As sports fans here in Northeast Ohio, many of us are beginning to think about drafting our fantasy football teams as we prepare for the 2023 NFL season.
In fact, Northeast Ohio will be the center of Fantasy Football in mid-August when the Pro Football Hall of Fame hosts the Fantasy Football Expo.
Certainly, at the Fantasy Football Expo, there will be discussion about what position group has the most value to our team.
🏈 Hall of Fame Village proudly presents The Fantasy Football Expo. 🎉
Join us for insights from celebrity expert fantasy analysts, fantasy drafts, plenty of parties, and more!
📅 Dates: August 11-13, 2023
📍 Location: Canton, Ohio
🎟️ Tickets: Available now! Use code HOFV pic.twitter.com/nBA5R4AHo2
— Hall of Fame Village (@HOFVillage) June 7, 2023
Although not specific to Fantasy Football, the Cleveland Browns Executive Vice President for Football Operations and General Manager, Andrew Berry and Cleveland Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski weighed in on the value of the running back during the second day of Browns pre-season training camp.
Andrew Berry Talks about the Value of the Running Back
So what did Berry say?
In summary, Berry believed that in the past many teams focused their team’s offense around the running back position.
However, he believed that in today’s NFL the quarterback and those offensive positions that relate to moving the ball through the air have the highest value because they are more related to the outcome of the game.
“I think as you look at our sport, it has changed from, let’s call it the 80’s and 90’s , where at that point, a lot of offenses were built on maybe a bell cow runner,” said Berry. “I think now, unequivocally, the central protagonist in our sport is the quarterback, and as a result, positions that are the quarterback plus positions that are tied to the passing game, the market has dictated that those values have shifted because of their impact on winning. I think you see that over time, as the game changes, the game evolves.”
Kevin Stefanski’s View on the Value of the Running Back
At Sunday’s press conference on the second day of Browns training camp, Stefanski was also asked about the value of the running back with the following statement and question.
“There’s a lot of discussion league-wide about the value of a running back in today’s game. As a play caller, is a running back still as valuable as it once was?”
Stefanski responded that he believed the running back position was still very important for the Browns.
“I mean, for us it is.” Stefanski said. “I mean, we got the best in the business, in my opinion, and I know that conversation and I know it’s complicated, but for us, we’re thrilled with the guys we have.”
Current National Conversation on the Value of the Running Back
Of course, the Cleveland Browns are not the only one’s discussing the value of the running back.
This is a discussion taking place currently throughout the world.
Mike Florio, from Pro Football Talk, recently discussed the situation.
What went wrong with the running back market? As one source put it, "Blame the analytics community." https://t.co/dUQyMuoyzj
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 19, 2023
What are Your Thoughts on the Value of the Running Back in Today’s NFL and for the Cleveland Browns?
We here at Northeast Ohio Sports Insiders would love to hear your opinions on the value of the running back for the Cleveland Browns.
Can the Browns have success in 2023 with an offense like we had in 1985 when Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack ran for a combined 2,206 yards on 466 carries and had 15 rushing touchdowns?
Would you design the current Browns offense around the running game?
Stay tuned for more NEOSI coverage of Cleveland Browns training camp.
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