Jaguars acquire Carlos Hyde in trade with Browns

In the days leading up to Week 7 action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cleveland Browns pulled off a bit of a surprising trade by moving running back Carlos Hyde to the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to Michael DiRocco and Pat McManamon of ESPN.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, in need of rushing help because Leonard Fournette is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury, traded a fifth-round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns for running back Carlos Hyde on Friday.

There hadn’t previously been any chatter about the Browns considering a change at the running back position as Hyde had been providing stable production out of the backfield. In his first six games played this season, he has rushed for 382 yards along with being tied for fourth in the league with five touchdowns.

Hyde hasn’t registered a 100 rushing yard performance this season but has been a key factor in crucial late-game close-yardage conversions and in the red zone. He had been a huge reason for the offense having much balance early in the year. Hyde inked a three-year, $15.3 million deal with the Browns in free agency this past offseason.

His departure now potentially thrust rookie running back Nick Chubb into the starting lineup for the rest of the season. Chubb has shown flashes of potential in his limited role off the bench with that primarily displaying through his strong outing against the Oakland Raiders, where he had 105 rushing yards on three carries and two touchdowns. Veteran running back Duke Johnson Jr. should also factor into the equation primarily as a receiving option.

Hyde is joining a situation where he will play a part in the effort toward helping the Jaguars fill the void left by Leonard Fournette, who is still dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that has forced him to miss four games this season. He will likely split playing time with T.J. Yeldon and Jamaal Charles moving forward until Fournette returns.