Top Candidate for $8 Million NFL Rushing Champion: Browns.

The Cleveland Browns have already added one running back this week, but they might not be done adding to the position.

After reuniting with Kareem Hunt on Wednesday, September 20, Cleveland signed one former NFL rushing champion.
Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 rushing champion, is unquestionably in the prime of his career while Hunt is arguably past it.

Taylor has an ankle injury and is currently on the injured reserve list (IR), where he will stay through at least Week 4.
Before the start of the regular season, the Indianapolis Colts accepted trade offers for the running back, but they didn’t find anything they liked enough to act on.
Considering that Taylor could still be a few weeks away from playing again, a group of NFL insiders at ESPN have compiled a list of the top five teams that would be the best fits for the former All-Pro.

The Browns are at the top of that list after losing Pro Bowler Nick Chubb for the season due to a severe knee injury sustained last Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Cleveland Browns continue to have interest in trading for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
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On Thursday, Dan Graziano proposed a deal in which Cleveland’s second-round draft pick in 2024 would be exchanged for Taylor’s participation in 13 games this season, along with the possibility of a long-term contract extension for the running back going forward.

There aren’t many backs with the character and skill set to replace everything Chubb gives the Browns—whose identity is so closely tied to their run game—to replace their awful quarterback. Kareem Hunt was signed on Wednesday, but there’s a reason he remained a free agent throughout the season.
Hunt would probably return to the market if Taylor was traded for him.

The ugly situation is resolved, and the Colts receive a pick back in the same round where they selected Taylor in 2020. The situation becomes more complicated if Taylor needs a new contract in order to play for the Browns because they still owe Chubb nearly $12 million in (non-guaranteed) salary in 2024.
However, Chubb’s future is currently somewhat uncertain, and the Browns have the cap space to spend a ton of money this year if necessary to secure a Taylor trade.

The Browns’ salary cap space was almost $36 million as of Thursday.
Taylor, 24, is in the final year of his rookie contract, which is worth $7.8 million.

After Kareem Hunt’s signing, Jerome Ford is still the Cleveland Browns’ starting running back.

Following Chubb’s injury on Monday night, Jerome Ford, a second-year player and fifth-round draft pick in 2022, took over.
He did a commendable job in what was by far the most action he has seen in his career through 19 regular-season games.

Ford gained 106 yards on 16 carries and another 36 yards on three receptions to complete the night.
Ford will serve as the team’s starting running back going forward, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski’s statement on Wednesday.

According to Stefanski, Jerome is the lead back.
“But we need to figure out all of those things, as well as what Kareem is prepared to do this week, whether he is prepared to leave this week, and what kind of load he can carry.
However, Jerome is the starter.
“.

Hunt and Ford ought to be a strong team.
However, given that the Browns are obviously all-in on trying to win both this season and in the upcoming years, it would be anything but shocking if the team explored the possibility of trading for one of the NFL’s most explosive young running backs.

For Heavy.com, Max Dible covers the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Golden State Warriors.
Before working for Heavy, he reported on local and state news for West Hawaii Today and was the news director for the Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations as well as BigIslandNow.com.
Learn more about Max Dible.