Written by Jason Askew

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Now that we’ve looked at QBs and safeties let’s alternate back to the offensive side of the ball and look at this year’s running backs and who may interest the Browns. When it comes to needing RBs the Browns are in fairly good shape. If you think about what Peyton Hillis did last year combined with Montario Hardesty being selected in the 2^nd round last year it becomes pretty clear the Browns won’t be selecting one early in the draft. Hardesty may as well actually be considered a 2011 pick because he got hurt in the preseason last year. In fact, he didn’t even get a training camp because he was first injured in a pre camp rookie session before tearing his ACL the week he re-joined the team.

When analyzing the roster situation it does show the need for a change of pace type of back. I am not going to use the term 3^rd down back because I actually feel the need is bigger than that. The Browns need a player on offense who opponents fear can score at any moment from any spot on the field and that guy could come from the RB group as well as the WR group. Having a guy play 3^rd down isn’t as critical for the Browns because of Hillis’s hands and ability to catch the football coming out of the backfield. Peyton also gives the Browns the ability to take a smaller type of player and not have to focus as much on his ability to hold up in pass protection.

Knowing the Browns can go after a home run hitter without necessarily worrying about RBs who can’t block a blitzing Ray Lewis means I will examine backs that can provide that change of pace regardless of whether they can block or not. Factoring in the youth the Browns have at the RB position means we will not really look for the next bell cow and will instead focus on backs with ‘make you miss’ ability.

I’ll be skipping the first two rounds when reviewing the position because the backs who have first two round grades are backs who are considered every down, heavy-workload type of players. Mark Ingram, Ryan Williams, Mike Leshoure will all come off the board first and none of these players fit our needs. No FB talk right now either as the WCO requires a specific skill set.and we’re concentrating on RBs

Mid Round (3-5)

Kendall Hunter- Oklahoma St. (5-7 ¼ 199lbs) Hunter leads that ‘next tier’ of RBs in most people’s eyes. He is built low to the ground and is thick through the thighs, which allows him to explode through arm tackles. He is more “quick” than he is a pure burner which shows with his consistent 4.52 timed 40. I actually think he holds more value as a second RB on a roster than trying to be just a home run guy.

He would be a good change of pace runner but not really the home run hitter the Browns need. His hands are adequate but not great in the passing game and he does show the toughness needed to pass protect. He got good reviews at the senior bowl when talking about his competitiveness in pass blocking drills. He is more Jerome Harrison than Reggie Bush because he is stiffer and more mechanical than I would prefer to see.

Demarco Murray- Oklahoma (5-11 3/8 213lbs) Murray is right on the border line of being a really good every down back but his lack of vision and weaker lower body makes him best suited for a change of pace/3^rd down guy. He has very good top end speed (fastest 40 at combine 4.37) but his lateral quickness is suspect. He is frustrating at times because he tries to bounce runs outside before they are ‘ripe’ and he bounces runs that shouldn’t go outside at all. He will excel in the passing game because he has good hands and can effectively run routes. His pass protection effectiveness can vary because, although he shows strong desire, he sometimes gets over-powered.

Jacquizz Rodgers-  Oregon St. (5-6 ¾ 197lbs) Rodgers is Eddie George trapped in a little man’s body. This guy runs with more heart than any of the other small backs and, quite honestly, most big backs. He doesn’t back down from any challenge and doesn’t shy from contact.

His production is the definition of a home run hitter as he scored at an eye popping rate of 1.5 TDs per game over his 3 year career for a total of 50TDs. He doesn’t quite have Jones-Drew thighs but his lower body strength is what sets him apart from most backs. He can run through arm tackles better than most big backs and he has cat-like quickness to make up for his slightly better than average speed(4.47). There is no question he will be a factor in the passing game when you look at the 150 plus catches he had in his career. His route running is crisp and he explodes out of breaks. His size and upper body strength (13 reps) make him a liability while trying to block but you will not find him trying to hide from contact. Rodgers was also the goal line back at Oregon State because he always found a way to get into creases and ran with little man syndrome when finding those cracks.

Shane Vereen- Cal (5-10 ¼ 210lbs) Vereen  is the best all around RB in the group because he can have a positive effect on the running game, passing game, and special teams. He is a good change of pace back because of his quick, slashing style and his burst through the hole. He looks thin in his uniform but plays and measures much bigger than his appearance while maintaining the speed and quick twitch that a change of pace back needs. His route running is effortless and his hands are great. He rarely lets the ball get to his body. He by no means has the elite speed (4.48) of a Marshall Faulk but he plays the game with the same type of ease and fluidity.

Two more things that impress about the kid; he only had 19 starts in college but had 29TDs and his strength to size ratio is out of this world. He put up 225lbs 31 times at the combine. Putting that number into perspective, he lifted more than any WR, TE, CB and S, and all LBs except one. Dude would have been in the top 5 for OL. That is more than Dareus, Bowers and Quinn and was tied with Fairely. Hardesty put up 21 last year. The kid is ox-strong combined with a gym rat mentality when it comes to the weight room.

Derrick Locke- Kentucky (5-8¼ 188lbs) Locke is the fastest and best pure runner of the bunch. He glides like a sprinter and never looks like he is running hard. He has been rumored to run a sub 4.3 but he ran a 4.37 at the combine and made it look incredibly easy. He also looks good running routes and catching the ball so I do think he can be a factor in the passing game

His production leaves a lot to be desired by me because he only rushed for 2600 yards over a 4 year career while scoring 22 TDs. The lack of production has a lot to do with the type of runner he is. He is more of a quick, one-cut back who’s entire game is predicated just on the speed. He doesn’t show the type of wiggle or elusiveness you would like to see from someone his size and if there is no crease he doesn’t get anywhere unless he can outrun you to a spot. Locke also has durability concerns after having torn a MCL and ACL in 08 and missing half the season this year. He may be better suited for a KR spot than as the RB the Browns need.

Late Rounds (6-7)

Noel Devine- West Virginia (5-8 179lbs) Devine is one of the backs that is suffering from a down senior year. He had averaged over 6 yards per carry (YPC) his sophomore and junior years but only managed 4.5 his senior year which most say was due to a lingering toe injury. He is a guy built very solidly above the waist but who’s very thin below the waist when you compare his body type to some of the other shorter backs. He is actually 2inches taller, and almost 20lbs lighter than Rodgers but has almost twice the strength having put up 24 reps in the bench press compared to Rodgers’ 13. He doesn’t run with the same aggression and passion so some might think he is weaker but that is not the case at all. He has much more pure speed than Rodgers so he runs in a different style and is a little stiffer. I like him more than Locke when it comes to he shows better vision and strength than Locke does.

Devine doesn’t drop many balls in the passing game but his hands are not as soft as you would like (double catches some balls) and his routes need refined, but he can get separation with ease and would be a match-up problem coming out of the backfield or slot. He’d also be an immediate factor on returns. Like the other small backs he would struggle in pass protection.

DaRel Scott- Maryland (5-11 211lbs) Scott is guy who scorched his 40 at the combine running a 4.34 and thereby put himself in the mix as a late round selection. He is a back with great explosion when he sees day light but he does not possess much wiggle. His best season statistically was his sophomore season when he eclipsed 1100 yards but he has accumulated just that combined over the last two seasons while missing time with injuries. Another thing that bothers me is his build. He has a squatty build through his trunk and a big back side which is why he shows good explosion but he doesn’t have the ability to make people miss like his speed would suggest. He has average hands and doesn’t run many routes. He tends to be able to find space in zones but his routes are not too defined.

Biggest Upside

Jacquizz Rodgers-   He has the most upside because he is simply the best RB of this bunch. His size will always be an issue with people but I think his size will be one of his biggest positive attributes in the running game at the next level. Guys are so big and he is so quick I really see him hiding behind the big linemen, popping out and using his incredible quickness to make moves, get guys off balance and dart by. He has the most jitterbug in him, combined with enough speed to go the distance. If a team already has an every down back he will be a nightmare change of pace.

His hands are great and his route running is as well. His durability is unquestioned and you will be hard pressed to find anyone with more touches in a 3 year career than Rodgers. He averaged over 250 carries and 50 catches a year accumulating 788 attempts and 151 catches in 3 years. Not to mention 50 plus touchdowns.

Sleeper

Taiwan Jones- Eastern Washington (6-0 194lbs) Jones is a FCS player who is entering the draft with a ton of buzz. He is projected to go anywhere from round 3 on. He totally dominated a lower level of competition while only playing RB for two years after starting off his career as a CB. Given the inexperience his ability/projectability as a NFL RB prospect can be questioned. Jones is so much faster than the players at the FCS level that he makes it look like he is playing against high school players with his pure speed, changing of speeds, and using his superior quick twitch skills. He is more elusive than most tall, skinny RBs but he also looks fragile because of how thin he is. He broke his leg in the playoffs so he has yet to actually work out for NFL teams. That makes his April 14^th pro day date a much anticipated event. If he runs the sub 4.4 forty they think he can the buzz will be even greater

Projected Pick

Shane Vereen is a guy I had targeted by mid season as someone who could compliment the Browns group of RBs. It has been reported that the Browns have worked out both him and Demarco Murray which makes sense to me. It makes sense because these two guys are the closest things to a” best of both worlds” player that you can get at the position. With the health concerns of Hardesty the Browns can get a player in Vereen who can be the slashing, quick, explosive type of player the team needs while also being big and strong enough to be a second RB in case Hardesty is not fully healed. Vereen’s 16 touchdowns this year as a full time starter tell me he can get the ball in the end-zone on a regular basis, which is right up there on the Browns needs chart. Using maybe a 3^rd or 4^th round pick and it sounds like a good marriage to me.

Stay Away

Derrick Locke is a prospect that really does not get me excited. I would love a guy who runs as well as he does but just don’t think his style would be a hit in this town. I like my RBs to be more than track stars and every time I see him play I think ‘fast guy playing footbal’l not football player who is fast.