The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Hyde trade opens door for Chubb and Johnson
Trading Hyde wasn’t as much about acquiring another fifth-round draft pick as it was about opening playing time for rookie running back Nick Chubb and veteran Duke Johnson.
A team trading a player for a draft pick rarely gets fair compensation.
The Browns on Oct. 19 proved that theory again when they tradedJeff Carlos Hyde, who has five of the team’s 14 touchdowns, to the Jaguars for a 2019 fifthround draft choice.
Last month, General Manager John Dorsey traded wide receiver Josh Gordon and a seventh-round draft pick to the Patriots for a fifth-round pick. It is a trade that has a much better chance of being a steal for the Patriots than of turning into a windfall for the Browns. Gordon has nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in three games with New England.
Hyde has a team-high 382 rushing yards with the Browns. His five rushing touchdowns are tied for third most in the AFC.
Trading Hyde wasn’t as much about acquiring another fifth-round draft pick – the Browns now have three – as it was about opening playing time for rookie running back Nick Chubb and veteran Duke Johnson.
Chubb and Johnson want more opportunities. Coach Hue Jackson repeatedly says each should touch the ball more, so now that will happen as the Browns continue searching for the elusive identity.
Hyde has 114 carries. Chubb (16) and Johnson (19 carries) deserved more playing time, but they weren’t going to get the additional carries as long as Hyde was on the roster.
The Browns are always planning for the future. Hyde, in his fifth season, was in his first with the Browns after signing a three-year contract in free agency. He isn’t going to be better than he already is.
Chubb and Johnson can get better with more playing time. If the coaches conclude over the next 10 games Chubb isn’t cut out to be a No. 1 back, then Dorsey will go on the hunt in the 2019 draft for a back that can handle the load.
Of course, there is more to being a running back than carrying the football. Like blitz pickups and catching passes. Johnson right now is better than Chubb as a blocker and as a receiver.
Dorsey had to be confident Chubb has improved enough in pass protection to send Hyde away because now it will be up to the rookie and Johnson to protect Dorsey’s prize pick – rookie Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield was sacked five times last week in the 38-14 loss to the Chargers. Chubb played only seven snaps (nine percent) of the 74 snaps the offense was on the field.
There is no doubting what Chubb can do with a football in his hands. He opened eyes with touchdown runs of 63 and 41 yards against the Raiders. He followed that day with three carries for two yards against the Ravens and three carries for 25 yards against the Chargers. He has yet to catch a pass.
The downside for the Browns of trading their leading rusher is the backfield is now very thin. “Next man up” if anything happens to Chubb or Johnson is Dontrell Hilliard, who was elevated from the practice squad last week.
The other risk is Hyde is reliable, even if he isn’t flashy. Now the Browns are counting on Chubb when their pass offense is weakened by injuries and inexperience.
Johnson’s best value is catching passes; he has five career rushing touchdowns on 278 carries and five more touchdowns on 202 catches. He has 111 rushing yards on 19 carries this year.
As with the Patriots acquiring Gordon, this is a lowrisk trade with the potential of at least modest reward for the Jaguars. The Jags, 3-3, are in a three-way tie with Houston and Tennessee for first place in the AFC South. Leonard Fournette, who rushed for 1,040 yards in 13 games with Jacksonville last year, has played in only two games this season. A hamstring injury has reduced him to 20 carries for 71 yards.
The trading deadline is 4 p.m. Oct. 30. Don’t be surprised if Dorsey has more deals in the wind.