The release of Jonathan Dwyer by the Pittsburgh Steelers was one of the more surprising moves over the past two days. The running back was expected to be in the lead to replace rookie Le'Veon Bell who was out with injury. Dwyer led the Steelers in rushing last season but was cut due to his $1.3 million contract and a less-than-impressive preseason. Now looking for a new home, Dwyer has lined up several workouts with teams in hopes of signing before the season starts.
The Cleveland Browns are the best landing spot for Dwyer. The biggest knock against the running back was that he failed to take the starting job seriously. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Steelers coaches felt Dwyer was not mentally ready to be the premier rusher. In Cleveland, he could be a very productive rotational back in support of Trent Richardson.
At this moment, the Browns have two very inexperienced backs behind the former first-round draft pick. After Montario Hardesty and Dion Lewis were placed in injured reserve, the backup spots are owned by second-year pro Bobby Rainey and rookie Dennis Johnson. Richardson knows it is all riding on him.
"I don't think it's pressure, but it's just more talk in my head to where 'hey, you've got to be on your stuff, man,''' said Richardson, via Cleveland.com. "You don't want to be in a situation where you're out due to injury or anything. It just makes you work harder.''
While Richardson might not be feeling the pressure, the Browns want to give their star some relief. Dwyer is the perfect back to add quality depth to the roster. He is also a strong blocker which would come in handy.
The other option for Dwyer could be with the Oakland Raiders. No one needs depth like the Raiders do. Darren McFadden is penciled in as the starter, but a quality No. 2 could be what the veteran needs to have a standout season. McFadden will miss time due to injuries. Given his history, that is simply a guarantee. Rashad Jennings is currently his backup, but he only managed 2.8 yards per carry last year in Jacksonville. Dwyer is strong short-term option.
The running back will likely be signed quickly. He has plenty of talent and teams are always looking for quality backs to add to the roster. He represents some of the lone youth on the market in the position and would likely sign for cheap in order to play sooner rather than later.