The Browns and the curious case of Chris Ogbonnaya

With the huge amount of interest in Peyton Hillis resigning with the Cleveland Browns it is easy to  overlook other running-backs on the Browns roster. One running-back that was impressive in his relief of Hillis, due to injuries, was Chris Ogbonnaya.

Ogbonnaya was Colt McCoys' teammate at Texas before being drafted in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. Little known to many, he was the Houston Texans leading rusher during preseason, in four games running for 192 yards with one touchdown and adding 77 yards receiving along with one touchdown. He would find himself planted in the practice squad sitting behind other members of Houstons' powerful running game--Arian Foster, Ben Tate and Derrick Ward.

Being brought in to add depth in the Browns running game due to injuries to Hillis and the on again-off again appearances of Montario Hardesty, Ogbonnaya would add spark to an otherwise dysfunctional offense. He would carry the ball 73 times on his way to 334 yards for a 4.6 yards per carry average while scoring one touchdown. His receiving statistics were 165 yards on 23 receptions averaging 7.2 yards a catch, a much needed performance for a running-back in the West Coast Offense.

Hillis is by far the fan favorite in any attempt to compare the two, however it is interesting to note that in comparison (2011 season) Hillis' statistics are actually less impressive--rushing average of 3.6 yards per carry and a 5.9 yard average in receptions. Statistics do not always reflect the impact a player has on his teams performance, however it is interesting that "per the stats" Ogbonnaya actually outperformed Hillis.

Given the on-going negotiations on Hillis' contract along with rumors of him seeking "elite" running-back cash, I must wonder if the delay in signing Hillis has anything to do with the Browns knowing they have Ogbonnaya waiting in the wings!



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