Browns wisely did not pursue Colts running back Jonathan Taylor

When the Cleveland Browns lost running back Nick Chubb to a season-ending injury Monday, there was plenty of speculation that they could make a big move to replace him.

There was a rumor that the Browns were interested in Cam Akers before bringing back Cleveland native Kareem Hunt. But the possibility of an even bigger move to replace the best running back in football was not on the table for the Browns.

While Cleveland does have the cap space to absorb a big-time player, the Browns were not in the market for Indianapolis Colts running back. Tom Pelissero would state during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show that it “was not the direction they were looking at this point,” and would later add, “They like what they have.“.

This is the correct path to go down for Cleveland. The fact of the matter is that this team is not a running back away from being a Super Bowl contender. Trading away assets to acquire Taylor at this current juncture would be completely out of character. The Browns offense is not working, with the clear issue being the passing game.

The success or failure of the Browns this season would always come back to their air attack. Sure, having a player as talented as Chubb makes things a lot easier, but unless Deshaun Watson starts looking like a competent quarterback, none of that matters.

Piecing together their rushing attack with multiple backs is a much better way to operate rather than attempting to replace an irreplaceable player. The combination of Hunt and Jerome Ford is far less exciting, but considering that the season is underway, having a learning curve that is not steep is much more preferable from the coaching staff and front office’s perspective.