CLEVELAND — The preseason wasn’t what the Browns envisioned for Jerome Ford.
With Ford slotted to take the leap into the No. 2 running back role in his second season, the organization hoped for a full training camp and a couple of exhibition games to get him prepared. The strategy went out the window when he left practice Aug. 7 with a strained hamstring.
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Despite the time away from the field — he didn’t play in the preseason and only returned to practice Tuesday — the plan never changed. He will open the season Sept. 10 as the top backup to Pro Bowler Nick Chubb.
“It meant a lot to me,” Ford said Thursday of the unwavering support. “Ever since I got here, Coach (Kevin) Stefanski, AB (general manager Andrew Berry), they’ve always been in my ear, always a help, anything that I need, and that’s just a good thing and I’m grateful for them.”
The Browns were confident enough in Ford, a fifth-round pick out of the University of Cincinnati, they let No. 2 back Kareem Hunt leave in free agency and didn’t add a veteran behind Chubb.
“Jerome has had a very nice progression in getting more comfortable in our scheme and just by nature of time spent in the meeting room and with the coaches,” assistant general manager/vice president of football operations Catherine Raiche said. “He’s just again shown progression every step of the way, both on field or in the classroom. And those were things that helped the coaches with feeling comfortable.”
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The season is a week away, yet uncertainty remains on just how he’ll be used.
The last few years Hunt replaced Chubb on third down and about every third series. Chubb’s role is expected to grow, including on third down and as a pass catcher.
Receiver Elijah Moore will also be used out of the backfield, so Ford figures to get his time giving Chubb a breather and making sure he isn’t overused.
“I don’t know the role yet, but whatever role I’m given, I’m ready to do,” he said. “Coach has been preparing all of us for everything, so whether Nick’s helmet comes off or something or he needs a shoe tied on the sideline, we’ll be ready for whatever the situation is.”
Ford said he wasn’t worried the hamstring injury would cause him to miss the start of the season, is feeling “pretty good” and ready to roll. He lamented not playing in the preseason after getting only eight carries for 12 yards as a rookie.
“Just seeing everybody compete and not being able to be out there and compete and have fun with the team and jell with everybody while playing football, it was definitely disappointing,” he said.
He stayed on top of the playbook and game plans.
“Meeting with coaches and the fact that if you don’t show up to meetings you get fined, so definitely trying to avoid fines,” Ford said. “But also, of course, wanting to stay in phase with everybody and what everybody else was learning, going to meetings, taking notes and still keeping the same routine even though I’m not practicing.”
The coaches trust Ford as a receiver out of the backfield given his history as a wideout. The other key to playing on third down is pass protection, and Stefanski said he’ll be ready despite the lack of playing time as a rookie and in the preseason.
“Disappointed that he didn’t get preseason reps, but he’s played for us before,” Stefanski said. “He played in the preseason last year. He played in games last season. So he’s somebody that we do have a lot of confidence in.”
Ford’s greatest impact as a rookie came as the kickoff returner. He missed four games on injured reserve with an ankle injury but averaged 24.1 yards on 30 returns. With return specialist Jakeem Grant Sr. out for the year with a ruptured patellar tendon, Ford or newly acquired running back Pierre Strong Jr. is likely to handle kickoffs.
Ford said he “definitely” would like that.
“We’ll see,” Stefanski said. “Obviously Jerome did it for us last year, did a nice job. So he’s certainly a candidate, but we have multiple guys that can do it.”
Early in camp Chubb raved about Ford’s speed and versatility and noted he’s “matured a lot more” in Year 2. Ford credited Chubb for teaching him to be a pro.
“Nick does literally everything the right way,” Ford said. “I don’t think Nick ever had a fine. The way he warms up, gets ready for practice. He’s there late in the ice tub, cold tub, pretty much everything, the way he carries himself.
“I’m just starting to be able to get into my groove where I can be like, this is what I need to do before practice, I know I got to get here a little bit earlier and I’m going to stay a little bit later.”
As he tries to get in game shape by the opener, Ford’s applying lessons learned from Chubb, including running about 40 yards after each carry in practice.
“That’s something that he taught us to do,” Ford said. “So I feel like I do enough of that throughout the days and I killed myself to practice this week. I should be ready.”
Ford mentioned avoiding fines twice but said that hasn’t been a problem.
“No, not really, but it is pretty scary to find out somebody’s taking some money out your check,” he said. “It ain’t fun at all.”
