The Cleveland Browns have signed running back D’Onta Foreman, and their new running backs coach Duce Staley is familiar with his game.
When Staley was hired by the Carolina Panthers a year ago, he was asked about both Foreman and Chuba Hubbard, two guys he was slated to coach. And Staley praised both backs glowingly:
“Those dudes are real… We came down here last year and got our (expletive) whipped. Exactly what happened. Those guys were running up and down the field. And of course, as a former running back, you love seeing running backs have success. Not against us of course. But you like seeing it. But man, those two guys…and studying them in college also, I was able to watch film and watch the success they had. I loved them in college and I love them now.”
The only issue? Foreman was a free agent last season as well, and when Staley was asked last offseason how highly he valued the free agent back, Staley did not hide his desires. “Super high… Super high for me. But you know, my last name ain’t Fitterer.” Fitterer, of course, is the former general manager of the Panthers who opted not to re-sign Foreman despite Staley’s public plea.
A year later now, Staley finally gets his guy.
With running back Nick Chubb’s recovery timeline still uncertain, and with the struggles of Jerome Ford from a year ago, Foreman has a real chance to make an impact with the Browns in 2024.