Well, that just got a little more complicated.
The Cleveland Browns learned over the weekend that Quinshon Judkins, the second-round rookie from Ohio State, would be joining them soon. He finally signed his rookie contract, although he’s still under investigation by the NFL under the personal conduct policy.
But when Judkins gets back, the RB depth chart will all of a sudden be quite crowded.
It just might not look how some were expecting.
Jerome Ford, as the returning veteran, seemed to be the leader of the room, at least for now.
MORE: ‘Have a little faith’: How Bills pulled off unbelievable comeback to stun Ravens
But on Sunday, it was fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson out of Tennessee who stole the show in a narrow loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
“The fourth-round pick was primed for a larger role with second-rounder Quinshon Judkins out for the opener, and he was a focal point of the Browns’ offense,” ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi wrote. “He had 20 total touches and showcased his versatility, catching all eight of his targets.”
The general speculation has been that Judkins will be available for Week 2 against the Ravens, but there’s no telling how the Browns may choose to ease him into action. Clearly, they also trust Sampson a lot, and he’s got plenty of experience, coming off a player of the year season in the SEC.
MORE: Jerry Jeudy refused to lateral on final play, instead conveniently hit his betting over
At some point, the touches might wind up split evenly between the rookies, with Ford pushed out of the picture a bit.
But it’s definitely a question: Who will lead this backfield?
Given the talent of Sampson and the presumed talent of Judkins, it’s not a bad problem to have.
MORE NFL NEWS:
