Who Should I Start? Jerome Ford or Cam Skattebo

Friday, May 2, 11:25 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Jerome Ford agreed to a pay cut with the team on Friday, reducing his 2025 salary from $3.486 million to a guaranteed $1.75 million, a league source told The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot. It means that free-agent RB Nick Chubb will likely not be re-signing with the Browns this offseason. The move to reduce Ford's salary comes after the Browns selected former Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins with the 33rd overall pick in last week's NFL draft. Cleveland also added to the RB room and took former Tennessee rusher Dylan Sampson at No. 126 overall. Ford, a fifth-rounder in 2022, led the team with 565 yards on 104 carries (5.4 yards per carry) and three touchdowns with Chubb coming off a serious knee injury in 2023. The 25-year-old Ford is technically still atop the team's RB depth chart, but his reduction in pay is a clear sign that Judkins will have the opportunity to become the RB1 sooner than later in 2025.

Thursday, May 22, 10:11 PM

The Athletic's Charlotte Carroll wonders if New York Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo can usurp Tyrone Tracy Jr. for the RB1 job in 2025. It's possible, but Carroll goes on to say that it's more realistic that Skattebo, the team's fourth-rounder out of Arizona State this year, jumps Devin Singletary for the RB2 role to begin his rookie season. Skattebo offers a more physical complement to Tracy's speed and is already a fan favorite in the Big Apple because of his physicality and underdog mentality. For now, Carroll is giving the slight edge to the veteran Singletary well before training camp, but it's very possible that Singletary falls further down the depth chart after losing the starting gig to Tracy in 2024. Skattebo makes up for his lack of speed with plenty of power and explosiveness. Don't be surprised if he becomes New York's primary pass-catching back early on in 2025.