The Cleveland Browns are bringing in D’Onta Foreman to help beef up their running back room and perhaps hold down the fort until Nick Chubb returns.
Foreman joins a Browns running back room that includes Chubb, Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr., and newly signed veteran Nyheim Hines.
Foreman has bounced around the last three seasons with three different teams but has been productive. Last year he started eight games with the Chicago Bears. Foreman recorded 425 yards on 109 carries, finding the end zone four times.
His best year came in 2022 with the Carolina Panthers. Foreman ran for 914 yards on 203 carries — a 4.5 yards per carry average — with 5 touchdowns.
Foreman entered the league as a third-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2017. He was No. 49 on Pro Football Focus’ list of remaining free agents published on March 18. Foreman finished last season with a solid grade of 74.0 via PFF.
Browns Yet to Make Move With Nick Chubb
The Browns are expected to restructure Chubb’s contract at some point this offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler is expected to be ready at some point next season. But his exact timeline for a return is uncertain.
Chubb suffered a catastrophic knee injury in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had both his ACL and MCL repaired during two separate surgeries, the latest of those procedures coming in November.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry referred to it as the “elephant in the room” during his end-of-season press conference. Chubb will count $15.8 million against the cap next season. However, he has no guaranteed money left on his deal. If the Browns released Chubb it would result in just $4 million of dead cap.
However, the Browns have no plans to release Chubb, as Berry expressed this offseason. He’ll likely sign an incentive-laden extension to keep him in Cleveland and lower his cap hit. Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com doesn’t think the Browns are thinking about betting against Chubb’s return to form.
“The Browns watched Chubb make a superhuman recovery from his devastating knee injury at Georgia, and they’re hopeful he can catch lightning in a bottle twice. Anyone who knows Chubb and his Batman mentality would never bet against him,” Cabot said. “The Browns are counting on Chubb to be ready to play this season, and they expect to see an excellent version of their four-time Pro Bowler.”
Nyheim Hines Excited to Join Browns
Hines was the other running back the Browns signed this offseason. He is expected to be more of a threat catching the ball out of the backfield. He has snagged 240 receptions over his five seasons in the NFL and has carried the ball just 348 times.
Hines entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts. He missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in a jet ski accident. Hines is ready to get to work in Cleveland.
“What’s up #DawgPound nyghtmare at your service,” Hines wrote on X. “Thank you for welcoming me to the Land. Excited to get to work.”
Ford was the Browns’ lead-back last season with Chubb sidelined. He registered 813 yards on 204 carries. Kareem Hunt notched a team-high 9 touchdowns last season but isn’t expected to be back next season.
