Browns' Jerome Ford: Next man up behind Chubb

Ford figures to start offseason practices as Cleveland's No. 2 running back, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Ford played 14 snaps on offense and 145 on special teams as a rookie last year, taking eight carries for 12 yards and 30 kick returns for 723 yards. He's now in a much better position to earn RB reps, as the Browns lost third-stringer D'Ernest Johnson to Jacksonville and seemingly don't plan to re-sign second-stringer Kareem Hunt. The other players behind Nick Chubb as of mid-May are Demetric Felton, John Kelly, Nate McCrary and UDFA rookie Hassan Hall -- a group with 40 combined NFL carries. Ford, a 2022 fifth-round pick, is the youngest of the bunch and also the only one drafted before the sixth round. His performance over the first two weeks of the 2022 preseason -- 19 carries for 89 yards and a TD plus eight catches for 71 yards and another score -- likely was a big factor in Cleveland carrying four RBs for most of last season and then focusing on other positions this offseason. Of course, there's still time to sign a veteran for training camp if the Browns lose some of their confidence in Ford or deal with injuries in the backfield.