Returned RB to Replace Jerome Ford in Proposed Browns Trade.

The Cleveland Browns have a running back problem, and the group may look to a well-known name to help bridge the talent gap.

D’Ernest Johnson, who played for the Browns for his first four seasons, was suggested for a reunion by Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Johnson left for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason, but he has played only sporadically.

They could have kept D’Ernest Johnson for $1 million this season, but instead they let him walk, Lloyd wrote.
“If not Taylor, then who?”.
Six times in four games, he carried the ball for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Maybe we can get together again?”.

Since Nick Chubb’s fatal injury on September 18, the Browns have been unable to generate any momentum on the ground.
With Chubb out for the season, Jerome Ford has taken over as the starting running back, but it’s abundantly clear that he is not prepared for the position.

Ford has only amassed 44 rushing yards in two starts, averaging just 2 point 3 yards per carry.
He has been averaging 3.7 yards per carry this season, which was aided by a 69-yard run against the Pittsburgh Steelers after Chubb was injured.

In order to add depth, the Browns also re-signed veteran running back Kareem Hunt, but he hasn’t contributed much since his return.
In two contests, Hunt has accumulated 25 yards on 10 carries.

The run game was conspicuously lacking in the Browns’ defeat by the Baltimore Ravens on October 1, which did nothing to ease the pressure on rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who started in place of an injured Deshaun Watson. The Browns need to make things right, but they might not want to take a risk by trading for a player like Jonathan Taylor, who is trying to find a new contract.

When given a chance with the Browns, D’Ernest Johnson excelled.

Johnson is not the most well-known player and cannot match the publicity that a trade for Taylor might generate.
Johnson, however, would be available for a fraction of the price and has previously shown he can run behind the Browns’ excellent offensive line.

In 2021, when both Chubb and Hunt were out due to injuries, Johnson’s most noteworthy Cleveland performance was filling in.
In that season, he carried the ball 100 times for 534 yards and three touchdowns.

Johnson failed to duplicate the success he had with the Browns last season, but this was primarily because of a dearth of opportunities in a crowded backfield.
With Ford occasionally joining the mix, Cleveland ran with Chubb and Hunt as its top two running backs. Johnson only had four carries for 17 yards in the entire year.

In Jacksonville, Johnson is dealing with a related problem.
He trails both Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie Tank Bigsby on the depth chart, which resulted in very little action.

After losing to the Ravens, the Browns acknowledge their run game is lacking.

Kevin Stefanski, the head coach of the Browns and the offensive play-caller, did not contest the fact that the run game has been ineffective since Chubb was hurt after the team’s 28-3 loss to the Ravens.

Stefanski told the media, “Well, we haven’t run it well the last couple, so we’ll look at all those things.
“I believe you must handle the bye in that manner.
“.

Ford acknowledged that it has been difficult to get the running game back on track.

Any team, Ford said, would find it frustrating if they couldn’t establish a running attack.
“I believe that the bye week is significant. We have some time to reflect on our mistakes in those two defeats and figure out how to improve this week in order to prepare for the next game.
“.

The 4-0 San Francisco 49ers, who have a strong defense, will be the team the Browns will be preparing to face when they return from their bye week.
Maybe by then, the backfield will have added another name to the mix.