Yahoo Sports With Leonard Fournette banged up, Jaguars trade for Browns RB Carlos Hyde
The last time the Cleveland Browns made a major trade to send away a running back during the season, it was Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts.
Hopefully, Carlos Hyde works out better for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars, whose offense has stalled the past couple weeks with Leonard Fournette out with a hamstring injury, traded for Hyde. That report came on Friday afternoon from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Jaguars are sending a fifth-round pick to the Browns, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Hyde was signed in free agency from the San Francisco 49ers, but the Browns then drafted Nick Chubb early in the second round. Clearly they wanted to clear some playing time for the rookie from Georgia.
Jaguars add Carlos Hyde with Leonard Fournette hurt
The Jaguars have missed Fournette, who has barely played this season due to injuries. The fourth pick of last year’s draft also missed time as a rookie, and in his last season at LSU.
The Jaguars were getting by with T.J. Yeldon but clearly wanted more punch in the offense. Hyde has 382 yards on five touchdowns this season, but is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry.
Fournette was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, and reports have said he could be out until Week 10. It’s not a great sign for Fournette’s return date that the Jaguars just traded a draft pick for an established running back who is in the first year of a three-year, $15.25 million deal.
Browns needed to get Nick Chubb more playing time
Chubb is the Browns’ most talented running back, but his playing time was limited. The trade should clear things up in the Cleveland backfield.
Chubb’s breakout game came against the Raiders, when he had 105 yards and two touchdowns on just three carries. He hasn’t had more than three carries in a game yet this season. That will change very soon.
Chubb was an early second-round pick, a talented runner who looked like a sure first-round pick before tearing his ACL in college. With the Browns still fielding a young team, it made sense to trade Hyde and see what Chubb can do.
Even though Hyde was in Cleveland a short time, he carved out a spot in Browns history by scoring the winning touchdown against the Jets in the team’s first victory since 2016, after rushing from the hospital before the birth of his first child. Now he’ll try to make a name for himself with a Jaguars team that can use the offensive boost.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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