Is It Time to Worry About the Cleveland Browns' Running Back Injuries?

The Cleveland Browns' offense is set to be one based around ball-control and limiting mistakes, and the run game will factor in heavily toward making these goals a reality. But, at the early stages of the Browns' training camp, the running back position has taken a few major blows.

It started with the knee injury that has kept the promising Glenn Winston riding the stationary bike since practices began last Thursday. It continued during Saturday's first padded practices of the summer, with Terrance West suffering a calf injury and rookie Duke Johnson a hamstring injury. Undrafted rookie Luke Lundy then left practice with a concussion on Sunday.

Head coach Mike Pettine said on Sunday (via the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot) that Johnson's hamstring injury will have him sidelined for "a little while," though he is optimistic West could be available as early as Tuesday's practice.

But Pettine did allow for the possibility the Browns would sign more running backs to the roster, given the position has, at least for now, been whittled down to just two players—Isaiah Crowell and Shaun Draughn. 

And indeed, that's what the Browns did on Monday, signing 2014 undrafted free agent Timothy Flanders and 2008 Round 6 draft pick Jalen Parmele, releasing defensive back Brandon Stephens and receiver Kevin Cone in the process. At the very least, the Browns now have enough healthy backs to properly conduct training camp practices for the coming days and weeks, and insurance should any of these injuries linger or should others occur.

There is little reason to worry that the injuries striking Johnson, Lundy, West and Winston will be long-term issues. But there are things to be concerned about, particularly as far as Johnson is concerned.

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Hamstring injuries can stick around for a long time, and even if they are mostly healed, they can cause grief over time, especially for a running back like Johnson who needs two fully functioning legs to do his job. He cannot compensate for the injury in other ways. They can also recur more easily after one has occurred—look no farther than the Dallas Cowboys' Darren McFadden for a prime example.

The Browns have a lot invested in Johnson, their 2015 Round 3 draft pick, this year. He's not only expected to round out the running back position, joining West and Crowell in a three-man rotation, but also be a major component of that ball-protection passing game as well. 

As Pettine said to ClevelandBrowns.com about Johnson's role prior to training camp:

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"[F]rom a defensive standpoint when you start going down the checklist of, 'who are we defending this week'... one of the questions that come up is 'can the running back mismatch our linebackers in coverage?' When that happens, that drives your game plan a certain way, that you have to make sure that 'hey, we can't put our inside backer one-on-one in coverage against this guy,' or, 'if they spread him out, they go empty backfield and they put him out as a wide receiver, who's covering him?' He's already shown the ability to take a short pass and turn it into a long gain. He's also shown the ability to line up in the backfield and be a true running back, as he showed in college."

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Pettine also noted coordinator John DeFilippo has particular play calls he "tags" with certain running backs' names, and a number of these feature or are tailored for Johnson. Subtracting him from the equation will certainly rip out an important facet of the Browns' offensive plans this year.

Further, Johnson is a rookie. He is not yet a fully formed NFL entity. He needs as many reps as he can get in training camp in order to develop into the dual threat the Browns envision him being. Every practice missed is another missed opportunity for Johnson to hone his technique, work with his quarterbacks and offensive linemen and execute what he's been learning from the playbook. 

Right now, with more than a month to go before the Browns take the field in Week 1 against the New York Jets, the latest rash of running back injuries are a storm the team can weather. They are in far better shape, depth-wise, now that they have signed Flanders and Parmele, and everyone in the organization is optimistic about the recoveries of the four injured backs.

But Johnson's hamstring is worth worrying about, at least until he comes back to the field and proves to be 100 percent healthy. Any setbacks Johnson could have will directly affect Cleveland's offensive game-planning and how they approach their opponents.

This situation would be far more dire if it had happened during the actual season, to be sure, but until everyone—especially Johnson—is back to full practice, this is one on which to keep a close eye.