Latest news with #runningback
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Room Is Crowded
Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Room Is Crowded originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In a Pittsburgh Steelers offseason dominated by talk about a quarterback who's not even on the roster, the team has other pressing needs. Advertisement A swap of wideout George Pickens for DK Metcalf via a couple of separate trades brings renewed hope to the passing game, assuming they can ever find someone to throw the ball. But after Pittsburgh let last season's leading rusher, Najee Harris, walk in free agency, there are question marks surrounding the running game. Jaylen Warren returns on a one-year, $5.3 million deal after rushing for 511 yards on 120 carries and one touchdown last season behind Harris as the team's second-leading rusher. He was expected to inherit the starting job. But Pittsburgh drafted Iowa's Kaleb Johnson in the third round earlier this month, and he seems to fill Harris' shoes better than Warren. Johnson is bigger than both Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, who the team picked up in free agency. Advertisement General manager Omar Khan also signed Trey Sermon this offseason and Cordarrelle Patterson returns for Year 2, making the running back room quite crowded. There will only be so many snaps to split in the running game this year, so there could be an odd man (or two) out. Most believe either Sermon or Patterson could be cut before the regular season starts. Patterson was signed last offseason after the NFL changed the kickoff rules, but he was less than impressive on offense and special teams. A trio of Johnson, Warren and Gainwell would suffice nicely behind Rodgers ... sorry ... I mean, whoever is under center for the Steelers, making the others expendable. As the team approaches the rest of the offseason, a couple of these players could be trying out for jobs on other teams. Advertisement Related: Steelers Trade Rumors Swirl as WR Emerges at OTAs Related: Steelers QB Mason Rudolph Offers Will Howard 'Tools' Scouting Report This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Versatility will be mantra of Steelers running back room
PITTSBURGH (Black & Gold Nation) — Replacing Najee Harris's production will likely not be the job of 'who' rather 'whom' this season as the Steelers retool their running back room. Pittsburgh comes out of OTAs with three key pieces in its backfield. Returning veterans Jaylen Warren, former fifth round pick Kenneth Gainwell, and rookie Kaleb Johnson, the latter of who turned a number of heads during the team's first workouts this week. 'I feel like it's some of the same stuff that we did in Iowa. So I feel like I'm coming in and I'm really having an advantage a little bit because it's kind of like the same stuff I did back in college.,' he said. Johnson looks the part with and without the ball in his hand. He measured in at 6-foot-1 inches and 224 pounds during the NFL Combine, and while his top-end speed isn't eye-popping, he made a habit out of making big plays last season. His 21 carries of 20-plus yards trailed only Heisman Winner Ashton Jeanty in college football. His build and skillset is a perfect merlot to steak the of the room, Jaylen Warren. Warren has been a fan favorite of sorts in Pittsburgh. A small, compact rusher, he's racked up 1,674 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons behind Harris. And he did all that at nearly 5 yards per carry. Warren runs hard, really hard, and flashes good hands. Warren's 127 catches are the 13th most since coming into the league for running backs, a stat made most impressive by his secondary role in the backfield. Former Eagles backup Kenneth Gainwell is a similar back to Warren, small and compact with great hands. While he lacks the bulk and power of Warren, he makes it up in 4.4 speed. Gainwell has spent four seasons in Philadelphia working behind Miles Sanders, D'Andre Swift and Saquon Barkley and will have his best chance to truly move up the depth chart this summer. 'Seeing Jaylen's power, seeing Jaylen's work ethic, that's the same way I take the game,' he said. 'I feel I think we can collab real good. And then bringing K.J. along with us, man I think it's going to be a great show. And hopefully ya'll are ready for it.' The Steelers let Najee Harris walk this offseason. He'd sign with the Los Angeles Chargers. Whether you love Harris or not, the former first round pick had a productive tenure in Pittsburgh. He recorded 1,000-yard seasons in each of his four years. His 4,312 yards is the fifth most among running backs since 2021. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Rookie Tipped To Be Offensive 'Wild Card'
The Dallas Cowboys' running back room is vastly different from a year ago, with some bullish on what the group can do behind a revamped offensive line. Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and rookie Jaydon Blue are the top three, a far cry from Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle last season. Advertisement With offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and offensive line coach Conor Riley both having skins on the wall developing top run games, the Cowboys, under Brian Schottenheimer, will be a tough, physical football team with the run game at the center of it. Williams and Sanders are the two at the top of the depth chart right now, but the position is looming as one of the fiercely contested training camp battles, with Blue, Deuce Vaughn, and rookie Phil Mafah all fighting for snaps. For ESPN's Mike Clay, Blue is a wild card to jump to the top of the depth chart. Blue's workload was limited in a crowded Texas running back room (214 carries in three seasons), but he was an effective rusher -- his 3.8 career yards after contact per rush is fifth best in this class -- and showed receiving chops with 42 receptions in 2024," Clay writes. "He's a bit on the small size at 196 pounds and has had issues with holding onto the ball. However, the speed is there; he ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash. Advertisement "Blue will begin his career behind newly acquired veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, but neither have played well in recent seasons, so this depth chart is wide open. The lead back role in Dallas is there for the taking." Cowboys And Mr. Jaydon Blue At AttBy Tony Fisher In an ideal world, yes, Blue shows out at training camp and leaves no doubt that he is the undisputed No. 1 back. But Williams and Sanders both have NFL experience, are good pass protectors, and are solid options as receivers out of the backfield. All of those are key traits that Schottenheimer wants in his backs. So it will be a big hill to climb for Blue, but with his 4.38 speed, he needs a role on offense. Advertisement Will that be as the No. 1 back? He is a "wild card" option for sure. Related: What's Cowboys 'Pull The Trigger' Reasoning On George Pickens Trade? Related: Schottenheimer's Cowboys Offer Inside Look at 'Spicy Schedule'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Giants rookie RB Cam Skattebo hopes to keep running people over in the NFL
At 5-foot-9 and 219 pounds, Giants rookie Cam Skattebo is far from the biggest running back in the NFL. But at Arizona State he earned a reputation for running over would-be tacklers, and he thinks he can keep that up at the next level. Skattebo said he thinks he's capable of making people miss, but acknowledged, "I more so hit people." Advertisement "It feels good when you get in the end zone, but imagine running someone over and then running another person over and then getting in the end zone," Skattebo said. "It's that much better." Skattebo said that his physical running style on the field is a reflection on how he approaches his craft off the field. "When you're physical it shows the work you put in, in the weight room, and how much you do to make your game better," Skattebo said. Can Skattebo continue to be physical against bigger, stronger opponents in the NFL? He acknowledged he hasn't proven that yet, but thinks he's going to show what kind of player he is. "I've worked 18 years to get to this moment, I'm on an NFL team now and I still have more to prove," Skattebo said. "I'm excited to get to work and prove what I am."
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
With Nick Chubb's return ‘increasingly unlikely,' Browns shifting focus to rookie RBs
BEREA, Ohio — Rookie minicamp is mostly just a playbook orientation that includes about 70 minutes of football exercises. For the Cleveland Browns, Friday's official start of rookie camp marked the first day of the team's new chapter at running back. Jerome Ford is back for now, Nick Chubb is likely moving on and the new kids in town were on the practice field. Advertisement As expected, second-round pick Quinshon Judkins was first in every line as the Browns' rookies went through the practice reps, and fourth-round running back Dylan Sampson was close behind. Judkins will almost certainly become the team's feature runner at some point during his rookie season. Sampson's exact role is to be determined, but he'll be looking to move up the depth chart and potentially win a third-down job. As the Browns drafted two running backs and Ford chose to take a pay cut in the final year of his rookie deal to reduce his 2025 salary to a guaranteed $1.75 million, Chubb remains a free agent — and it appears his seven-season run in Cleveland is over. After months of talking around the near-certainty of Chubb's exit, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a radio interview Friday morning that the Browns don't expect the four-time Pro Bowler to return. 'I wouldn't rule anything out, but I would say it's probably increasingly unlikely,' Berry told 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, one of the Browns' official radio partners. 'We do have two young guys that we like. We think Jerome plays a role. It's basically kind of maybe seeing how the roles shake out in the running back room. 'You're never going to rule out someone as near and dear to our heart as Nick, and I would expect him to take another step being a year removed from the knee injury. But I'd say a return is less likely, at least in the short term, with us right now.' Chubb has been one of the best and most popular players of the Browns' post-1999 era. From 2018 to 2022, he was one of the NFL's most consistent running backs. Chubb suffered multiple knee injuries in September 2023 and required multiple surgeries, and he took a pay cut to remain with Cleveland in 2024. Chubb played in eight games, rushing for three touchdowns, before suffering a broken foot that cut his year short last season. Advertisement Chubb, 29, averaged 5.3 yards per carry over his first six NFL seasons. He had a streak of four straight 1,000-yard seasons and ran for a career-best 1,525 yards in 2022 before suffering the knee injuries in the second game of the 2023 campaign. Though the Browns drafting two backs might have been a surprise, selecting their new running back of the future always seemed likely. Judkins was taken at No. 36 in the second round with a pick the Browns acquired in their first-round blockbuster trade with Jacksonville. 'Nick Chubb is a great back who's done a lot of great things here,' Judkins told Cleveland reporters before Friday's practice session. 'I'm looking forward to starting my own legacy, and I think the coaches will put me in a great position to do that.' Judkins (5-foot-11, 221 pounds) is an explosive athlete who can run between the tackles. He had 45 rushing touchdowns over three seasons and capped his college career by scoring three times in Ohio State's national championship win over Notre Dame in January. Sampson (5-foot-8, 200 pounds) led the SEC with 1,491 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns last fall. Judkins said he's fully focused on learning the playbook and refining his game rather than how he might eventually fit, but he added that he's 'an all-around player' who believes he's game-ready at just 21. Judkins said the message he received from Browns running backs coach Duce Staley ahead of rookie minicamp was 'to just go out there and execute — just be the guy they drafted.' Ford played sparingly as a rookie in 2022, but he alternated between the feature back and a third-down role over the past two seasons. His decision to reduce his 2025 salary at least temporarily ensured his roster spot with the Browns, though Ford could go from atop the depth chart to a potential trade candidate if the rookies progress. The Browns signed fullback Troy Hairston to a futures contract and have two more fullbacks in their rookie minicamp, a sign that the offensive installation will include an emphasis on the power-run game that thrived with Chubb in coach Kevin Stefanski's first three seasons. Advertisement The running back room is crowded. Pierre Strong Jr. is also back and under contract for one more season, though he is more of a special teams player. Sampson could end up competing with Ford and Strong for kick return duties and pass-down work, though the real competition won't start until the pads come on in training camp. Right now, Judkins and Sampson are sticking to introductions and basic installations. 'We obviously like (Judkins) and his skill set,' Stefanski said. 'I think (Sampson) was a player we really, really liked a lot throughout the process. So, I think it really just so happens that they're different in style, which I think is beneficial. I think when you're talking about the running back position and the quintessential change of pace (back), sometimes you can go from a speed back to a stronger back, or vice versa. So, I think it really did just happen that way. But we liked both of those guys a lot going into this draft process.' RBs gettin' after it 💨@quinshon_ | @dylans21527 — Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 9, 2025 Stefanski has stressed the basics with the 47 players in rookie minicamp, a group that includes the team's seven draft picks, 13 undrafted rookie signees and a collection of tryout and first-year players who spent some of last season on the practice squad or at the bottom of the roster. For most of those 47, nothing is certain past the next few days. For Judkins and Sampson, though, competition and opportunity await. The draft results say that Stefanski, Berry and the other folks in charge think the rookie runners are ready. 'We're gonna be able to push each other and get better,' Sampson said. 'Along with the older guys in the room, we're gonna learn from each other. I'm ready to just learn some more ball. Me and Quinshon, we'll have a good relationship, and we'll be able to push each other.' (Top photo of Quinshon Judkins: Ken Blaze / Imagn Images
