The Browns should do some calling of their own, but the Los Angeles Rams were the other team in the McCaffrey sweepstakes.
Could the Rams call on Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson after having to pass on Christian McCaffrey?
With McCaffrey off the market, teams in need of a running back may have no choice but to contact the Cleveland Browns.
The tanking and rebuilding Carolina Panthers sent running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in a big trade last night.
Following the loss of McCaffrey, this wide-zone-focused team should have Andrew Berry on speed dial.
The Browns should do some calling of their own, but the Los Angeles Rams were the other team in the McCaffrey sweepstakes. Cam Akers has not performed well, and the team appears to be considering moving him.
The Browns have the best running game in the NFL, thanks in large part to the success of their offensive line despite injuries and superstar running back Nick Chubb. Following his running mate Kareem Hunt’s request for a trade this summer, it may be time to move both him and D’Ernest Johnson.
In 2022, both players were underutilized
When you have a player like Chubb on your team, it’s understandable that other running backs may not get the opportunities they deserve. This was the case in 2022 for both Hunt and Johnson.
This is not to say that the Browns haven’t used Hunt this season; they have. With the exception of the Week 6 game against the New England Patriots, in which the Browns were forced to come back early in the second half, Hunt has seen double-digit carries in every other game. In addition, he has already seen 17 targets in the passing attack.
However, when compared to a back of Hunt’s caliber, these figures are insignificant. This is why he initially requested a trade. Hunt is an excellent pass-catcher and receiver in the passing game, averaging more than four yards per carry on the ground. Given Chubb’s talent, Hunt has no opportunities in Cleveland.
This season, Johnson, on the other hand, has been a healthy scratch on multiple occasions. His only touches have come during garbage time, and he primarily sees action on special teams. Johnson has shown the ability to exploit cutbacks in a wide-zone system after rushing for 100 yards twice last season while playing for a battered Hunt and Chubb.
Both of these running backs have tremendous talent that has gone untapped. This is not the Browns’ fault, as they are giving Chubb the most touches he has ever seen, but they should capitalize on the talents that other teams are willing to overpay for.
When the deadline approaches, teams become desperate
The McCaffrey trade is not evidence that teams become desperate near the deadline and are willing to pay well above market value in the hopes of improving their chances of competing in football. Without a doubt, McCaffrey is a good player, but giving up two day-two picks and more for a back who has missed more games than he has played in the last three years is a huge risk.
This is an opportunity for the Browns to obtain a higher ransom for Hunt, as well as a higher bill for Johnson.
Hunt and Johnson are both walking elsewhere this Spring
Another reason it would be reckless not to inquire about moving one of their excess backs is that they are both on expiring contracts. Given the current state of both backs (one has requested a trade, and the other has not been used at all), it is reasonable to assume that both will leave at the end of the season.
Sure, each could contribute to the compensatory pick formula at the end of the season, but when the chance to get a day-two pick from Hunt alone exists, it must be taken. Hunt must be seriously considered for trade by the Browns.
However, this could be Johnson’s plan of attack. Given that his trade value is likely to be that of a late seventh-round pick, the Browns might be better off using him as the backup running back if Hunt is moved, then putting his new contract toward the compensatory pick formula elsewhere.
Final thoughts
The Rams have made it clear that they are desperate for a top running back. McCaffrey is no longer available, but a back who once led the league in rushing and has extensive experience in a wide-zone system is still available.
Hunt, like Johnson, will be gone at the end of the season. There is a valid reason to keep Johnson, who is also set to leave this offseason, but maximizing Hunt’s trade value must be seriously considered. It’s time for general manager Andrew Berry to do what he does best: extract draft capital from some of the Browns’ expiring contracts.
