The Cleveland Browns announced on Friday that they have released running back Ben Tate just eight months after signing him to a two-year, $6.2 million contract.
Cleveland’s backfield situation had become increasingly muddled in recent weeks. Tate had been in a rotation with rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. Crowell has looked like the team’s best back as of late, though he has a tendency to put the ball on the ground. West rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks ago.
Tate was obviously the odd man out, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports that he was becoming a distraction by complaining about his playing time.
Tate has complained about his PT in a rotation for the Browns in which no one can take the lead, seemingly
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) November 18, 2014
Tate previously served as a backup to Arian Foster with the Houston Texans, and he proved he could handle an expanded role whenever Foster missed time with an injury. During training camp, Tate expressed confidence that no one would be taking his starting job.
“Honestly I’m not worried about that, because I know when I’m on my game — no disrespect to any other running back here — but there’s no one that can touch me or that’s close to what I do,” he said in June, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I battled in and out every day with what some people consider the best running back in the league in Arian Foster. I’ve seen the best. I went against him every day. I battled it, so this around here to me is really not anything.”
So much for that.
