Tag: Nyheim Hines

Free agent addition will never play a snap in Browns uniform

Nyheim Hines will now miss the remainder of the season after missing his 21-day window

The Cleveland Browns signed running back Nyheim Hines this offseason to be their return specialist, but he will not play a single snap on his one-year deal.

Hines, who came into the season after missing all of 2023 after a jet ski accident, was originally placed on the Non-Football Injury list to start the season. He was designated for return three weeks ago, opening his 21-day practice window.

However, head coach Kevin Stefanski has announced today that Hines will not be activated. With his activation window now closed, Hines must miss the rest of the season, meaning unless he signs another deal with the Browns this offseason, he will never play a snap in the brown and orange.

The Browns have had awful luck with return specialists as the one before Hines never played a regular season down in two years with the team as well. Wideout Jakeem Grant suffered a torn Achilles his first year, then tore his ACL on his first return of the preseason a year ago.

Nick Chubb among six starters or key contributors ruled out for Browns vs. Eagles

Nick Chubb among six starters or key contributors ruled out for Browns vs. Eagles

The Browns are 1-4 and banged up at several key positions. The massive underdog for Sunday’s matchup against the Eagles will enter the matchup missing several vital starters or contributors.

Cleveland has ruled out the following for the Eagles game: Nick Chubb, Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, Nyheim Hines, James Hudson, and Ethan Pocic.

Mohamoud Diabate, Jordan Hicks, Maurice Hurst, and Denzel Ward are questionable.

For the Eagles, they’ll be their healthiest coming out of the bye, with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson returning to the lineup.

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Browns designate three players for return from injured lists

Yes, one of them is Nick Chubb

Ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the Washington Commanders, the Cleveland Browns have officially designated running back Nick Chubb and two others for return from their respective injury lists.

Those other two players are running back and return specialist Nyheim Hines, and offensive guard Michael Dunn. Given the state of their return-ability and their offensive line, these two players are welcome additions back to the practice field.

This does not mean these players will be put back onto the 53-man roster this week, but it opens a 21-day window for the Browns to activate them and place them back onto the 53-man roster. Rookie defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. will also be returning to the 53-man roster next week after finishing out a five-game suspension.

The Browns did, however, clear a roster spot on Tuesday with the release of running back Gary Brightwell. Could one of these three players be closer than three weeks out from re-joining the 53-man roster?

Another RB not named Nick Chubb could practice for the first time this week

The Browns could get another running back not named Nick Chubb off of the PUP list this week too

The big news out of Berea this week is that superstar running back Nick Chubb is set to return to the practice field this week for the Cleveland Browns for the first time since his devastating knee injury over one year ago. However, another running back who has not played in over a year could return to practice this week as well as Nyheim Hines could return to the practice field this week.

Suffering a jet ski accident in the summer of 2023, Hines missed all of last season for the Buffalo Bills. He does, however, have experience working with both offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone.

With the NFL’s new kickoff rules, getting Hines back on special teams could be a huge boost to the Browns. Then adding his receiving ability out of the backfield could help solve some offensive woes as well.

If Hines returns to practice this week, it will open a 21-day window for him to get back onto the 53-man roster.

Browns have options but no answer at return specialist

The Cleveland Browns will rely on a bevy of return specialists until Nyheim Hines recovers from his torn ACL.

The Cleveland Browns have one big question mark on their roster heading into the season opener. The Browns have many options at the returner spots but no answers. The team could not find a reliable returner after cut-day. The Browns do not list a punt returner on their official depth chart. The organization believes Nyheim Hines will be the starting returner once he returns from injury.

The Browns have a handful of choices for punt returners on their practice squad. James Proche II was the Browns’ primary returner last year. He returned 22 punts for 197 yards. Jaelon Darden, another receiver on the practice squad, returned four punts for 39 yards last year for the Browns. Darden was the best returner in the preseason. He returned six kickoffs for 170 yards and four punts for 23 yards.

Darden is a serviceable returner, but not a long-term option. The Browns will likely elevate one of the receivers to the game-day roster until Hines returns. 

The kick returners, Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr., leave much to be desired in the return game. Strong was the primary kick returner last season. He returned eight kicks for 200 yards. Strong’s impressive mix of speed and strength could make him a threat with the league’s new “Dynamic” kick return. 

The Browns will have to rely on a collective of return specialists at the start of the season. The Browns have a lot of faith that Hines will be the return specialist when he’s healthy. Hines tore his ACL in July of last year after a jet ski and their driver hit him. He is currently on the Non-Football Injury list and isn’t eligible to return until the season’s fifth game. The Browns must make do with the players in their organization until then. 

Nyheim Hines won’t join his teammates coming off of injury lists

Hines is not quite ready yet.

The Cleveland Browns are set to see a flurry of players return to the field from injury lists this week, but running back Nyheim Hines will not be one of them.

He joins Nick Chubb as the second running back in the room who looks unlikely to be ready by Week 1 when the Dallas Cowboys come to town.

Signed this offseason as their return specialist and receiving back out of the backfield, Hines has been on the Non-Football Injury list since the start of training camp. The former Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bill has been out since he tore his ACL last summer in a jet ski accident.

He has experience working with both offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone in his previous stops. For now, however, look for Pierre Strong Jr. to be a mainstay on kick returns as he was a year ago for the Browns.

Poll: Who will lead the Browns in rushing yards this season?

Will someone other than Chubb lead Cleveland in rushing yards?

It is unclear when the Cleveland Browns will get Nick Chubb on the field in 2024 after he suffered a gruesome injury against the Steelers last year. This is the second time Chubb has torn that knee, and a timeline for his return hasn’t been given yet.

Even if Chubb starts early in the season, the Browns will likely limit his touches early to let him ease his way back into things and keep him healthy for the playoff push. So there could be a different leading rusher than Chubb this year, and it will likely be last year’s leading rusher, Jerome Ford.

Ford had a solid season last year with 813 rushing yards, averaging four yards per carry. On the other hand, Nyheim Hines and power back D’Onta Foreman, who will compete for carries even when Chubb returns, are the other talented players added.

I believe it will be a running back by committee, and in turn, it’s hard to predict who will lead the team in rushing this year. If I had to choose, I think it would be Jerome Ford again, but Nick Chubb would give him a run for his money late in the season.

Why new RB Nyheim Hines chose to sign with the Browns

What made Hines chose to come to Cleveland?

New Cleveland Browns running back Nyheim Hines missed the entirety of the 2023 season after tearing his ACL in a jet ski accident. Though he is still recovering from that injury and working his way back onto the field, he spoke with the media this week during Browns OTAs.

During that session, he was asked about why he chose Cleveland and felt it was a good fit for him.

“I think it was a great fit just because of the passing game, first off, I know that was something Cleveland was looking forward to, getting a back and getting guys who were explosive in space and then the returner opportunity. The returners have been in and out there’s been a lot of different returners over the years, at least for the past couple years. What I’ve seen when we played them and Bubba was here, so I know, Bubba’s probably one of. Bubba and Ken (Dorsey) are probably the two biggest reasons I’m here, so I’m thankful for that and thankful to be here.”

The move to bring in Bubba Ventrone continues to pay off. After a massive improvement in 2023, two more great special teamers joined him in Cleveland, with Hines and Justin Hardee coming to town this offseason. Ken Dorsey is going to help this passing attack grow, and Hines will likely play a part in that as well.

Browns’ signing of Nyheim Hines looks brilliant after kickoff rule change

The signing of Nyheim Hines looks far more important now…

The NFL has adopted the XFL’s kickoff rules, and the Cleveland Browns come out as winners after the signing of running back and return specialist Nyheim Hines.

He was added for just the cost of $3.5 million in 2024, and the running back and Hines has experience working with both offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone.

And Hines’ impact might be felt far more as a returner than it will on offense after the NFL adopted a new kickoff rule to allow for more returns and to penalize touchbacks.

You can read about the new kickoff rules here.

Hines, of course, had the notable game in Buffalo in 2022 where he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same 60 minutes. The veteran returner and receiving back also has two punt return touchdowns in his career.

According to Sumer Sports’ Tej Seth, Hines is third among all returners over the past two years with a minimum of 10 returns in average return yards.

There is a real chance the Browns and general manager Andrew Berry saw this rule change coming down the pipeline and went out of their way to add an explosive returnman as a result.

Can Hines make a big splash not only out of the backfield as a receiver but as a return specialist as well?

Nyheim Hines speaks after agreeing to terms with the Browns

The running back is excited to join the Browns

The Cleveland Browns continue to be active on day two of free agency, and their new running back Nyheim Hines has spoken for the first time since his signing was announced. Hines didn’t play last season after being injured in a jet ski accident resulting in a torn ACL.

He was one of the best returners on the open market and played for special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone when the pair were with the Colts. Hines took to social media with a message to fans on Tuesday, saying he is excited to get to work and thanking everyone for welcoming him.

It will be interesting to see if the Browns add another running back in free agency or the draft, with Hines never carrying a significant workload offensively. But in the end, the ace returner is heading to Cleveland as Andrew Berry continues to build the team’s 2024 roster, with the official league year starting on Wednesday.