It appears the recovery process for Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is going well. That is at least according to Andrew Berry, who said as much during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland on Thursday.
Berry stated “He’s doing a really nice job in his rehab,” while also adding the following, “Still has got a long way to go, but he’s progressing nicely given this point in time.”.
Any sort of progress for Chubb is considered a positive at this time. Chubb suffered a brutal season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of last season. The Browns were forced to turn to a committee of running backs, which provided very middling results. There was initially very little dropoff in production noticed, but that changed as Cleveland lost multiple offensive linemen.
The biggest takeaway from the Chubb-loss portion of the season was how crucial he was to the team’s success. Not just on the ground but the offense as a whole. Chubb’s ability as a runner can mask so many other issues that otherwise go unnoticed. From the overall skill level of the linemen in front of him to the effectiveness of the offense, Chubb’s talent level covers up a lot. Without Chubb, these problems became magnified as they were on full display.
Cleveland’s approach to the running back group this offseason can only be described as curious. Chubb is working his way back from a major knee injury, and the Browns opt to sign free agents D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines rather than drafting a running back. Foreman and Hines can be productive, but not attempting to find a successor to Chubb is a bit curious. Chubb only has so many effective carries left in his career. And that is before mentioning the fact that Chubb only has one year remaining on his contract. Using a mid-to-late round pick on a back would have been more than justified when considering everything.
