Quinshon Judkins is officially a member of the Cleveland Browns, signing his rookie deal on Saturday. The lurking question for Judkins is now whether he’ll face discipline from the NFL.
Cleveland drafted Judkins with the No. 36 overall pick to be its feature back, but his situation grew unusually tangled. The 21-year-old was arrested July 12 on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge involving his girlfriend.
Prosecutors later declined to pursue charges, but at the time of his arrest, Judkins was already holding out in pursuit of a fully guaranteed deal, leading to the delay in his signing.
With the contract now inked, Judkins and the Browns are waiting to see what the NFL decides on discipline. The league’s case against Judkins remains open and he’ll be meeting with the NFL this week, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL will interview Judkins this week in connection with the pending Personal Conduct Policy investigation,” Florio said. “Part of the review includes talking to the player about the situation. Eventually (and barring a deal between Judkins and the league), the matter will be presented to Judge Sue L. Robinson for an initial decision on punishment, if any. Her factual findings will be binding; any sanction she issues can be appealed by either side to the Commissioner or his designee.”
Browns RB Quinshon Judkins Not on Paid Leave
Judkins has not been placed on paid leave, which could be both a good and bad thing for the Browns. He’ll be able to practice and potentially play while the investigation is ongoing. However, if he is handed a suspension, the games he’s missed won’t count towards his punishment.
The Browns faced a similar situation last season with defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. He was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list (paid leave). His legal case was ultimately resolved when he pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct. He received a suspended jail sentence and was placed on probation. He was eventually suspended for five games of his rookie season.
Judkins will miss at least Sunday’s opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. If he’s up to speed next week, he’ll be able to play against the Baltimore Ravens.
Browns Need Judkins for Revamped Run Game
The Browns’ offense is expected to return to a foundation of a wide-zone run scheme and play-action passing, with Stefanski taking over play-calling duties once again.
“Going back to when we added coach Bloomgren with Tommy Rees, really making sure we’re a sound run game,” Stefanski said this week. “When you talk about the run game it’s easy to say the running backs and the offensive line, but it does take everybody. We need wide receivers who can block, we need quarterbacks who can get you in and out of the right plays. I think the guys have put in a ton of work into the run game, and I know those guys are excited about some of the things we’re doing. But you have to go do it in the games.”
Judkins, who is the heir apparent to Nick Chubb, will play a big role in propelling the run game once healthy and any suspension uncertainty is behind him.
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