close
close

Former Browns RB John Kelly moves to rival Ravens


Former Browns RB John Kelly moves to rival Ravens

Former Browns RB John Kelly moves to rival Ravens

Getty Images

Former Browns running back John Kelly has signed with the Ravens.

John Kelly wasn’t out of a job for long after being released by the Cleveland Browns.

Kelly signed with the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday, August 13, just one day after his contract was terminated by the Browns.

He has been with Cleveland on and off since 2020, mostly on the practice squad. Kelly only appeared in five games, playing just three snaps on offense and a handful on special teams.

Kelly was busy in the Browns’ first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, rushing for 15 yards on 4 carries and 5 catches for 19 yards. However, Kelly also lost a fumble and the Browns’ offense struggled to move the ball consistently.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said the fumble was not the reason for the move, explaining that the decision was more of a roster management exercise in light of recent injuries.

“The injuries are really bad right now and we’re trying to find places where we can get some healthy bodies and that’s what it’s all about,” Stefanski said on Monday, Aug. 12. “But yeah, potentially he could come back.”

The Browns are well-positioned at the running back position and may have to make difficult decisions. Nick Chubb’s status is still uncertain at the start of the season, but he will take on the No. 1 role upon his return. The RB room also includes Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr., D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines. Undrafted rookie Aidan Robins is also part of the team.

Kelly now gets the chance to make an impression on the AFC North rivals.


Browns RB Nick Chubb may miss a lot of time

Chubb and the Browns agreed to a restructured contract in the offseason. The move reduced Chubb’s base salary of about $12 million and converted much of it into bonuses, lowering Chubb’s salary cap to a more manageable $6.275 million.

Both Chubb and the Browns have avoided giving a specific timetable for his return. He is still on the physically unable to perform list and has not been ruled out for the start of the year. However, Browns insider Zac Jackson of The Athletic believes Chubb will miss some time.

“My first guess is that Nick Chubb will begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he would not be on the initial 53-man roster and would miss at least four games,” Jackson wrote on August 13.

Chubb has amassed 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns in 77 career games. He averages 84.6 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry.


D’onta Foreman is training with the Browns again

The Browns signed Foreman in the offseason to fill the short yardage position previously held by Kareem Hunt. However, Foreman suffered a nasty injury during training camp that landed him in the hospital.

X-rays and CT scans showed no major damage and Foreman returned to practice on Monday, giving the Browns some relief. With Chubb potentially missing time, Foreman should play a key role in the offense.

Foreman has played for three teams over the past three seasons but has been productive. Last year he started eight games with the Chicago Bears. Foreman rushed for 425 yards on 109 carries and found the end zone four times.

JR DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He graduated from Arizona State and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stints at SBNation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national awards for sports reporting and photography. More about JR DeGroote

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *