News on Joe Thomas, Brian Hartline, lefty Manziel and more from Browns training camp
August 11, 2015The Browns running backs need to perform – WFNY Podcast – 2015-08-12
August 12, 2015The Cleveland Browns have had their fair share of running backs in recent memory and are currently still searching for “that guy” who can be their star out of the backfield. How far down the list are they willing to go? Don Banks of Sports Illustrated believes that free agent Ray Rice could possibly be a Brown in the near future.
With second-year back Terrance West and rookie Duke Johnson suffering injuries early in training camp, Cleveland’s backfield has been in shambles so far, outside of Isaiah Crowell. On Tuesday, Browns head coach Mike Pettine told SI.com that the team has recently discussed signing Rice, the 28-year old who has been out of the NFL since September 2014 when he was found to have physically attacked his then fiancee (and current wife) in an elevator.
With a young backfield that includes Crowell (also in his second year in the NFL), West, and Johnson, the Browns are in search of a veteran to not only carry some of the load, but also to be a mentor to the young guys. When asked if Cleveland was considering adding a veteran to the backfield, Pettine said, “we’ve talked about it, but I don’t think we’re there at this point.”
A member of the Browns’ coaching staff has ties to the veteran, from when they were with the Ravens together. Pettine was also a member of the Ravens’ coaching staff, when he served as their outside linebackers coach, when Rice was on the team.
“Of course it’s a natural question here because of [Browns running backs coach] Wilbert [Montgomery], and because I was with Ray when he was a Ravens rookie (in 2008) and know a lot of people in Baltimore,” Pettine said. “Obviously Wilbert was his position coach for Ray’s first six years in the league (2008–13). I’m not going to say it didn’t come up in discussion, but at this point we’re not there yet.”
Outside of the 2014 preseason, Rice never played a snap in Baltimore for another running backs coach besides Montgomery. In his career thus far, the three-time Pro Bowler has racked up more than 9,214 yards from scrimmage, including four consecutive seasons of at least 1,100 rushing yards and 1,600 yards from scrimmage (2008-13). In his most recent full season (2013), he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry and rushed for just 600 yards while playing through a hip injury.
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pass.
I’m thinking no.
Does every player on the current roster get to line up and take one free shot each on him first? Because then I might be willing to consider this…
I tell you what, for a franchise that has so poorly navigated the PR landscape over the past decade, this would be the most tone-deaf, completely stupid move they’ve made. Think back to Willis McGahee, but add a metric ton of baggage. Rice isn’t a good running back anymore, he hasn’t played in over a year, and he comes with such a toxic nameplate that I can literally think of no upside to signing him.
Of course, it’s the Browns, so I’m gathering papers on my desk to throw them into the air when this inevitably happens.
is there really any other way this plays out? If he were actually worth a damn, he’d sign with a team that “has a shot at a Super Bowl”. Since he’s been a division rival, and is now past his prime, OF COURSE the Browns are going to sign him. The fact that signing him would be a PR nightmare only increases the chances. I really do wonder if there’s something in the water in Berea that makes normally reasonable people act as if they had the IQ of dental floss
(this statement is moreso a reflection on past regimes. This regime still has time to help me formulate my opinion of them. Theres been some bad, but more good than most (all?) of their predecessors, so the jury’s out, which is better than burning them in effigy, so YAY small victories)
Mike Pettine called up SI and said, “Listen to this nugget!” STOOPID BROWNZ.