Jamal Lewis Is Back, And Looks To Be Staying

Browns running back Jamal Lewis returned to the practice field Wednesday, following surgery to clean up his ankle. And coach Eric Mangini has cleaned up any suggestion that Lewis won’t be a fixture of the team’s running game in the coming season. “I’ve always been impressed with how physical and tough Jamal is,” Mangini said, according to The Orange & Brown Report. “What I’ve been most impressed with Jamal is what he does in the meeting rooms in helping tutor [the younger players] and work with the other players. . . . Coming from a guy like Jamal, it tends to sink in even further to the other players. . . . This system fits him and what I’ve seen of him on tape has shown up on the field.” Lewis has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons in Cleveland. But he’ll be 30 in August, and for running backs that’s often the age when the chariots that carried them through the careers begin to morph into smelly old pumpkins. For his career, Lewis has one carry shy of 2,400 and more than 10,000 yards. It remains to be seen how much longer he can do it. But it’s clear that he’ll continue to get opportunities in 2009. He’s also got an outside shot at compiling credentials that could qualify him for Canton. Currently at 24th on the all-time NFL rushing list, Lewis could finish in the top ten with two or three more strong seasons.