As the Browns await the arrival of rookie second-round RB Quinshon Judkins, they have added another back before the opener. Marking a shift in Cleveland’s backfield, the running game could look very different compared to the Nick Chubb era. But if one Browns insider is to be believed, we could see the Judkins era begin very soon.
Back in July, Judkins found himself facing misdemeanor domestic violence and batter charges. Although prosecutors eventually decided not to move forward with the criminal case, the NFL is still weighing potential punishment for the Browns running back.
Quinshon Judkins remains the only rookie draft pick unsigned, stemming from his arrest. This year, a wave of second-round picks received fully-guaranteed contracts. With where the Browns drafted Judkins, he would fall in line with the fully guaranteed group.
But Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes the Browns will soon settle those issues. “I believe Judkins will be back with the Browns soon, possibly even sometime this week as they prepare for the Bengals”, she writes. “If he makes it back early enough in the week, he could possibly contribute some in the opener”.
Over three years in college, Judkins rushed for 3,785 yards with 45 touchdowns. He won the national title last season with the Buckeyes—and AFC North rivals Will Howard and Jack Sawyer, now with the Steelers. As they wait for him, though, the Browns added another back.
During roster cuts, Cleveland submitted a waiver claim on Raheim Sanders. A rookie undrafted free agent, Sanders rushed for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns for Arkansas in 2022. Although he scored 11 touchdowns last year, his past two seasons have been less productive. He is a bigger-bodied back the Browns haven’t had in Quinshon Judkin’s absence, however.
Sanders was a somewhat surprising cut for the Los Angeles Chargers, especially given Najee Harris’ eye injury. Still, he was not one of the very small handful of waived players whom multiple teams tried to claim. But he is a lot more NFL ready than Quinshon Judkins is right now, so he could legitimately contribute right away.
Sanders joins Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson on the Browns’ 53-man roster at running back. Sampson, a fourth-round pick, and Sanders, are rookies, while Ford is going into his fourth season. Over the past two seasons, he has rushed for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns on 308 attempts. He led the team in rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns last season.
The Browns view Quinshon Judkins as a bell-cow back, as Nick Chubb was for them. Could he contribute in the season opener? Unless they resolve his contract very soon, that seems unlikely. Still, one imagines he has had the wherewithal to keep in shape. Although he missed the entire offseason program, running back is a position at which it is easier to contribute blind.
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