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The Browns have signed running back Jacob Saylors.

The Cleveland Browns have added Jacob Saylors to their running back roster, providing additional depth following the injury to Pierre Strong Jr.

Strong injured his rib during practice on Tuesday, August 20th and was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure due to shortness of breath. Strong was released from the hospital and the Browns officially announced that he suffered a bruised rib. An estimated return date has not yet been set.

Saylors will take over some of the preseason games with Strong out. He is coming off a successful UFL season in which he recorded 94 rushing attempts for 461 yards (4.9 avg.) and five touchdowns. Saylors, who played for the St. Louis Battlehawks, was named to the All-UFL first team for his efforts.

Saylors initially signed with the New York Giants after the UFL season, but was released on August 12. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals for a time.

Browns RB Jerome Ford ready for bigger role

Getty ImagesCleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford is ready for a big year.

The Browns are still waiting on word on whether Nick Chubb will be ready to start the year. Chubb is recovering from major knee surgery but has not practiced with the team. He will miss the first four games if he is not activated before Week 1.

If Chubb is out, the Browns will rely on a running back committee led by Jerome Ford. The third-year running back had an increased workload last season after Chubb went down in Week 2. The results were mixed, but Ford – a fifth-round pick in 2022 – walked away with some confidence.

“Last year showed me that I can do it and that I belong, and this year I feel like it’s the same,” Ford said on Wednesday, Aug. 21. “I’m just ready to build on that.”

After seeing very little action as a rookie, Ford totaled 1,132 yards last season — 813 rushing yards and 319 receiving yards. New Browns running backs coach Duce Staley has worked to make Ford a more versatile running back, including improving his pass defense.

“That’s something he’s getting better at,” Staley said on Aug. 8. “We talk about it all the time in this room. Not just him, everybody. You have to be able to protect the quarterback. Of course, every running back wants the ball. They want to run with the ball, but it’s about what you do when you don’t have the ball.”

D’Onta Foreman is an important part of the RB rotation for the Browns

Getty ImagesD’Onta Foreman can do the hard work for the Browns.

New Browns running back D’Onta Foreman suffered a serious injury in training camp that sent him to the hospital, but he quickly returned and made his first preseason appearance against the Minnesota Vikings.

Foreman led the team with 10 carries for 18 yards. He rushed from 1 yard in the first half for a point, proving that he can fill the tough guy role previously held by Kareem Hunt.

“I mean, it was great. I feel like I have to get in in those situations,” Foreman said of his touchdown run. “I’m just so big and strong, I’m a bigger running back and I take it personally. I was really mad that I didn’t get in on the first one. I feel like I don’t have to try twice, so I definitely had to get in on the second one, but it worked out.”

The Browns also signed dynamic pass catcher Nyheim Hines this season, but he remains on the non-football injured list.

Cleveland opens the regular season on September 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.

JR DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He graduated from Arizona State and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stints at SBNation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national awards for sports reporting and photography. More about JR DeGroote