Would Signing Ezekiel Elliott be Worthwhile for Browns?

Rumors have suggested that the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers are potential landing spots for Ezekiel Elliott. Should the Browns want Elliott in their backfield?

There's a lingering question whether the Cleveland Browns have enough at running back behind Nick Chubb. One potential option might be former Ohio State star Ezekiel Elliott.

The Los Angeles Chargers and the Browns are rumored to be the frontrunners for the 27-year-old back, who was released by the Dallas Cowboys on March 15.

Elliott played seven years for the Cowboys who drafted him in 2016, fourth overall in the first round. He rushed for 876 yards last year, a career low on 231 carries. He also added a meager 92 yards receiving.

Cleveland’s running back room currently consists of Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, and Demetric Felton. Ford only recorded twelve yards last year in the midst of Chubb and former Browns Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson getting all but a few of the carries. Felton’s only carry last year was a four-yard loss.

The Browns need a solid running back option, but is Elliott the guy for the job?

He did rush for twelve touchdowns last year, so there’s not an argument that he can’t score but he has shown that his ability to get past the 1,000-yard mark is diminishing. 

Elliott is slowing down for sure, but the Browns don't require starter level production. They need a guy who can give Chubb some rest and execute the play call. He has shown that he can put up better numbers as a backup than any of the Browns running backs currently on the roster. 

Even with his productivity decreasing, he has proven he can still run the ball effectively and can be counted on to do that in the NFL. 

Elliott still has a nose for the end zone, tying with Chubb for fifth last year in touchdowns. He "wins" in that category, still putting up numbers like when he was a rookie. Last year, he got three more TDs than his former teammate Tony Pollard, who took over the starting role in Dallas. He still has speed and power that can be useful in the NFL nowadays. 

A majority of Elliott's touchdowns were from inside the five yard line. His vision and instincts remain top of the line with plenty of strength to fight for yardage. Elliott probably has lost a step over the course of his career, but everything else he brings to the table is worthwhile in the role he'd be playing.

Coaches trust Elliott because he doesn't turn the ball over. Last year, he had zero fumbles, the year before that he had just one. Ball security is paramount. Elliott is a good pass protector and can contribute in the passing game.

Perhaps coming back to the state where he played and dominated college football would give a spark to Elliott’s career. He was a three-year player at Ohio State, proving very important in the team’s championship run in 2015. The Browns can offer him a strong offensive line and an offense with more threats than the Cowboys had last year, which could open up some running room.

It wouldn’t take much to improve from the likes of Felton, Ford, and Elliott would be a big upgrade at the position, even with critics taking shots at his age and falling production.

Elliott does have a short history of injuries though, a key factor to signing the 7-year veteran. In 2021, over the course of less than two months, he sustained four injuries, only missing time for two games. Last October, he suffered an MCL sprain in his knee in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, missing the next two games.

Nonetheless, Elliott would be far better than anyone not named Nick Chubb on Cleveland’s roster and with his solid touchdown production last year, he would help the Browns fill and expand the role held by Kareem Hunt the past few years.

If the Browns do sign Elliott, his role would be similar to that of Hunt last year. It would also allow Jerome Ford to find to be put in the best position to succeed. Elliott and Ford excel in different areas and find roles that complement each other as well as  Chubb.

Speaking of Hunt, in his four-year stint in Cleveland, he never had more than 248 touches and that was an outlier because Chubb missed four games. That was Hunt's best with the Browns, racking up 1,145 yards. His next highest total as a Brown was this past year with 678. Elliott has never had fewer than 238 touches in a season. So long as Ford is viable, the Browns shouldn't even need that many from Elliott, which could ensure they get the best he still has to offer.

The Browns are not looking for another Nick Chubb, just a backup who could come in when he needs a rest or in specific game situations. If Chubb were to miss time with an injury, the combination of Elliott and Jerome Ford should be able to keep the running game afloat.

Ezekiel Elliott may not be the star he was, but he's also not as bad as he was this past year in Dallas. If the Browns can find a productive middle ground, Elliott could be just what they need to fill out the running back room this year.