns a career-high of 36 catches (2019). Current projections have Chubb pegged for 300 total touches.
Browns RB Nick Chubb posted a career year in 2022, finishing as the RB7 in PPR points per game (16.6). Even better, the lowest weekly fantasy finish Chubb recorded in 2022 was RB37, meaning he was at least a flex-worthy player in every game he played. He finished the season third in Pro Football Focus rushing grade, rushing yards (1,525), and yards after contact (1,050), in addition to tying for fourth in rushing TDs (12). But if you zoom in a bit, Chubb did take a step backward in a couple of areas. He logged a career-low 3.48 yards after contact per attempt, down from 4.24 and 4.00 the previous two years, and his 97.2 PFF Elusive Rating marked much lower than his 2021 (107.7) and 2020 (126.6) numbers. We still have a lot of faith in Chubb in 2023 despite the red flags. Only 2021 fifth-round pick Jerome Ford, a player who logged 8 total touches last season, stands as competition for touches, and the Browns’ offensive line that ranked eighth in PFF team run-blocking grade is still strong. See where Chubb lands in our current RB rankings.
Per Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Browns RB Jerome Ford “is going to be given every chance to be the guy” behind Nick Chubb. Citing Cleveland’s current depth, Jackson writes: “I believe the Browns know they can find a veteran runner if necessary but won’t be in a hurry to sign one.” Some candidates include Zeke Elliott, Leonard Fournette, and perhaps a reunion with Kareem Hunt. Ford remains an excellent shot to take near the end of best ball drafts.
Browns RB Nick Chubb carried the ball 14 times for a total of 104 yards in Sunday's win vs. the Commanders. He also hauled in 1 catch for 12 yards in the receiving game. Chubb now has 10 games this season with 90+ rushing yards, further solidifying his workhorse status in the Browns' offense. Fantasy managers playing into Week 18 will see Chubb go up against a Steelers defense he shredded for 113 yards and a TD in Week 3. That said, the Steelers' front is much stronger now than it was to begin the season, ranking 2nd in Football Outsiders' run defense DVOA since Week 10.
Search
