The Cleveland Browns had a lot of issues in 2024 that led to their disastrous 3-14 campaign, and while having four different starting quarterbacks leading the offense certainly didn’t help, the running game was a major reason why the team averaged a league-worst 15.2 points per game as well.
Cleveland averaged fewer than 100 yards per game and didn’t produce a single 100-yard rusher in any single game, which made it unsurprising that Nick Chubb was allowed to walk in free agency.
As sad as it is to see Chubb leave for the Houston Texans, Cleveland drafted a pair of exciting running backs in Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, who are so talented that Nathan Jahnke recently wrote an article for PFF discussing how Jerome Ford might not even have a role in this offense anymore.
“Judkins was excellent as a rusher in college, and at Ohio State, he primarily played the early-down role. Sampson is a smaller running back, and while he’s capable of big plays in the run game, the Browns will likely use Sampson in some passing situations. This could mean that Ford is out of luck for a major role in the offense. Ford has the most experience in the passing game, but he hasn’t been effective as a receiver. Ford has also been a below-average pass protector, so he might not even see a large third-down role simply for his pass protection,” Jahnke wrote.
Ford averaged an impressive 5.4 yards per carry last season on 104 carries, which was a nice uptick from the 4.0 average he posted the previous season when Chubb’s injury forced him into a featured role.
As solid as Ford has been, he hasn’t shown to be the type of back who can be relied upon as a featured every-down back, which is why Judkins and Sampson were brought in.
The two rookies are coming from huge college programs where they each put up massive numbers, and it’s no surprise that Ford has been pushed aside for them.
Teams always need multiple running backs, so Ford’s experience and consistency are still a vital part of this offense, but it’s unlikely he’ll get many touches with Judkins and Sampson in town.
NEXT: Isaiah McGuire Has Honest Admission About Browns' Struggles Last Season
