Chase Brown: A Feature Back in Every Way

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"A Special Player"

Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher opened training camp with an unambiguous endorsement of Chase Brown and his feature-back role:

"We thought we had a pretty special player, and then Chase reminded us that we, in fact, did have a pretty special player," Pitcher said about Brown. "You have to think about where are the best places we can utilize him. Obviously, he's a running back. He's going to have traditional running back touches. And then it's on us to see if there are times and places where we can utilize him in varying roles that might get us a matchup on the perimeter with a linebacker or a safety or something that we really like and think we can take advantage of.

"And those will change week to week, opponent to opponent. But what we know won't change is Chase's approach and his preparedness in how he does his job. And you know he's got a lot of believers in this building, myself being one of them, and it'll be a big part of what we do."

While coach speak doesn't always pan out, it's hard to read Pitcher's comments and not come away feeling confident that Brown will build on last year's breakout and push for top-10 value if he stays healthy.

Getting Zack Moss Right Last Year Meant Getting Chase Brown Right

When you're in the business of fantasy football prognostication, it can be humbling. We project every player's outcome, from elite starters to end-of-roster inactives. That means, no matter how much time and discipline we put into the process, we will be wrong a lot. It comes with the territory.

So when things go right, and it helps customers win their leagues, it's gratifying. To that end, we saw Chase Brown's potential when most others were drafting Zack Moss as a surefire starter last year.

Here's an excerpt about Chase Brown from the Zack Moss spotlight, written last offseason:

Chase Brown… Are You a Believer?

Whether you buy into Zack Moss as overhyped depends largely on your view of Chase Brown. Brown was a sixth-round draft pick last year after leading the Big Ten with 1,883 yards at Illinois, along with 13 touchdowns. While Brown was a productive workhorse, his draft stock reflected a series of minor flaws, including an undeveloped receiving role and a tendency to run into contact.

Our own Matt Waldman graded him as the 10th-best prospect in his class, projecting his upside as a rotational starter if he could improve as a receiver and blocker and take better angles in the open field. Brown began his rookie season as the RB3 behind Joe Mixon and Trayveon Williams but steadily worked his way into the coaches' good graces, overtaking Williams midway through the season.

How does Brown compare to Moss?

• Brown is the incumbent and already knows the system well.
• Moss has more playing experience, both last year (with Indianapolis) and in his career.
• Brown is cheaper ($1 million) and younger (24).
• Neither are natural receivers.
• Neither grade out as particularly strong pass protectors.

Don't let Brown's sixth-round draft status make you think he's not a great athlete, though. He's demonstrably more athletic than Moss.

Additional Context

No matter what you think of Moss, he's not an elite athlete and doesn't create his own yardage. Last season, Moss ranked 65th in yards after contact, while Brown ranked 22nd. Moss ranked 36th in breakaway percentage, versus Brown at 10th. Moss ranked 79th in yards per route run, while Brown ranked first (albeit in a very small sample). Nearly every metric points to Brown as the superior player.

Eight Weeks of Excellence

Brown started 10 games last year, but his first two starts (Weeks 6 and 7) weren't fully indicative of the role he would be entrusted with down the stretch. He only played 60% of offensive snaps in those games. From Weeks 9 through 17 (eight starts), Brown was the definition of an NFL workhorse.

For those thinking I'm cherry-picking Brown's best stretch just to paint an overly optimistic picture, remember the context. Brown was elevated into a starting role, and these eight weeks reflect his performance in that role. Per Coach Pitcher's comments, Brown enters this season no longer needing to prove his place in the rotation; he's the guy. Full stop.

But What About Zack Moss and Samaje Perine?

Some of you are reading this thinking, "That's all well and good, but Zack Moss is back now, isn't he?" Yes, Moss re-signed this offseason on a one-year, $1.7 million deal that includes $375,000 guaranteed. That's a minimal commitment and indicative of his tenuous hold on a roster spot, much less a meaningful role in the offense.

The Bengals also re-signed Samaje Perine this offseason, leading some to wonder if Brown's receiving role will be limited given Perine's track record as a third-down specialist. While Perine likely handles some obvious passing downs, he turns 30 in September and has bounced around the league in recent seasons. He's fortunate to have a roster spot at this stage and won't be more than a marginal rotational piece to keep Brown fresh.

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