The State of the 2024 Browns: Running Backs and Tight Ends
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Yes, well done!
I think that Chubb is a better 'cutter' than you give him credit for. He has this great 'hop-cut' thing that he does that gets him to another lane. That and his great acceleration can lead to bread-away runs. How much of that remains after this latest horrible injury remains to be seen. To me he is the epitome of the old Browns RB's. (and I would like to add Ernie Green & Bo Scott to your RB history lesson)
I think that Ford tends to be late in making his decision of where to go...and often times makes the wrong decision. But it was a tough year to be a Browns RB. The OL was not as great as previous years and the QB situation meant that defenses could concentrate more on taking away the run. Obviously that changed when Flacco took control. At that point teams had to defend the pass intensely...but of course, the edges of our OL were down to 3rd stringers so running the ball was still difficult.
Aidan Robbins looks good getting off the bus. Let's hope that he has enough speed and intangibles to be a good option.
The TE position is a question mark position. Treyton Welch ---- Welch attended Buffalo High School in Minnesota, where he was an elite wide receiver. --- Treyton, it doesn't matter if you got drafted or you didn't. You are marching in the path that Ozzie Newsome took. His records are here to be broken. Why not you?
Yes, well done!
I think that Chubb is a better 'cutter' than you give him credit for. He has this great 'hop-cut' thing that he does that gets him to another lane. That and his great acceleration can lead to bread-away runs. How much of that remains after this latest horrible injury remains to be seen. To me he is the epitome of the old Browns RB's. (and I would like to add Ernie Green & Bo Scott to your RB history lesson)
I think that Ford tends to be late in making his decision of where to go...and often times makes the wrong decision. But it was a tough year to be a Browns RB. The OL was not as great as previous years and the QB situation meant that defenses could concentrate more on taking away the run. Obviously that changed when Flacco took control. At that point teams had to defend the pass intensely...but of course, the edges of our OL were down to 3rd stringers so running the ball was still difficult.
Aidan Robbins looks good getting off the bus. Let's hope that he has enough speed and intangibles to be a good option.
The TE position is a question mark position. Treyton Welch ---- Welch attended Buffalo High School in Minnesota, where he was an elite wide receiver. --- Treyton, it doesn't matter if got drafted or you didn't. You are marching in the path that Ozzie Newsome took. His records are here to be broken. Why not you?
Thank you! Great idea about adding Ernie Green and Bo Scott. Loved Bo Scott and heard good things about Ernie Green. I'm sure there's others I forgot so I'll keep updating this in bold in any posts that make suggestions since this is our team. I'm also going to add our previous Mr 3rd Down (in his 30s at the time) - Calvin Hill and Pruitt's underrated blocking back Cleo Miller (who reminded me of a lot of Bo Scott).
Here are some names of previous Running Backs and Full Backs our fans and families have enjoyed watching over the years: Jim Brown, Marion Motley, Ernie Green, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly, Bo Scott, Greg Pruitt, Cleo Miller, Calvin Hill, Mike Pruitt, Earnest Byner, Kevin Mack, Curtis Dickey, Eric Metcalf, Leroy Hoard, and Jamal Lewis.
Well said about Chubb! I agree with it. Nick Chubb is a very smart and well calculated player IMO. For example, even his hops to just change a lane and then accelerate are safe on the structure of his knees (rarely ever putting all momentum/force/torque on the outside plant leg to a drastic change of direction the other way). That's on purpose. There's too many turfs that grab just ask Saquon Barkley. Chubb isn't built like Eric Metcalf, Barry Sanders or Warrick Dunn that were lighter backs with skinnier legs. Consequently, they could all sprint in 1 direction and gracefully stop on a dime with their outside plant leg only to be sprinting in the opposite direction immediately. I still remember Eric Metcalf giving one squid from Cincy a slalom sky move on an outside run. The defender froze and Metcalf scored untouched. When I was younger, I'll never forget the game when the Browns travelled to Seattle. A very promising young RB (and former Penn State star/National Champion) named Curt Warner was giving NFL defenders fits trying to square up and open field tackle this change of direction gem. Here's part of an article explaining how Warner's season ended in the first game of the year:
Early in the ’84 season opener vs. Cleveland, Warner took a pitch wide right, stretching the defense to set up his patented cut-back action. His foot planted, his knee detonated, and by the time he hit the turf, the Kingdome fell silent.
That was good background info you added about Treyton Welch. Hopefully, he can bring some goodies that our 2nd TE spot was missing last year.
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In name Chubb is the starter. In reality there are big question marks. I don't have any expectations for Nick until I see what he has. I think there is as good a chance he never really plays as there is him returning like nothing happened. He is probably going to be somewhere in the middle. He is a lot older than he was when his first injury occurred.
I think Adian Robbins has a chance to be really good. The guy is a load.
As for TE's, we have Njoku and then a bunch of "guys". I did like some of the tape I saw on Trey Welch. Unless he just craps out in camp, I'd keep him. Since all the others are just "guys" who can easily be replaced I say keep Welch and see if he can become more than just a "guy" over a season or two.
I know many in here play fantasy football. After the top 7-10 players, maybe even top 5, all the others are pretty much the same.
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In name Chubb is the starter. In reality there are big question marks. I don't have any expectations for Nick until I see what he has. I think there is as good a chance he never really plays as there is him returning like nothing happened. He is probably going to be somewhere in the middle. He is a lot older than he was when his first injury occurred.
I think Adian Robbins has a chance to be really good. The guy is a load.
As for TE's, we have Njoku and then a bunch of "guys". I did like some of the tape I saw on Trey Welch. Unless he just craps out in camp, I'd keep him. Since all the others are just "guys" who can easily be replaced I say keep Welch and see if he can become more than just a "guy" over a season or two.
I know many in here play fantasy football. After the top 7-10 players, maybe even top 5, all the others are pretty much the same.
As for TE's, we have Njoku and then a bunch of "guys".
Yup. And we allowed our backup pass catching TE to walk (Harrison Bryant). But IMO he was just another 'guy'. Just a tall, lumbering guy who could catch the ball if the D forgot to cover him. If nobody separates themselves during camp I expect we'll sign somebody after roster cuts.
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As for TE's, we have Njoku and then a bunch of "guys".
Yup. And we allowed our backup pass catching TE to walk (Harrison Bryant). But IMO he was just another 'guy'. Just a tall, lumbering guy who could catch the ball if the D forgot to cover him. If nobody separates themselves during camp I expect we'll sign somebody after roster cuts.
Yup. And we allowed our backup pass catching TE to walk (Harrison Bryant). But IMO he was just another 'guy'. Just a tall, lumbering guy who could catch the ball if the D forgot to cover him. If nobody separates themselves during camp I expect we'll sign somebody after roster cuts.
I hear ya. Even then, there were no guarantees he wouldn't fumble as soon as soon as he got hit. This DOES caution me to consider the level of competition guys are coming out of; because Harrison Bryant was a Mackey Award winner as the nation's best TE in D-I as well as a consensus All American. That's a decorated college football career/final season. Bryant's college Florida Atlantic plays in the AAC which has a few good teams; but not enough to question if he would have had the same productivity in the SEC or even the ACC for that matter. Ironically, the undrafted rookie TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden the Browns just signed for $2,570,000 for 3 years is also from Florida Atlantic (after transferring from the D-II Notre Dame program).
This is why the draft is still a crap shoot. All that stuff I just talked about pertaining to Bryant above didn't seem to apply to Jerry Rice coming out of Mississippi Valley State or even Steve McNair coming out of Alcorn State. They weren't TEs per say but the point is - whatever great stats they had were also in conferences that didn't have enough NFL prospects in them in terms of the barometer of "he did what against who?"
As much as the NFL Draft has always fascinated me as a football fan - I've never been very good at pegging guys right. That's probably because of how often I forget teams shouldn't be drafting what's in rear view mirror only. They should be drafting all the goodies they feel a prospect offers their offense or defense and/or special teams. They should also have a good idea if any of his weaknesses are coachable or if his character is even coachable. Some organizations are better than others at researching the red flags.
Sometimes I get the feeling Berry knows he's better at finding proven NFL vets for the Browns than drafting unproven guys from the crapshoot. That offseason last year took us to another level. He can always change this feeling by showing me he's great at both...
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i am not overly impressed with the rb room and believe we will add someone
Cam Akers was looking awesome with the rams 2 years ago, was traded to the Vikings and then this.
Akers played in six games with the Vikings before suffering a torn Achilles tendon that ended his season. It's the second Achilles injury the young back suffered since entering the professional ranks. So, it's not surprising that teams are waiting to see how he recovers before giving him another shot. -
Yup. And we allowed our backup pass catching TE to walk (Harrison Bryant). But IMO he was just another 'guy'. Just a tall, lumbering guy who could catch the ball if the D forgot to cover him. If nobody separates themselves during camp I expect we'll sign somebody after roster cuts.
I hear ya. Even then, there were no guarantees he wouldn't fumble as soon as soon as he got hit. This DOES caution me to consider the level of competition guys are coming out of; because Harrison Bryant was a Mackey Award winner as the nation's best TE in D-I as well as a consensus All American. That's a decorated college football career/final season. Bryant's college Florida Atlantic plays in the AAC which has a few good teams; but not enough to question if he would have had the same productivity in the SEC or even the ACC for that matter. Ironically, the undrafted rookie TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden the Browns just signed for $2,570,000 for 3 years is also from Florida Atlantic (after transferring from the D-II Notre Dame program).
This is why the draft is still a crap shoot. All that stuff I just talked about pertaining to Bryant above didn't seem to apply to Jerry Rice coming out of Mississippi Valley State or even Steve McNair coming out of Alcorn State. They weren't TEs per say but the point is - whatever great stats they had were also in conferences that didn't have enough NFL prospects in them in terms of the barometer of "he did what against who?"
As much as the NFL Draft has always fascinated me as a football fan - I've never been very good at pegging guys right. That's probably because of how often I forget teams shouldn't be drafting what's in rear view mirror only. They should be drafting all the goodies they feel a prospect offers their offense or defense and/or special teams. They should also have a good idea if any of his weaknesses are coachable or if his character is even coachable. Some organizations are better than others at researching the red flags.
Sometimes I get the feeling Berry knows he's better at finding proven NFL vets for the Browns than drafting unproven guys from the crapshoot. That offseason last year took us to another level. He can always change this feeling by showing me he's great at both...
here were no guarantees he wouldn't fumble as soon as soon as he got hit.
Yup! It was such that after he caught the ball he would wrap two arms around the ball and trudge ahead for a few yards. I used to call him the worst Mackey award winner I'd ever seen. The thing is, he wasn't terrible. But the fact that he was a Mackey winner made us expect some sort of excellence from him.
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Yes, well done!
I think that Chubb is a better 'cutter' than you give him credit for. He has this great 'hop-cut' thing that he does that gets him to another lane. That and his great acceleration can lead to bread-away runs. How much of that remains after this latest horrible injury remains to be seen. To me he is the epitome of the old Browns RB's. (and I would like to add Ernie Green & Bo Scott to your RB history lesson)
I think that Ford tends to be late in making his decision of where to go...and often times makes the wrong decision. But it was a tough year to be a Browns RB. The OL was not as great as previous years and the QB situation meant that defenses could concentrate more on taking away the run. Obviously that changed when Flacco took control. At that point teams had to defend the pass intensely...but of course, the edges of our OL were down to 3rd stringers so running the ball was still difficult.
Aidan Robbins looks good getting off the bus. Let's hope that he has enough speed and intangibles to be a good option.
The TE position is a question mark position. Treyton Welch ---- Welch attended Buffalo High School in Minnesota, where he was an elite wide receiver. --- Treyton, it doesn't matter if got drafted or you didn't. You are marching in the path that Ozzie Newsome took. His records are here to be broken. Why not you?
Thank you! Great idea about adding Ernie Green and Bo Scott. Loved Bo Scott and heard good things about Ernie Green. I'm sure there's others I forgot so I'll keep updating this in bold in any posts that make suggestions since this is our team. I'm also going to add our previous Mr 3rd Down (in his 30s at the time) - Calvin Hill and Pruitt's underrated blocking back Cleo Miller (who reminded me of a lot of Bo Scott).
Here are some names of previous Running Backs and Full Backs our fans and families have enjoyed watching over the years: Jim Brown, Marion Motley, Ernie Green, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly, Bo Scott, Greg Pruitt, Cleo Miller, Calvin Hill, Mike Pruitt, Earnest Byner, Kevin Mack, Curtis Dickey, Eric Metcalf, Leroy Hoard, and Jamal Lewis.
Well said about Chubb! I agree with it. Nick Chubb is a very smart and well calculated player IMO. For example, even his hops to just change a lane and then accelerate are safe on the structure of his knees (rarely ever putting all momentum/force/torque on the outside plant leg to a drastic change of direction the other way). That's on purpose. There's too many turfs that grab just ask Saquon Barkley. Chubb isn't built like Eric Metcalf, Barry Sanders or Warrick Dunn that were lighter backs with skinnier legs. Consequently, they could all sprint in 1 direction and gracefully stop on a dime with their outside plant leg only to be sprinting in the opposite direction immediately. I still remember Eric Metcalf giving one squid from Cincy a slalom sky move on an outside run. The defender froze and Metcalf scored untouched. When I was younger, I'll never forget the game when the Browns travelled to Seattle. A very promising young RB (and former Penn State star/National Champion) named Curt Warner was giving NFL defenders fits trying to square up and open field tackle this change of direction gem. Here's part of an article explaining how Warner's season ended in the first game of the year:
Early in the ’84 season opener vs. Cleveland, Warner took a pitch wide right, stretching the defense to set up his patented cut-back action. His foot planted, his knee detonated, and by the time he hit the turf, the Kingdome fell silent.
That was good background info you added about Treyton Welch. Hopefully, he can bring some goodies that our 2nd TE spot was missing last year.
Here are some names of previous Running Backs and Full Backs our fans and families have enjoyed watching over the years: Jim Brown, Marion Motley, Ernie Green, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly, Bo Scott, Greg Pruitt, Cleo Miller, Calvin Hill, Mike Pruitt, Earnest Byner, Kevin Mack, Curtis Dickey, Eric Metcalf, Leroy Hoard,
what a great group, Loved me some Calvin Hill
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here were no guarantees he wouldn't fumble as soon as soon as he got hit.
Yup! It was such that after he caught the ball he would wrap two arms around the ball and trudge ahead for a few yards. I used to call him the worst Mackey award winner I'd ever seen. The thing is, he wasn't terrible. But the fact that he was a Mackey winner made us expect some sort of excellence from him.
Yup! It was such that after he caught the ball he would wrap two arms around the ball and trudge ahead for a few yards. I used to call him the worst Mackey award winner I'd ever seen. The thing is, he wasn't terrible. But the fact that he was a Mackey winner made us expect some sort of excellence from him.
Yup! It was such that after he caught the ball he would wrap two arms around the ball and trudge ahead for a few yards. I used to call him the worst Mackey award winner I'd ever seen. The thing is, he wasn't terrible. But the fact that he was a Mackey winner made us expect some sort of excellence from him.
that and he improved after year one, I was kinda pissed we let him walk, cause after "The Chief" i give are t,e room a E
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Yup! It was such that after he caught the ball he would wrap two arms around the ball and trudge ahead for a few yards. I used to call him the worst Mackey award winner I'd ever seen. The thing is, he wasn't terrible. But the fact that he was a Mackey winner made us expect some sort of excellence from him.
Yup! It was such that after he caught the ball he would wrap two arms around the ball and trudge ahead for a few yards. I used to call him the worst Mackey award winner I'd ever seen. The thing is, he wasn't terrible. But the fact that he was a Mackey winner made us expect some sort of excellence from him.
that and he improved after year one, I was kinda pissed we let him walk, cause after "The Chief" i give are t,e room a E
I was kinda pissed we let him walk,
Yeah, it weakened our TE room. But they didn't see him as worth doing a 2nd contract for. In theory though, his production level shouldn't be too hard to replace. Obviously they gave a chunk of $$ to Zaire Mitchell-Paden. We'll have to see how that pans out.
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I was kinda pissed we let him walk,
Yeah, it weakened our TE room. But they didn't see him as worth doing a 2nd contract for. In theory though, his production level shouldn't be too hard to replace. Obviously they gave a chunk of $$ to Zaire Mitchell-Paden. We'll have to see how that pans out.
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Watson played first base for Team Njoku and collided with tight end/second baseman Zaire Mitchell-Paden while catching a popup. Watson, who had surgery in November to repair a broken bone in his right shoulder, was knocked to the ground but got up and indicated to the crowd he was OK.
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The Offensive Line preview we were all treated to is a tough act to follow. This is gonna sound a lot more like it's coming from Andrew Dice Clay without the cussing. Also, Tia will preview the Wide Receiver position sometime over the next weekend or the ensuing Monday. Ok, we’re going to start this off with a look at the RB position that has a very proud and storied tradition for the Cleveland Browns. Here are some names of previous Running Backs and Full Backs our fans and families have enjoyed watching over the years: Jim Brown, Marion Motley, Ernie Green, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly, Bo Scott, Greg Pruitt, Cleo Miller, Calvin Hill, Mike Pruitt, Earnest Byner, Kevin Mack, Curtis Dickey, Eric Metcalf, Leroy Hoard, and Jamal Lewis. What reeled me in was hearing about Jim Brown from my dad along with Leroy Kelly as my 1st impression. Those were appetizers that led to an insatiable appetite for watching Greg Pruitt. Today, I proudly wear him as my avatar in here.
Starter: Nick Chubb. Who in this fan base would have the guts to say anyone else? I certainly don’t have the grapefruits under the acorn to do that. We have seen enough of this guy to know what he is made of mentally and physically. Our battle tested hero has already bounced back from a major knee injury and surgery in his college career at Georgia. That injury took place in the 6th game of his sophomore season midway through October of 2015; where Chubb ended the year with 92 carries for 747 yards (8.1 ypc) and 7 TDs. As early as the beginning of September of 2016 he began to share half the work load with RB Sony Michel. That year Nick had 224 carries for 1130 yards ( 5.0 ypc) and 8 TDs in 13 games. Was he safe yet? Well… Just 1 season later, he had 223 carries for 1345 yards (6.0 ypc) and 15 TDs in 15 games splitting carries with Michel again. I know that’s only college; but what do the great ones do when adversity strikes? They rise to the challenge and WIN!
Unlike college, Chubb’s injury last year was much earlier in the season. It occurred in the 2nd game of the season on MNF on September 18th. The devastation of it all didn’t have many of us thinking about silver linings. On the other extreme, Nick was already thinking: “I have even more recovery and rehab time with this injury than I had with my injury at Georgia.” Nick isn’t really a cut on a dime, change of direction type of back that would frequently put the structure of his knee on trial during games. He's not wired that way. My guess is that is a big part of the reason he remains more optimistic than people on the outside looking in seem to be. Drawing on his previous experience of overcoming a serious knee injury enduring the blood, sweat and tears of rehab has him ready to meet the challenge again. All that to say, I’m very confident in WHO he is from the WILL he has. Chubb will be our starter for at least the final 8 or 9 games. Book it!
In all likelihood, Nick Chubb will begin the season with a very restricted rep count even if that begins in the 2nd or 3rd game. Once the Browns see that he can safely run the ball the way that he is wired to do so – they will begin to gradually increase his work load each week. In a 60 minute game on a field that is 120 yards long and 53.3 yards wide over a 17 game season – there’s plenty of room and time for patience.
Reserves: This group will be guided by the Browns’ new RB Coach Duce Staley. This is a real fiery guy that won’t hesitate to challenge the competitive juices of defensive coaches when the offense is going against the defense in practice. This was shown on Hard Knocks in Detroit last year when he and DC Aaron Glenn we’re getting after it. I saw an old school mentality that didn’t tolerate any lack of effort from the players. That should be a perfect match for the RBs that will be in Training Camp competing for playing time, active roster spots or a place on the practice squad.
At the beginning of the regular season, Jerome Ford and D’Onta Foreman look to be the 2 favorites competing for the most reps. This will be dependent upon their situational role and whoever has the hot hand each week. Ford had his first experience starting in the backfield last year while sharing reps with Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr. Unfortunately, Ford’s bad habits and growing pains jumped out at viewers. If Staley ever sees him turn a 5 yard loss into a 45 yard loss – he won’t hesitate to replace Ford in the game. That said, Ford caught 63 passes and scored 5 TDs as a receiver out of the backfield. He also contributed 813 yards on 204 carries (4.0 ypc) and 4 TDs. Those aren’t horrible if we factor in how much of the season we had a 3rd string RT while the Browns signed an unemployed LT for the final 3rd of the season (who is no longer with this team). That was pretty much an advertisement that if the Browns wanted to find any consistency running the ball – they’d have to do it inside the tackles.
D’Onta Foreman’s last 3 teams were the Titans in 2021 (566 yards 4.3 ypc 3 TDs), Panthers in 2022 (914 yards 4.5 ypc 5 TDs), and Bears in 2023 (425 yards 3.9 ypc 4 TDs). He’s a physical back that would be fun to watch pounding the ball behind a hopefully healthy offensive line here. Meanwhile Pierre Strong Jr could compete for a 3rd down role as well as the veteran speedster Nyheim Hines. John Kelly Jr and rookie Aidan Robbins are going to have to be able to contribute on Special Teams and grab the attention of the offensive coaches when running or catching the ball as well as pass protecting. Robbins played for 3 different college programs at Louisville, UNLV and BYU. I like his frame at 6’2”, 237 lbs. He only had a handful of carries in his first 2 years at Louisville before transferring to UNLV and rushing for 1011 yards (4.8 ypc) and 9 TDs on 209 carries to go with 23 receptions for 125 yards and 1 TD in 2022. Then he transferred to BYU and rushed for 485 yard (4.85 ypc) and 1 TD to go with 7 receptions for 33 yards in 2023.
In a sport where it is more important how you finish than how you start – I give the RB position a Forecast Grade of B.
Next, let’s take a look our Tight End position inclusive of the H-Back. Before doing so, one of my favorite First rounds in the NFL Draft for the Cleveland Browns was in 1978. This was the year when the Browns drafted a WR from Alabama named Ozzie Newsome and an OLB from USC named Clay Matthews. The Browns had big plans for Ozzie and they weren’t at WR. He came here and put together a Hall of Fame career as a TE that was fun to watch.
Starter: David Njoku. Before we get to last year, this guy has continued to improve and progress as a blocker outside. Even better, he looks like he enjoys that art much better than he probably ever thought he would as a 1st round Diva that was more interested in showing us his abs once upon a time. It was invaluable to have him helping our 3rd string Right Tackle as well as Wills (and later his backup) on the blind side of pass protection. Having said that, Njoku became a very valuable prong of attack as he added 81 receptions for 882 yards (10.9 ypr) and 6 TDs. He had some very physical runs after his catches - that were an absolute pleasure to watch. It was nice to all his efforts rewarded when he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Sometimes the only thing that could stop David was an occasional lapse of concentration at the worst of times.
Reserves: There doesn’t appear to be a lot of depth here. Last year the Browns added TE Jordan Akins thinking his 3 years of experience catching passes from Deshaun Watson in Houston would reunite a previous chemistry. The intentions were nice but he ended with 15 receptions for 132 yards (8.8 ypr) and 0 TDs. Part of that was he wasn’t used as much as he was in Houston; and the other part is Watson was injured in the 2nd half of the season. Akins is still here while Harrison Bryant and anyone else we had competing for reps beyond Njoku are no longer competition for reps.
Giovanni Ricci will see action as an H-Back and a TE. He’s 6’3”, 240 lbs that could line up at Fullback or be used as a lead blocker or a receiver out of the backfield. They could also put him in motion or simply line him up at TE. He played 3 years for Carolina where his best season was in 2022 catching 8 of 9 targets for 100 yards and 0 TDs. The other 2 years he had a combined total of 1 reception making him pretty much mystery meat at this time. His bucket list appears to be catching his first NFL TD pass. That said, if he is a special teams beast that could explain why Carolina kept him around.
Another intriguing acquisition for the Browns is Zaire Mitchell-Paden or as dyslexics tend to call him Mitchell-Pardon. The frame is 6’5”, 257 lbs. He joins the Browns as an undrafted free agent from Florida Atlantic after transferring from the Division II Notre Dame program. That might look better before readers drink their coffee. All this said there’s a saying “See something? Say Something!” Apparently the Browns did; because this guy signed a 3 year $2,570,000 contract with the Browns. Perceived strengths are ideal pad height, hand placement, good down field blocker but the downfield blocking effort is also listed as a weakness. The Browns also signed undrafted rookie free agent TE Treyton Welch who brings his ambition and 6’4”, 240 lb frame to training camp. He is also listed at 6’3” so there’s already an adorable mysterious quality about him. He was an offensive captain from the same Wyoming college football program Josh Allen came out of. That may not mean anything today; but it tells you how much his teammates thought of him. In 2023, he had 31 receptions for 308 yard (9.9 ypr) and 2 TDs. He ended his college career as a First Team All Mountain West performer at TE. His college coaches rave about how well he catches the ball in traffic. Let’s see who brings the magic to training camp. My guess is nobody will unseat Njoku. However, if I was a newcomer I would see the Browns’ lack of interest in utilizing Akins in their game plans as an ideal opportunity to show the coaching staff what they’ve been missing from the 2nd TE position. That is definitely not impossible.
Despite what looks like an overall lack of depth at TE – Njoku’s Pro Bowl achievement from all the hard work as a blocker and receiver with unfinished business pulls up my expectation for the group to a Forecast Grade of B – .
If you made it this far, thank you! Now it’s your turn to tell us what you think of the 2024 forecast for the Running Backs and Tight Ends of this team. You can do that by answering any or all of the following questions or just give us your free style blowhard in this thread.
Who do you think will emerge as a productive RB on this roster before Chubb returns to the full workload? Do you anticipate any positive surprises in the RB group? Who do you think will be disappointing in this group?
Who do you think will be our best receiver out of the backfield?
What would you like to see more of from the RB position on game day?
Is there anything you feel our RBs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for from us fans?
Is there anything you’d like to see more of from the RB position in the game plans? Anything you’d like to see less of from them in the game plans?
Where do you predict the Browns will rank at running the ball this year? Why do you feel this way?
After Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly and before Nick Chubb, what RB or RBs did you enjoy watching the most for the Browns (you can also list a FB in lieu of a RB)? What was it about the guy or guys you listed that made you feel this way?
Who is the best TE you have seen on this franchise? Similar but different, who is or was your favorite TE here?
Who did you feel has been the best blocking TE you’ve seen on the Browns current or past?
How do you feel the TE position can be better utilized in the game plans? Or, do you like it as is? Why do you feel this way?
What do you feel our TEs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for?
How heavily do you think the TE position will be counted on to help our Tackles with setting the edge for the running game this year?
In the last 2 years or so, Michael Dunn has been used on occasion (but very infrequently) as a TE lining up to the right of our RT for the sole purpose setting the edge for the running game only. Is this something you'd like to see more of in the future?
Who do you think will emerge as a productive RB on this roster before Chubb returns to the full workload? Do you anticipate any positive surprises in the RB group? Honestly, I see the Browns using an "all-hands on deck" M.O. concerning the RB position, with Ford being the nominal leading guy.
Who do you think will be disappointing in this group? I don't see anyone being disappointing because I don't think we have high hopes for any one specific RB, including Chubb.
Who do you think will be our best receiver out of the backfield? I think Chubb's pass catching is sometimes overlooked, but Ford is good out of the backfield, as it Hines.
What would you like to see more of from the RB position on game day? Specifically, I'd like to see Ford limit the amount of negative runs he has. Sometimes he needs to put his head down and take the one yard gain, instead of dancing and losing four.
Is there anything you feel our RBs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for from us fans? I believe they all are sneaky good at making cookies and other baked goodies.
Where do you predict the Browns will rank at running the ball this year? Why do you feel this way? This is a very difficult question because I don't know if the Browns are actually going to have an offense that is more catered to Watson - which might not put up the rushing numbers we are used to.
After Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly and before Nick Chubb, what RB or RBs did you enjoy watching the most for the Browns (you can also list a FB in lieu of a RB)? What was it about the guy or guys you listed that made you feel this way? I was a huge Earnest Byner fan. Loved how hard he ran and how well he caught the ball.
Who is the best TE you have seen on this franchise? Similar but different, who is or was your favorite TE here? I started really following the Browns around the middle of Ozzie Newsome's career, which is a pretty obvious answer for me for both. =
Who did you feel has been the best blocking TE you’ve seen on the Browns current or past? Well that definitely was not Ozzie. I honestly do not know who would be considered a good blocking Browns TE. There was a backup TE on the mid-to-late 80s teams that never really caught the ball, but I'm assuming he was on the team for blocking purposes. I'll say that guy.... I think his number was 81? Oh, Njoku seems to have worked on this part of his game for sure.
How do you feel the TE position can be better utilized in the game plans? Or, do you like it as is? Why do you feel this way? I've always wondered why an athletic TE like Njoku wasn't used on seam routes downfield more.
What do you feel our TEs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for? Hmm... I'd probably say blocking in the run game.
How heavily do you think the TE position will be counted on to help our Tackles with setting the edge for the running game this year? No idea. I'm not sure what to expect from this offense. We heard things in training camp and before last season about how "we won't recognize this offense!" but it still seemed like Stefanski struggled to fit the offense to Watson.
In the last 2 years or so, Michael Dunn has been used on occasion (but very infrequently) as a TE lining up to the right of our RT for the sole purpose setting the edge for the running game only. Is this something you'd like to see more of in the future? On occasion I enjoy offenses that employ extra OLinemen in an attempt to "get a number advantage" on the defense. You can say it tickles my fancy. It tickles it reeeeeeal good, mmmhm.
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The Offensive Line preview we were all treated to is a tough act to follow. This is gonna sound a lot more like it's coming from Andrew Dice Clay without the cussing. Also, Tia will preview the Wide Receiver position sometime over the next weekend or the ensuing Monday. Ok, we’re going to start this off with a look at the RB position that has a very proud and storied tradition for the Cleveland Browns. Here are some names of previous Running Backs and Full Backs our fans and families have enjoyed watching over the years: Jim Brown, Marion Motley, Ernie Green, Bobby Mitchell, Leroy Kelly, Bo Scott, Greg Pruitt, Cleo Miller, Calvin Hill, Mike Pruitt, Earnest Byner, Kevin Mack, Curtis Dickey, Eric Metcalf, Leroy Hoard, and Jamal Lewis. What reeled me in was hearing about Jim Brown from my dad along with Leroy Kelly as my 1st impression. Those were appetizers that led to an insatiable appetite for watching Greg Pruitt. Today, I proudly wear him as my avatar in here.
Starter: Nick Chubb. Who in this fan base would have the guts to say anyone else? I certainly don’t have the grapefruits under the acorn to do that. We have seen enough of this guy to know what he is made of mentally and physically. Our battle tested hero has already bounced back from a major knee injury and surgery in his college career at Georgia. That injury took place in the 6th game of his sophomore season midway through October of 2015; where Chubb ended the year with 92 carries for 747 yards (8.1 ypc) and 7 TDs. As early as the beginning of September of 2016 he began to share half the work load with RB Sony Michel. That year Nick had 224 carries for 1130 yards ( 5.0 ypc) and 8 TDs in 13 games. Was he safe yet? Well… Just 1 season later, he had 223 carries for 1345 yards (6.0 ypc) and 15 TDs in 15 games splitting carries with Michel again. I know that’s only college; but what do the great ones do when adversity strikes? They rise to the challenge and WIN!
Unlike college, Chubb’s injury last year was much earlier in the season. It occurred in the 2nd game of the season on MNF on September 18th. The devastation of it all didn’t have many of us thinking about silver linings. On the other extreme, Nick was already thinking: “I have even more recovery and rehab time with this injury than I had with my injury at Georgia.” Nick isn’t really a cut on a dime, change of direction type of back that would frequently put the structure of his knee on trial during games. He's not wired that way. My guess is that is a big part of the reason he remains more optimistic than people on the outside looking in seem to be. Drawing on his previous experience of overcoming a serious knee injury enduring the blood, sweat and tears of rehab has him ready to meet the challenge again. All that to say, I’m very confident in WHO he is from the WILL he has. Chubb will be our starter for at least the final 8 or 9 games. Book it!
In all likelihood, Nick Chubb will begin the season with a very restricted rep count even if that begins in the 2nd or 3rd game. Once the Browns see that he can safely run the ball the way that he is wired to do so – they will begin to gradually increase his work load each week. In a 60 minute game on a field that is 120 yards long and 53.3 yards wide over a 17 game season – there’s plenty of room and time for patience.
Reserves: This group will be guided by the Browns’ new RB Coach Duce Staley. This is a real fiery guy that won’t hesitate to challenge the competitive juices of defensive coaches when the offense is going against the defense in practice. This was shown on Hard Knocks in Detroit last year when he and DC Aaron Glenn we’re getting after it. I saw an old school mentality that didn’t tolerate any lack of effort from the players. That should be a perfect match for the RBs that will be in Training Camp competing for playing time, active roster spots or a place on the practice squad.
At the beginning of the regular season, Jerome Ford and D’Onta Foreman look to be the 2 favorites competing for the most reps. This will be dependent upon their situational role and whoever has the hot hand each week. Ford had his first experience starting in the backfield last year while sharing reps with Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr. Unfortunately, Ford’s bad habits and growing pains jumped out at viewers. If Staley ever sees him turn a 5 yard loss into a 45 yard loss – he won’t hesitate to replace Ford in the game. That said, Ford caught 63 passes and scored 5 TDs as a receiver out of the backfield. He also contributed 813 yards on 204 carries (4.0 ypc) and 4 TDs. Those aren’t horrible if we factor in how much of the season we had a 3rd string RT while the Browns signed an unemployed LT for the final 3rd of the season (who is no longer with this team). That was pretty much an advertisement that if the Browns wanted to find any consistency running the ball – they’d have to do it inside the tackles.
D’Onta Foreman’s last 3 teams were the Titans in 2021 (566 yards 4.3 ypc 3 TDs), Panthers in 2022 (914 yards 4.5 ypc 5 TDs), and Bears in 2023 (425 yards 3.9 ypc 4 TDs). He’s a physical back that would be fun to watch pounding the ball behind a hopefully healthy offensive line here. Meanwhile Pierre Strong Jr could compete for a 3rd down role as well as the veteran speedster Nyheim Hines. John Kelly Jr and rookie Aidan Robbins are going to have to be able to contribute on Special Teams and grab the attention of the offensive coaches when running or catching the ball as well as pass protecting. Robbins played for 3 different college programs at Louisville, UNLV and BYU. I like his frame at 6’2”, 237 lbs. He only had a handful of carries in his first 2 years at Louisville before transferring to UNLV and rushing for 1011 yards (4.8 ypc) and 9 TDs on 209 carries to go with 23 receptions for 125 yards and 1 TD in 2022. Then he transferred to BYU and rushed for 485 yard (4.85 ypc) and 1 TD to go with 7 receptions for 33 yards in 2023.
In a sport where it is more important how you finish than how you start – I give the RB position a Forecast Grade of B.
Next, let’s take a look our Tight End position inclusive of the H-Back. Before doing so, one of my favorite First rounds in the NFL Draft for the Cleveland Browns was in 1978. This was the year when the Browns drafted a WR from Alabama named Ozzie Newsome and an OLB from USC named Clay Matthews. The Browns had big plans for Ozzie and they weren’t at WR. He came here and put together a Hall of Fame career as a TE that was fun to watch.
Starter: David Njoku. Before we get to last year, this guy has continued to improve and progress as a blocker outside. Even better, he looks like he enjoys that art much better than he probably ever thought he would as a 1st round Diva that was more interested in showing us his abs once upon a time. It was invaluable to have him helping our 3rd string Right Tackle as well as Wills (and later his backup) on the blind side of pass protection. Having said that, Njoku became a very valuable prong of attack as he added 81 receptions for 882 yards (10.9 ypr) and 6 TDs. He had some very physical runs after his catches - that were an absolute pleasure to watch. It was nice to all his efforts rewarded when he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Sometimes the only thing that could stop David was an occasional lapse of concentration at the worst of times.
Reserves: There doesn’t appear to be a lot of depth here. Last year the Browns added TE Jordan Akins thinking his 3 years of experience catching passes from Deshaun Watson in Houston would reunite a previous chemistry. The intentions were nice but he ended with 15 receptions for 132 yards (8.8 ypr) and 0 TDs. Part of that was he wasn’t used as much as he was in Houston; and the other part is Watson was injured in the 2nd half of the season. Akins is still here while Harrison Bryant and anyone else we had competing for reps beyond Njoku are no longer competition for reps.
Giovanni Ricci will see action as an H-Back and a TE. He’s 6’3”, 240 lbs that could line up at Fullback or be used as a lead blocker or a receiver out of the backfield. They could also put him in motion or simply line him up at TE. He played 3 years for Carolina where his best season was in 2022 catching 8 of 9 targets for 100 yards and 0 TDs. The other 2 years he had a combined total of 1 reception making him pretty much mystery meat at this time. His bucket list appears to be catching his first NFL TD pass. That said, if he is a special teams beast that could explain why Carolina kept him around.
Another intriguing acquisition for the Browns is Zaire Mitchell-Paden or as dyslexics tend to call him Mitchell-Pardon. The frame is 6’5”, 257 lbs. He joins the Browns as an undrafted free agent from Florida Atlantic after transferring from the Division II Notre Dame program. That might look better before readers drink their coffee. All this said there’s a saying “See something? Say Something!” Apparently the Browns did; because this guy signed a 3 year $2,570,000 contract with the Browns. Perceived strengths are ideal pad height, hand placement, good down field blocker but the downfield blocking effort is also listed as a weakness. The Browns also signed undrafted rookie free agent TE Treyton Welch who brings his ambition and 6’4”, 240 lb frame to training camp. He is also listed at 6’3” so there’s already an adorable mysterious quality about him. He was an offensive captain from the same Wyoming college football program Josh Allen came out of. That may not mean anything today; but it tells you how much his teammates thought of him. In 2023, he had 31 receptions for 308 yard (9.9 ypr) and 2 TDs. He ended his college career as a First Team All Mountain West performer at TE. His college coaches rave about how well he catches the ball in traffic. Let’s see who brings the magic to training camp. My guess is nobody will unseat Njoku. However, if I was a newcomer I would see the Browns’ lack of interest in utilizing Akins in their game plans as an ideal opportunity to show the coaching staff what they’ve been missing from the 2nd TE position. That is definitely not impossible.
Despite what looks like an overall lack of depth at TE – Njoku’s Pro Bowl achievement from all the hard work as a blocker and receiver with unfinished business pulls up my expectation for the group to a Forecast Grade of B – .
If you made it this far, thank you! Now it’s your turn to tell us what you think of the 2024 forecast for the Running Backs and Tight Ends of this team. You can do that by answering any or all of the following questions or just give us your free style blowhard in this thread.
Who do you think will emerge as a productive RB on this roster before Chubb returns to the full workload? Do you anticipate any positive surprises in the RB group? Who do you think will be disappointing in this group?
Who do you think will be our best receiver out of the backfield?
What would you like to see more of from the RB position on game day?
Is there anything you feel our RBs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for from us fans?
Is there anything you’d like to see more of from the RB position in the game plans? Anything you’d like to see less of from them in the game plans?
Where do you predict the Browns will rank at running the ball this year? Why do you feel this way?
After Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly and before Nick Chubb, what RB or RBs did you enjoy watching the most for the Browns (you can also list a FB in lieu of a RB)? What was it about the guy or guys you listed that made you feel this way?
Who is the best TE you have seen on this franchise? Similar but different, who is or was your favorite TE here?
Who did you feel has been the best blocking TE you’ve seen on the Browns current or past?
How do you feel the TE position can be better utilized in the game plans? Or, do you like it as is? Why do you feel this way?
What do you feel our TEs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for?
How heavily do you think the TE position will be counted on to help our Tackles with setting the edge for the running game this year?
In the last 2 years or so, Michael Dunn has been used on occasion (but very infrequently) as a TE lining up to the right of our RT for the sole purpose setting the edge for the running game only. Is this something you'd like to see more of in the future?
Who do you think will emerge as a productive RB on this roster before Chubb returns to the full workload? Probably the guy we got from the Bears. Do you anticipate any positive surprises in the RB group? Who do you think will be disappointing in this group?
Who do you think will be our best receiver out of the backfield? Probably Ford
What would you like to see more of from the RB position on game day? Good blitz pickup
Is there anything you feel our RBs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for from us fans?
Is there anything you’d like to see more of from the RB position in the game plans? Anything you’d like to see less of from them in the game plans? Fewer delayed handoffs. Hit the holes quick and hard.
Where do you predict the Browns will rank at running the ball this year? Why do you feel this way? We've been towards the top of the league in rushing for some time now...but the offense is being reworked. And we know that DePo doesn't want 4 yard runs. He wants 13 yard passes. So, is that where we're heading? ??
After Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly and before Nick Chubb, what RB or RBs did you enjoy watching the most for the Browns (you can also list a FB in lieu of a RB)? What was it about the guy or guys you listed that made you feel this way? I loved Kevin Mack & Earnest Byner. But I also really appreciated Mike Pruitt......and Greg Pruitt.
Who is the best TE you have seen on this franchise? Similar but different, who is or was your favorite TE here? Ozzie was great, but not a willing blocker. Steve Hyden was good at that time too. And Milt Moran before them. Gary Barnidge was also quite good.
Who did you feel has been the best blocking TE you’ve seen on the Browns current or past? Who was the guy that we had for a couple of season and let walk away to the Saints? He was a good pass catcher and a good blocker. Well rounded. And a hell of a nice guy. I was pissed that we didn't offer to keep him.
How do you feel the TE position can be better utilized in the game plans? Or, do you like it as is? Why do you feel this way?
What do you feel our TEs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for? Njoku's improved blocking.
How heavily do you think the TE position will be counted on to help our Tackles with setting the edge for the running game this year?
In the last 2 years or so, Michael Dunn has been used on occasion (but very infrequently) as a TE lining up to the right of our RT for the sole purpose setting the edge for the running game only. Is this something you'd like to see more of in the future? And we had Nick Harris in the backfield. If you absolutely have to get a yard...then sure, bring in the big bodies...but just know that the D will counter it with big bodies also. - We tried putting Harrison Bryant in at QB for the sneak and had Nick Harris smash him forward. Nice idea...but I just knew he was going to fumble a snap. Probably better to bring in Winston have him be the rag doll for the big fat guys to smash forward.
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here were no guarantees he wouldn't fumble as soon as soon as he got hit.
Yup! It was such that after he caught the ball he would wrap two arms around the ball and trudge ahead for a few yards. I used to call him the worst Mackey award winner I'd ever seen. The thing is, he wasn't terrible. But the fact that he was a Mackey winner made us expect some sort of excellence from him.
Yup! It was such that after he caught the ball he would wrap two arms around the ball and trudge ahead for a few yards. I used to call him the worst Mackey award winner I'd ever seen. The thing is, he wasn't terrible. But the fact that he was a Mackey winner made us expect some sort of excellence from him.
Expectations is the problem. I liked Harry B, but he never lived up to expectations.
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Who do you think will emerge as a productive RB on this roster before Chubb returns to the full workload? Probably the guy we got from the Bears. Do you anticipate any positive surprises in the RB group? Who do you think will be disappointing in this group?
Who do you think will be our best receiver out of the backfield? Probably Ford
What would you like to see more of from the RB position on game day? Good blitz pickup
Is there anything you feel our RBs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for from us fans?
Is there anything you’d like to see more of from the RB position in the game plans? Anything you’d like to see less of from them in the game plans? Fewer delayed handoffs. Hit the holes quick and hard.
Where do you predict the Browns will rank at running the ball this year? Why do you feel this way? We've been towards the top of the league in rushing for some time now...but the offense is being reworked. And we know that DePo doesn't want 4 yard runs. He wants 13 yard passes. So, is that where we're heading? ??
After Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly and before Nick Chubb, what RB or RBs did you enjoy watching the most for the Browns (you can also list a FB in lieu of a RB)? What was it about the guy or guys you listed that made you feel this way? I loved Kevin Mack & Earnest Byner. But I also really appreciated Mike Pruitt......and Greg Pruitt.
Who is the best TE you have seen on this franchise? Similar but different, who is or was your favorite TE here? Ozzie was great, but not a willing blocker. Steve Hyden was good at that time too. And Milt Moran before them. Gary Barnidge was also quite good.
Who did you feel has been the best blocking TE you’ve seen on the Browns current or past? Who was the guy that we had for a couple of season and let walk away to the Saints? He was a good pass catcher and a good blocker. Well rounded. And a hell of a nice guy. I was pissed that we didn't offer to keep him.
How do you feel the TE position can be better utilized in the game plans? Or, do you like it as is? Why do you feel this way?
What do you feel our TEs did well last year that they didn’t get enough credit for? Njoku's improved blocking.
How heavily do you think the TE position will be counted on to help our Tackles with setting the edge for the running game this year?
In the last 2 years or so, Michael Dunn has been used on occasion (but very infrequently) as a TE lining up to the right of our RT for the sole purpose setting the edge for the running game only. Is this something you'd like to see more of in the future? And we had Nick Harris in the backfield. If you absolutely have to get a yard...then sure, bring in the big bodies...but just know that the D will counter it with big bodies also. - We tried putting Harrison Bryant in at QB for the sneak and had Nick Harris smash him forward. Nice idea...but I just knew he was going to fumble a snap. Probably better to bring in Winston have him be the rag doll for the big fat guys to smash forward.
Who was the guy that we had for a couple of season and let walk away to the Saints? He was a good pass catcher and a good blocker. Well rounded. And a hell of a nice guy. I was pissed that we didn't offer to keep him.
The last TE i can remember as a brown, that could block was Darren Fells in 2018.
Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Weight: 270 lb (122 kg) ^^Harrison Bryant was asked to be a inline blocking TE at 6'5 230 lbs. Personally, I don't think Bryant could add the bulk nor weight needed & Berry is still looking to add a blocking TE via cuts/FA
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Who was the guy that we had for a couple of season and let walk away to the Saints? He was a good pass catcher and a good blocker. Well rounded. And a hell of a nice guy. I was pissed that we didn't offer to keep him.
The last TE i can remember as a brown, that could block was Darren Fells in 2018.
Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Weight: 270 lb (122 kg) ^^Harrison Bryant was asked to be a inline blocking TE at 6'5 230 lbs. Personally, I don't think Bryant could add the bulk nor weight needed & Berry is still looking to add a blocking TE via cuts/FA
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zaire should have been aware of where watson was.
I'm good with that. Instead of heading back to the 2nd base position Zaire should've been sent to Left Out.
But tell me, wouldn't Watson getting injured on that softball play be so Brownian? I mean, aren't we all half expecting the next setback in the Watson trade saga?
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zaire should have been aware of where watson was.
I'm good with that. Instead of heading back to the 2nd base position Zaire should've been sent to Left Out.
But tell me, wouldn't Watson getting injured on that softball play be so Brownian? I mean, aren't we all half expecting the next setback in the Watson trade saga?
I'm good with that. Instead of heading back to the 2nd base position Zaire should've been sent to Left Out.
But tell me, wouldn't Watson getting injured on that softball play be so Brownian? I mean, aren't we all half expecting the next setback in the Watson trade saga?
? Almost makes me wonder if sky diving is on Watson's pre-training camp bucket list too.
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