Montario Hardesty

After missing his entire rookie season with a torn ACL, Hardesty again battled injury, this time a calf, in 2011. He was able to play in 10 games, including four starts, and rack up 266 yards on 88 carries. He added 122 yards on 14 receptions but failed to score any touchdowns. Time is running short on the former second-round pick as Cleveland drafted Trent Richardson to be their workhorse back with the 3rd overall selection in April and there is competition for the backup duties from Brandon Jackson and Chris Ogbonnaya. Hardesty was once highly thought of, however, so if he can make it to opening day healthy and secure as the number two runner for the Browns he’ll hold some value as a handcuff for Richardson.

Before a healthy senior year at Tennessee, Hardesty had a lengthy injury history, including a high ankle sprain, a stress fracture in his foot, a shoulder subluxation and two separate surgeries on his knee, one the microfracture variety. And that was before he suffered a torn ACL during training camp with the Browns last season. Cleveland envisions a one-two punch with Hardesty and Peyton Hillis in the backfield, and Hardesty has the talent to be worthy of splitting the carries, but he’s a long shot to stay healthy at this point.

Finally able to stay healthy, Hardesty totaled 1,647 yards with 14 touchdowns during his fifth year at Tennessee. At 6-0, 225, Hardesty is highly athletic, recording an impressive 4.49 40 time and also a 41-inch vertical. His injury history is worrisome though, as he’s suffered a high ankle sprain, a stress fracture in his foot, a shoulder subluxation and has had two separate surgeries on his knee, one of the microfracture variety. Still, he certainly looked healthy acting as a true workhorse last year, and the Browns traded up to draft him in the second round (ahead of Colt McCoy, and QB was a pressing need). Hardesty enters the league with plenty of experience in pass blocking after playing in Lane Kiffin’s pro-style offense, but he’ll also be competing for touches with incumbent Jerome Harrison and playing in a Cleveland offense that was the third-worst in the NFL last year. The addition of Mike Holmgren and some changes at the quarterback position could help the latter problem, and as for Harrison, despite a huge finish to the year (which had plenty to do with volume and easy opponents), he actually graded out quite poorly according to more advanced metrics. More importantly, Harrison doesn’t seem to have management on his side, and Hardesty apparently does.