Veteran running back Jay Ajayi, (26, with Eagles) remains a pro without a team as camps prepare to open. (Wesley Hitt, Getty Images)

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns are in the midst of preparations for as important a season as recent memory can recall, yet there remains to one roster issue to be decided.

The status of Duke Johnson, and his desire to remain on the Browns, is still at an impasse. The fifth-year running back demanded a trade upon his first showing in the offseason program, and recently changed his representation to Drew Rosenhaus.

The writing is on the wall from Johnson's camp that he does not wish to remain in Cleveland, but the front office has yet to jump on any active offer for the back. Should they decide to take an offer on Johnson, the question arises about the depth behind starter Nick Chubb.

Kareem Hunt is obviously capable when he returns come Week 9, but until that point, the Browns running back situation would become thin. Dontrell Hilliard, who has received praise throughout offseason activities for his effort and performance, would be set as the backup.

If a Johnson trade were to come to fruition, Hilliard would be the only running back on the roster with an NFL touch aside from Chubb. Hilliard did record nine catches for 105 yards in his rookie season, but the Tulane-product failed to record a single carry in action.

Trayone Gray and D'Ernest Johnson remain in the fold, but both seem like a long-shot at best to make the 53-man roster come late August.

The Browns will have a choice to make. If Johnson is dealt, they will decide whether they trust Hilliard to back up Chubb alone, or have a choice to make about signing a free-agent running back who can help provide stability until Hunt is eligible to return.

Should the Browns decide to make the move for a cheap veteran back to help the rotation for the first eight week, here are the two best names available.

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JAY AJAYI

If the Browns want a player who can spell Chubb and have a shot to impact both phases, Ajayi is the best available name.

Only 26, but coming off an early-2018 ACL tear, Ajayi has been working his knee back into shape. All reports seem to think he is ready to go come training camp if a team of need gives him a call.

Ajayi ran just 45 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns before tearing the ACL in Week 4, but when he was playing, he performed well enough. When healthy in 2017, Ajayi ran 208 times for 873 yards between his time with the Dolphins and Eagles, and churned out 184 yards over the three Eagles playoff games and the Super Bowl.

Ajayi has three career games with over 200 yards, and if he comes back healthy, he could work well with Chubb providing eight to 10 carries a game through the first eight weeks.

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From 2017, Ajayi runs the outside zone course and bends it inside the tackle's kick block. He then shows that when he needs to hit top speed he has just enough left to get it done on this 46-yard touchdown run.

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Ajayi has a natural feel for bursting through small gaps created by his offensive line. In Super Bowl LII, Ajayi ran for tough yards all night and you can see how challenging he was to bring down after initial contact.

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In the 2018 season opener, Ajayi seemed healthy and it showed in his two touchdown performance. The Eagles run pin/pull and he flashes the lower body power running through a diving tackle near the goal line.

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DARREN SPROLES

If the Browns want a cheap option who can recreate some of the abilities of Johnson, Darren Sproles makes some sense for a one-year deal.

Sproles, 35, has been in the league since 2007 and seeking his 15th year in the league. He has been the epitome of the successful pass-catching running back in the NFL for most of his career.

Sproles missed the majority of 2017, including Super Bowl LII, with a torn ACL and missed the majority of 2018 after a Week 1 hamstring injury. Sproles played a solid role for the Eagles down the stretch including three touchdowns and 280 total yards.

He still has something left in the tank, and he supported Adam Schefter's recent report that he has a desire to return should a Super Bowl contending team reach out.

"I think he wants to play," Schefter said. "I think it's the kind of thing (where) he's out in California and I think he'd like to go back and play for one of the teams he's played for in the past, whether that's the Eagles, the New Orleans Saints, or the Los Angeles Chargers. He wants to be in a competitive, winning situation."

The Browns might not be one of his previous teams, but he could be swayed due to the contending presence the 2019 version of the Browns presents.

Sproles still brings that electric play potential.

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Sproles runs the rail route here and makes the tight window catch. Then still has the ability to finish through contact as he spins out of two tackles near the goal line.

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Sproles' first touchdown since 2017 came last year in Week 12 when he took this draw scheme into the end zone from 14 yards out. Sproles has always been known for his quick cutting ability and power at the point of contact and they were still on display last year despite the age. He might have lost a step, but his quickness and power remain.

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Where Sproles does his best work is in the passing game where he is a nightmare for linebackers and safeties to track from his backfield alignment. Sproles has always been deadly in the open field and there's little reason to think that would change if he gets a small workload for the first eight weeks of the 2019 season.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

The most likely scenario is that Duke Johnson remains a Cleveland Brown through at least the first eight weeks of the 2018 season.

Despite the lingering issue, the Browns would be wise to hang onto Johnson for insurance should something happen to Chubb. Despite Johnson's request to leave, he has remained professional on the practice field and will likely do so when games arrive.

He provides a valuable skill-set that can be unleashed in the new offense being formed by Freddie Kitchens and Todd Monken. The Browns would be best served to keep the back they signed prior to the 2018 season and carve a role that makes both sides happy.

Yet, if John Dorsey makes a trade come to fruition, the names available could be interested in the Browns' 2019 situation. Sproles is the most logical choice from a skill-set and contract value standpoint. His veteran leadership could also be a welcome presence in a young locker room.

Whatever route the Browns select, they have options to keep the running back room among the best in the NFL.

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