Are Browns Caught In Nick Chubb Or Jonathan Taylor Dilemma?

The Browns have pushed all the chips in to win this year and need to seriously consider bringing the Colts running back to Cleveland.

Even after nearly three weeks, the reality still stinks.  Nick Chubb's season-ending knee injury still cuts deep.

But I think the Cleveland Browns need to seriously consider trading for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who reportedly doesn't want to be in Indianapolis anymore. And if they somehow pulled it off, I think Chubb's future with the team could be in jeopardy.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com was the first to suggest that the Browns should trade for the disgruntled Colt. At first I didn't think it made sense, but I've come to believe it's probably worth seriously considering (at the right price).

While nothing is truly for certain, Nick Chubb needs two knee surgeries to repair the gruesome injury he suffered in the Week 2 loss at Pittsburgh. I understand the team is confident that he can make a full recovery, but it's going to take a long time before Chubb looks like himself again. It's very possible Chubb is still on the shelf for another 12 or 13 months.

Sep 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) is taken from the field on a cart after suffering an apparent injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Even once he is fully healthy, I'm not sure Chubb will ever be the same tailback we've gotten used to. It won't be for a lack of effort - nobody in their right mind would ever question Chubb's desire. He's a consummate pro. But the road ahead of him is brutal and the timing just flat out stinks.

The Browns are in full-blown win-now mode, given some of the contracts they've doled out to players in key positions. They have an awfully friendly schedule lining up for the second half of the year and even though two disappointing losses have felt like quite a gut punch, a playoff berth is still a very real possibility.

Chubb has a team-option on his contract next year for just under $12 million, which feels like a steep price for a back that (in all likelihood) won't be able to play a full season next year.

Browns GM Andrew Berry told reporters Wednesday that he was comfortable with the running back room as is, despite Chubb's injury, and he expressed confidence in second-year back Jerome Ford.

As for Taylor ... over his first three seasons in the NFL, he's racked up 3,841 yards and 33 touchdowns. More impressive than his aggregate totals though are his 5.1 yards per carry. Two seasons ago, he won the NFL rushing title.

Dec 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Taylor spent the first four weeks of this season on the PUP list with an ankle injury, but he returned to practice on Wednesday in Indy. Taylor wanted an extension, but the Colts weren't willing to bite last off-season.

The big question is obvious: what would it cost the Browns in order to bring Taylor to the shores of Lake Erie? The Browns don't have the draft capital that Indy probably wants, but given that Christian McCaffrey didn't require a first round draft pick as part of the trade deal between San Francisco and Carolina, maybe Indianapolis is asking for too much.

Personally, I'm hard-pressed to believe that Indianapolis will deal Taylor. If they do, and if there's a world that exists that allows for a Taylor-Chubb combination next fall, that's best case scenario. But that could ultimately be an extremely expensive running back room if the Browns wanted to offer Taylor the extension he's seeking, on top of paying Chubb's team option.

I don't really want to entertain the idea of life-after-Chubb. That's a tough thought to conceive. There isn't a GM in the league that wouldn't take him at full strength and you could certainly argue he's the best running back in the league. But the terrible timing of his brutal injury, combined with his contract situation and the team's potential to make a big run this year might force Cleveland's hand. If the Browns run game continues to struggle, it's going to be really difficult for them to reach their goals.