Cleveland Browns Nearly Considered Significant Trade

The Cleveland Browns seemed to create quite the logjam in their backfield by selecting running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson in the NFL Draft, but in reality, it appears that they were really trying to revamp their rushing attack.

The additions of both Judkins and Sampson probably spells the end of Nick Chubb's tenure in Cleveland, but for a brief moment, it looked as if Chubb might get another run with the Browns in 2025. That was before fellow halfback Jerome Ford took a pay cut.

Prior to Ford accepting his revised deal for next season, however, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that the team could have traded him, and that would have led to Chubb possibly being re-signed by the Browns.

"He took the cut on Friday, reducing his salary by about half, from $3.486 million to a guaranteed $1.75 million, a league source told cleveland.com," Cabot wrote. "If he had refused the pay cut or if the Browns traded Ford, Chubb may have been re-signed."

Ford was actually productive for the Browns last season, at least from an efficiency perspective. In 14 games, the 25-year-old rushed for 565 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a robust 5.4 yards per carry. He also caught 37 passes for 225 yards.

Meanwhile, Chubb totaled 332 yards and three scores while logging a meager 3.3 yards per attempts in eight contests.

At this point, keeping Ford over Chubb makes sense from a team-building standpoint. The only reason to keep Chubb instead would be for novelty and nostalgia, but Cleveland should be valuing a proper rebuild above all else at this juncture.