Dawgs By Nature
The beloved running back is the next big news story for the Browns, one way or the other
The bulk of the free agency period for the Cleveland Browns is pretty much over with. There have been a few free agent signings from GM Andrew Berry lately, including WR Dionte Johnson.
Berry inked CB/S Nik Needham from the Miami Dolphins on April 21. A week earlier, he signed DE Julian Okwara, and on April 11, brought back QB Joe Flacco. Without selecting a receiver in the NFL draft, two days after that event, Johnson was brought in for a visit and agreed to a deal.
So, new veteran bodies remain a topic.
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But what about RB Nick Chubb? At the time of the draft, he remained unsigned and was still out there working out and improving his body. Is Berry still going to sign Chubb back with the Browns?
At the Combine in March, Berry stated this when asked about Chubb’s return:
“Nick is a popular discussion point. I meant what I said about him at the end of the season. Any conversations we will have with him or his reps will stay between us. He works his tail off. He does everything in his power to make sure that he can recover as quickly as possible. It still is very early. We’re six months away from training camp. To say anything more than I did in the middle of January would be inaccurate.”
Berry referenced what he had said previously at the end-of-the-year presser. This is what transpired in that news conference:
“I think everyone in this room knows how much respect and appreciation we have for Nick. Not just for his exploits on the field, but who he is in the locker room and who he is as a person. It’s always a challenging situation when one of your cornerstone players their contract is up. That’s probably a little different situation relative to his last, where there is less control on the club side with it. Those are all decisions we have to work with. We love Nick. He’s going to be a Ring of Honor player. In terms of the short term, that’s something that quite honestly we will see.”
Chubb was able to return to the field in Week 7 this past season. He played in 8 games and had 102 carries with 332 yards, three touchdowns, a 3.3 yards per carry average, and caught five passes for 31 yards with another score.
Everyone points to that 3.3 yards per carry average. Last year, before the knee accident, he was averaging 6.1 yards per carry. The lowest he has ever had in any season was 5.0 yards per carry. When he finally hit the field this year, did he look like the same Nick Chubb? The most yardage he accumulated in a single game was just 59 yards. He had less than 41 yards in four games, including...
