Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins is the No. 1 running back heading into Week 3.
Getty Images
Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins is the No. 1 running back heading into Week 3.
Quinshon Judkins is officially atop the depth chart for the Cleveland Browns heading into Week 3 — although his workload is still to be determined.
Judkins debuted last week against the Baltimore Ravens. His workload featured a team-high 13 touchdowns — 10 rushes and three catches. Judkins notched 71 total yards.
It’s been an interesting road for the rookie running back, who did not sign his deal with the Browns until Sept. 6. He had just one padded practice before debuting with Cleveland.
Due to his lack of practice, Judkins was not the top running back on the depth chart heading into the matchup with the Ravens. But the Browns feel comfortable enough with the No. 36 overall pick to list him as the No. 1 back heading into Week 3’s clash with the Green Bay Packers. Judkins is listed atop the unofficial depth chart, released by the team on Tuesday.
Browns: Judkins Capable of Doing More
The Browns drafted Judkins with a second-round pick, intending for him to be their bell-cow back. Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry said as much after selecting Judkins.
“We feel like he’s just a very well-rounded back,” Berry said. “We’ve obviously been spoiled over the past couple of years, particularly with Nick and Kareem (Hunt). And we feel like he is very much in that mold in terms of skill set. Not necessarily saying that he’s going to, with certainty, develop into one of those players. We certainly hope that’s the case. But we think that he can be a bell cow runner that can really carry the load for us.”
Judkins should see a heavier workload against the Packers.
“I thought he did a nice job with what we asked him to do [Sunday],” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Obviously get him in here, get a lift, get treatment, see how his body’s feeling, But I think he certainly is capable of doing more and we’ll treat it just like we did last week, in that, we’ll see how he comes through the week and make those types of decisions as the week goes on.”
Browns Stick With Joe Flacco at QB
Judkins’ rise is the only notable change on the depth chart. The Browns will continue to roll with 40-year-old Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback, despite his disappointing performance against the Ravens in a 41-17 loss.
Flacco turned the ball over twice against the Ravens, which led to scores. He fumbled in the fourth quarter and it was returned for a touchdown by Roquan Smith.
“We didn’t play well enough on offense, and we didn’t coach well enough on offense, and it’s never going to be about one person,” Stefanski said. “Joe knows there’s plays that he can be better, and it obviously starts with protecting the ball in this game, and he understands that, and that’s our focus moving forward.”
Flacco’s poor play has generated the wrong kind of conversation about the quarterback situation. The Browns have rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders waiting for their turns. Gabriel is the primary backup to Flacco, while Sanders has been functioning as the emergency quarterback. Sanders can only enter the game if both Flacco and Gabriel are injured.