Who Should I Start? Jerome Ford or Rachaad White

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.

Wednesday, May 28, 3:59 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White saw his RB1 title stripped by rookie running back Bucky Irving last season. The Arizona State product was excellent in 2023, tallying over 1,400 yards of offense and nine touchdowns. However, he saw his production and touch share dip in 2024 as he became a committee back due to the emergence of Irving. Entering his fourth NFL campaign, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh Gizzard sounds like he wants to keep him involved in the team's offensive game plan. "Really good route-runner. We all know he's really good with the ball in his hands on screens, drop back pass game," Gizzard said of White. "I don't want to compare him to a lot of other guys, but he is close to, if not as good as, anybody we see in terms of pass protection in the NFL." White's days as a workhorse back appear to be over, but he continues to stay on the fantasy football radar as a handcuff with standalone value, especially in PPR leagues. White has hauled in 185 receptions in 50 career games and would have RB1 upside due to touch volume if Irving has to miss any time in 2025.