Cleveland Browns: Isaiah Crowell has to be starter for now

The Cleveland Browns possible competition at quarterback between Josh McCown and steadily improving second-year man Johnny Manziel continues to be the most captivating storyline surrounding the team in training camp (and for obvious reasons), but an equally important position battle is still brewing in the backfield. Terrance West is reportedly on “thin ice” with the Browns organization and has been placed in the doghouse again, and that combined with Duke Johnson’s absence due to a hamstring injury has caused Isaiah Crowell to emerge as the likely Week 1 starter.

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ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi tweeted yesterday that he believes Crowell will be the team’s “Opening Day” starter based on what has happened so far in training camp, and it’s hard to argue that Crowell isn’t the team’s safest option right now. He averaged more yards per carry than West did last season (4.1 vs. 3.9) and has more natural talent to fall back on as a rusher. West is intriguing in his own right, but he looked more like a “committee piece” than a “committee leader” last year.

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The jury, of course, is still out on Crowell, but with Johnson’s rookie rushing contributions a bit up-in-the-air, especially because of the hamstring issue, the 22-year-old is indeed in the driver’s seat. He showed a tendency to go down too early at first contact last year and didn’t make any sort of an impact in the passing game, but Crowell showed real one-cut ability and, according to Pro Football Focus, just four backs had a higher percentage of 15-yard runs last season.

Johnson has the most upside of the Browns backs, and I’m convinced that they view him as their future feature back. Crowell obviously has more talent than most former UDFA backs, but the Browns took a three-down back in the third round of a deep draft at RB who is Miami’s all-time leader in rushing yards. Since running backs are viewed as players who immediately step in and start without a big learning curve, the Browns probably envision him as their franchise back sooner rather than later.

That’s part of the reason why head coach Mike Pettine stated he is “disappointed” with the fact that Johnson has missed time with a hamstring ailment. The Browns aren’t mad at Johnson by any means, but they are frustrated with the fact that they won’t be able to get him up to speed at practices as quickly as possible. Their willingness to take it slow with Johnson’s injury is confirmation of the fact that they view him as a key long-term piece, as he clearly had the best college tape of all of the backs on the Browns roster.

Even so, Crowell can’t be discounted, because even though Johnson could become the team’s lead back as early as some point in the 2015 season, they’ll likely give some touches to the other rushers. Based on what we saw last year, Crowell has more pure rushing ability than West, which is something that can also be seen in both of their measurables.

Since Johnson is already the most well-rounded RB on the roster and clearly looks like the team’s best bet on passing downs due to his hands and explosiveness, Crowell should assert himself as a player with a change-of-pace rushing role who can provide a spark with the serious big-play ability that he flashed as a rookie.

The Browns big training camp position battle is at quarterback, and I view McCown vs. Manziel as a legit battle until proven otherwise. But because both quarterbacks were among the league’s worst when they started last season, the Browns have to hope that they can get some big production out of their rushing attack. Regardless of who starts at the position, multiple backs will have to play a key role, and Crowell will be counted on after what he showed last season.

Nov 23, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell (34) scores a touchdown in the third quarter of their game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. The Browns won 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

He’ll have to show that he can break more tackles and generate more yards after contact, and he will be more than pushed by Johnson. Until the former Hurricanes star hits the field and shows his stuff, Isaiah Crowell is absolutely the favorite start. The “…for now” disclaimer must be added due to Johnson’s greater upside and better all-around skill-set, but we all saw Crowell’s potential last season with his eight touchdowns, long runs, and 607 rushing yards. If he can become more consistent and generate more real estate on his own, then he could show the Browns that he is the answer.

With Alex Mack set to return and the offensive line easily among the NFL’s three best (and that’s irrelevant of whether or not first-round rookie Cameron Erving starts), every back on the Cleveland Browns roster has a real chance to shine. Sure, they’ll face stacked boxes due to the QB situation, but, hey, at least Dwayne Bowe and Andrew Hawkins are good wideouts and have proven to be great blockers at the position in the running game.

Next: Do Browns Have A Top 50 WR...Or Two?

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