The next marker of the NFL offseason is about a week away, as the NFL Combine kicks off in Indianapolis on Feb. 27. As we continue through the offseason, we took another look in the mailbag to start off the week and answered some more of your questions.
Do the Browns have a 7th round pick in this year's draft? – Jim C., Englewood, FL
Yes! The Browns have one seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Currently, the Browns have seven total picks in the draft, with their first pick being in the second round. They then have a third-round pick, two fifth-round picks and two sixth-round picks as well.
With those picks, the Browns can look to add depth to the roster, fill certain position groups and bring in young players they can develop.
Will Nick Chubb be ready for 2024 season? What's going to happen with Kareem Hunt if Chubb is on his heels again? – Terry H., Fort Worth, TX
The Browns released a statement on Nov. 14 following Chubb's second successful surgery, and in that statement, said that the estimated recovery time for both of his surgeries indicates that he would be able to return to play during the 2024 season. Since then, Chubb has continued his rehab and recovery process.
Then, following the end of the season, both head coach Kevin Stefanski and Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry acknowledged that Chubb is making progress in his rehab process. Berry highlighted the high level of tenacity that Chubb has attacked the rehab. It's still early in the stages of recovery, but there is ample time this offseason to continue his rehab journey and work his way back.
To your second question, Kareem Hunt can become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year and free agency begins on March 13, so it's not guaranteed that he is back next season. The Browns also have some depth in their running back room for next season already, with Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. under contract for the 2024 season as well. In his second year with the Browns, Ford led the team in rushing yards with 813 yards and added four rushing touchdowns. He also had the most carries among the running backs with 204 total carries throughout the regular season.
What is the pass / run percentage that Ken Dorsey typically calls? – Kasey D., Cleveland, OH
Let's break this down in the context of the league. During Dorsey's time as the offensive coordinator with the Bills beginning in 2022, they were top 10 in the league in passing yards per game and passing touchdowns and were 14th in the league in passing attempts in 2022. During his first season as offensive coordinator in 2022, the Bills finished second in the NFL in total offense (397.6 yards per game) and points per game (28.4). In 2023, the Bills were eighth in the league in both passing yards and touchdowns, and 16th in passing attempts. Dorsey was with Buffalo through Week 10 of the 2023 season.
When looking at the Bills run game, in 2022, the Bills were 20th in the league in total rushing attempts with 430 attempts for the season. They totaled 2,232 total rushing yards, which was ninth in the league, and 15 rushing touchdowns – tied for 14th in the league. Then, in 2023, the Bills finished the season with 512 rushing attempts, which was fifth in the league, for 2,308 total rushing yards, ranked seventh in the league. They also had 22 rushing touchdowns, the fifth-most in the league.
There's personnel factor as well, as Dorsey worked with QB Josh Allen during his time with the Bills. Allen's ability to throw the ball and connect with his pass catchers was a strength that they utilized in their offense. In 2022, Allen was seventh in the league among quarterbacks in total yards with 4,283 passing yards, but third with 35 passing touchdowns. Dorsey now will work with QB Deshaun Watson, and a receiving corps highlighted by Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore.
There's another important element to keep in mind here, though. When the Browns introduced Dorsey on Feb. 5, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that they would address the play calling responsibilities at a later date. Stefanski has called plays for the Browns since he became head coach. In Dorsey's introductory press conference, he said that his focus was not on who would be calling plays, but rather on rebuilding the Browns offense to reach their potential.
"If Kevin's calling, what can I do? I could do my job to as high of ability as humanly possible," Dorsey said on Feb. 5. "I could get Deshaun (Watson) ready to play each and every week. I can get our room ready to play each and every week. We got a great room and I'm sure we'll add to that. And then I can help develop a game plan that's going to help us be multiple, attack a defense in different ways, be aggressive and be elite in what we do. And that's the most important thing to me, just doing that to make sure if I'm in that role, I'm going to do that at an extremely high level."
