For a three-win team, the upside with the Cleveland Browns is currently undeniable. Yes, the team needs to figure out the most important position in the sport. But if they can hit on the right quarterback, then almost all of the pieces are in place for the team to become a legitimate threat in the AFC.
A stifling defense that is already among the best in the league is now met with an excellent running game and a star rookie tight end. Unfortunately, they won’t be able to reap the rewards of the former in Week 16, with their two youngsters, Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, who have handled a majority of the snaps at RB, unavailable.
Cleveland Browns Running Back Depth Chart
A crackling rookie season for Judkins has given the Browns an excellent weapon in the backfield. Ranking at number 33 on PFSN’s RB Impact, he’s been hurt by a slow start to the campaign, where he wasn’t their starter.
But since he started getting legitimate carries, he’s turned into an undeniable weapon with 805 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to go along with an additional 142 yards through the air.
Sampson, on the other hand, hasn’t had nearly the same level of impact. Totaling just 44 carries on the year, he’s added 116 rushing yards while converting nine first downs for Cleveland.
Unfortunately, neither player is available for the Browns in this spot. A calf injury has ruled Sampson out of their last two games, while Judkins went down with a severe-looking leg injury in the game against the Buffalo Bills.
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Carted off the field, it left the team vulnerable in the backfield. Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN explained on X the final options available to the organization. “With Quinshon Judkins out and Dylan Sampson inactive, Trayveon Williams starts the second half at RB. Only other RB active for the Browns is Rocket Sanders.”
Trayveon Williams
A sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft for the Cincinnati Bengals, Williams has never consistently gotten snaps at any stop in his career. Spending six seasons with the team that drafted him, he finally made his way over to the Los Angeles Chargers this season.
But he only suited up in three games for them before he found a new home with the Browns. In his lone game of action so far for Cleveland, he had a single carry worth three yards.
In this game, he equaled those numbers once again, but the Browns chose to allocate a majority of their carries to Raheim Sanders.
Raheim Sanders
Not related to the other Sanders on the roster in any other way, the undrafted rookie free agent had received only three carries in his career with the Browns so far. But he made them count, adding three rushing yards and a touchdown in that sample.
However, as Cleveland has continued to remain competitive against Buffalo, trailing 23-17 near the end of the third quarter, Sanders has assumed his responsibility well. Leading the team with 10 carries, he’s added 40 yards on the ground.
