RB Kevin Jones Draws Interest From Browns

by Chris Pokorny on Jun 28, 2008 11:09 PM EDT in General News

It's funny how things quickly seem to coincide with each other, doesn't it? Seeing as Terry Pluto's Sunday articles are usually posted on cleveland.com on Saturday nights, I headed over there around 10:30 p.m. to see his latest piece. This week, Pluto talks about the important role that Lewis will play with the Browns this year.

Pluto provides some nice statistics on when Lewis had a higher yards-per-carry average, including how many touches it took him to get going (proving the oft-made statement that Lewis gets "stronger as the game goes on"). Here's the part that relates to my introduction sentence though:

Behind Lewis, the Browns have Jason Wright and Jerome Harrison. Both have some ability, but neither can compare to Lewis in terms of being a back that can carry a team for long stretches. It would be scary for the Browns to lose Lewis for a long stretch.

The Associated Press announced that former Detroit Lions running back Kevin Jones had four teams attend his workout Saturday. Those four teams were Miami, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, and (funny enough) Detroit. However, another team was partially thrown into the mix: the Cleveland Browns.

The Cleveland Browns also called, [Dr. D.S.] Ping said, and asked for a video of the workout.

Jones, a former first-round draft pick, would be a definite upgrade over Wright and Harrison. He caught 61 passes for 520 yards during the 2006 season. I'd like to believe that Harrison could be our pass-catching running back/third-down running back, but I heard the Browns coaches praise him last year only to see him end up on the bench again.

Kevin Jones would provide more insurance behind Jamal Lewis.

Jones doesn't appear physically apt to being a starter: the past three years, he's played in 13, 12, and 13 games. His talent hasn't degraded though, and his presence would be very valuable in case of an injury to Lewis.

Jones' performance was reportedly very impressive during his workout too: he ran the shuttle in 4.3 seconds on wet grass.

Poll

Would you like to bring in RB Kevin Jones?

Yes, we need better depth

292 votes

No, spend the money elsewhere

93 votes

385 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I say hell yes. I’ve been concerned about Lewis; it was amazing to see what he did last year, but history has shown us what happens to RBs in his age range, especially with the mileage he has. If he gets hurt or flounders, we don’t really have any thing good enough behind him. Harrison and Wright are role players, neither can be a legit starting runner.

Kevin Jones, as a change-of-pace back, would be an elegant solution, I think.

Of course, CB should still be the priority….

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

by BringBackKosar on Jun 29, 2008 7:41 AM EDT reply actions

Indeed regarding the CB position…it’s funny how all the rumors the past week have involved us acquiring a position player on the complete opposite end of the spectrum—a receiver or a running back.

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by Chris Pokorny on Jun 29, 2008 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions

to the 82% who voted for jones

whose roster spot would you give him?

i’d rather keep harrison and ali for another year.

j. wright may be the most underrated #2 in the nfl, even by his own fans.

sure it would be scary to lose lewis for a few games, but the same could be said of many positions.

the backups at LT, OLB, and CB are all less proven than wright.

i wonder what vickers carrying the ball behind ali’s blocking would look like.

by MJ32 on Jun 29, 2008 11:55 AM EDT reply actions

Regrettably, I would have to waive Jerome Harrison if I sign Jones. Wright has more NFL in-game experience than Harrison, and the coaches never seem ready to pull the trigger and give Harrison a shot.

Wright has shown to be a nice backup—he moves the ball forward and stepped in fine for Lewis when needed last season. And, for all I know, he could be capable of being a starter in this league. However, the same can be said for a lot of other running backs around the league.

I read a good point on another forum—Wright seems to be a savvy player, and with how successful Chudzinski’s offensive system was last year, he probably has a nice advantage in terms of chemistry. Jones would be entering a new system, and although that’s not a lot to ask of a backup, it’s still something that could cause disruption.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by Chris Pokorny on Jun 29, 2008 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Disagree, agree

I don’t think Wright stepped in well for Lewis. He averaged 3.9 and 3.0 yds/carry during the games Lewis was out (NE, MIA). Compared to 6.36 yds/carry when he was in as a substitute.

The New England numbers aren’t that bad (15 carries for 59 yards), but they probably wanted us to run because they were ahead by so much. 20 carries for 59 yards against the one win Miami team? That’s terrible!

by rufio on Jun 29, 2008 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions

For a game or two, I consider that good enough for Wright. If it were over a four-game stretch or greater as a starter that he hovered around 3.0, I’d probably change my mind.

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by Chris Pokorny on Jun 29, 2008 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions

I can’t find individual game stats for past seasons to back up my feeling that Wright’s productivity goes down as his carries go up, but how about his underwhelming 3.0, and 2.5 yds/carry in 06 and 05? He only carried 3 times in 04, so he should get a mulligan for his 3.3 yds/carry in that season.

In 05 and 06, Wright was running behind lines and in offenses that were probably moderately better than those Jones ran behind/in. Yet, Jones averaged 3.8 and 3.6 yds/carry, almost a yard per carry more than Wright.

3.0 against the 07 Dolphins I could have done that!

by rufio on Jun 30, 2008 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Jason Wright if it has to be a RB. Otherwise, the 4th TE’s spot, the last receiver’s spot (assuming we have a WR on the practice squad), the last Dlineman’s spot, or an LB. There is still a little fat to trim on the roster, even though it has come a long way from its morbidly obese 2004 counterpart.

I don’t care if Wright is under or overrated, I care if he can play a role for the Browns better than the next guy, who in this case, would be Jones. Neither of them will be an every down back in the NFL. Jones gets hurt too much, and Wright just isn’t good enough. But Harrison has a “shiftiness” that none of these backs do. If he can play a role on ST, the coaches have said they will activate him. Jones would be a better spell for Jamal Lewis because Jones is a lot bigger than Wright, and probably has better speed too.

Honestly, would you miss Louis Leonard, Pittman or Purcell all that much?

by rufio on Jun 29, 2008 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions

All good points (I’m just going to address the last line)...

I don’t think Leonard, Pittman, or Purcell really count as men that would be cut if we brought in Jones, simply because I don’t expect them to be on the 53-man roster to begin with.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by Chris Pokorny on Jun 29, 2008 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Fair

But they are still people on the roster now, and people we are going to have to cut at some point unless they can go back to the practice squad. Someone else would have to go for the final 53 man roster, but that is a long time away. I guess I would rather give Jones a shot during the preseason at least than one of those 3.

by rufio on Jun 30, 2008 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Ah, I see. I thought you might be referring to 53-man candidates when mentioning them. Though still, I think there are plenty of UDFA’s from this year that we’d sever ties with before those three.

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by Chris Pokorny on Jun 30, 2008 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I am cool with that, as long as none of them play CB.

by rufio on Jun 30, 2008 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions

pass on Jones

This doesn’t really excite me that much. I like the look of our RBs. I do agree that it would be nice to see Harrison get a chance. Wright did a nice job last year backing up. I don’t see this as a priority UNLESS Lewis went down but their are more pressing needs in my opinion.

by bellar on Jun 29, 2008 3:01 PM EDT reply actions

the coaches challenged harrison to play special teams this coming season. i dont remember, did wright play special teams?

because we know jones would not do that.

another good point brought up above.. RAC seems to never play the young kids unless he has to. its possible harrison (if not wilson) still has something to show. one thing i noticed in his few series last year, harrison immediately squeezes the ball with both arms and his entire upper body on every carry.

and doesnt savage’s baltimore personnel team have a reputation for getting players in late rounds who start to contribute in their 3rd or 4th year like bart scott?

by MJ32 on Jun 29, 2008 7:11 PM EDT reply actions

JW did play on several special team units last year and I also have heard that Harrison is going to work into that role as well. Jones DEFINATELY would not unless he is the second kick returner. We really have no idea about Wilson or Harrison but I hope they get the shot sometime because they seem intriguing. I also agree on the Purcell/Pitman comment if we did go that route.

by bellar on Jun 29, 2008 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions

in addition to backups at LT, OLB, CB..

id also rather see jason wright starting than..

steve heiden at TE1
mike adams
shaun smith
ali
(resevere the right to add stallworth)

by MJ32 on Jun 29, 2008 7:36 PM EDT reply actions

"starter" is a vague term

Stallworth is going to “start”. He will be fine. We have enough people to catch the ball that he won’t need to do anything he can’t. He won’t need to take a beating. He won’t need to be the #1 guy. He won’t even need to be the #2 guy catching the ball.

Shaun Smith is a better NT than Wright is a RB. Way better. He will play a lot in the 4 man DL rotation, and he will do a good enough job.

Ali would be fine “starting” as a FB, but we would definitely play less FB sets, and they wouldn’t ask him to catch the ball, or run in key situations. He would be there to hit people in the mouth, and he can do that.

Heiden wouldn’t start as the #1 TE if Winslow went down, hopefully. Rucker should be good enough to do that. He caught the ball very well in the Big 12, even against teams like Oklahoma with future NFL players all over their D (6 catches for 76 yards out of a total 219 yards passing).

If Joe Thomas goes down, we are screwed. But he is a tough guy. It would take something MAJOR for him to not play. We don’t have ideal STARTING LOLB or CBs, let alone backups. I fail to see why you are comparing Jason Wright to them rather than someone who could actually take his job (Jones). No matter how good a potential Browns CB would be, he would never take the backup RB’s job.

by rufio on Jun 30, 2008 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions