With the news that Kareem Hunt has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns, there is a rush to decipher how the organization might respond and what it could mean for the team. So far, the team has balked at the request, reportedly telling the running back that his best move is to earn his next contract with his play this season.
However, if the relationship between player and team reaches a breaking point, how could the Browns forge ahead?
And might their answer already be on the roster.
While Hunt missed nine games last season due to a combination of injuries and COVID-19, D’Ernest Johnson picked up the slack in the Cleveland backfield. Appearing in 17 games with a pair of starts, Johnson picked up 534 rushing yards on 100 attempts, scoring three touchdowns, and added another 19 receptions for 137 yards.
How did Johnson put up this production? A combination of balance and vision. According to Next Gen Stats from the NFL, Johnson was among the league leaders in “Rushing Yards Over Expectation.” According to Next Gen Stats, RYOE measures “[t]he difference between actual rushing yards and expected rushing yards per rush attempt.” Basically, how well the running back creates yardage beyond what is reasonably expected on a given play.
Johnson was second in the league last year with 1.57 RYOE per attempt — behind only Rashaad Penny. Furthermore, he led the league in Rush Percentage Over Expected (ROE), which tracks “[t]he percentage of runs where a ball-carrier gained more yards than expected.” 58.8% of his runs last year resulted in Johnson gaining more yards than expected. Green Bay’s A.J. Dillon was second with 48.4%.
How did Johnson manage these numbers? With a combination of balance and vision.