Oh, yeah

In all the hubbub over the Cavs' blockbuster trade, the Browns' recent signing of Jamal Lewis has kind of gotten lost. But this is pretty darn big. Lewis ran for 1,304 yards last year. The last Brown to do that? Jim Brown.

Lewis signed a three-year deal, at the conclusion of which he'll be 32. He had some injury problems his last few years in Baltimore, but he's obviously healthy now, and lots of great running backs have still been pretty darned good at 32. Walter Payton rushed for 1,333 yards at age 32; Ottis Anderson, 1,023; Emmitt Smith, 1,021; Jerome Bettis, 931; Corey Dillon, 812. Franco Harris had injury problems at age 32, but rushed for 1,007 at age 33. John Riggins was also hurt at 32, but had back-to-back 1,200-plus seasons at 34 and 35.

It should be noted, however, that many great running backs were done or nearly done by 32. Brown retired at 29, and Barry Sanders quit at 31. Both of them were still at the top of their game, however, so who knows how they'd have done had they stayed with it. But at age 32, Curtis Martin went for 735 in his last season; Eric Dickerson, 729 in his next-to-last season (going for 91 the next year); Marshall Faulk, 292 in his last season; Marcus Allen, 301 (though he played until he was 37 and had an 890-yard season at 35); Thurman Thomas, 381 (he would play just 14 more games in two seasons after that).

Regardless, Lewis figures to be a Pro Bowl-caliber running back at least another year or two. If the Browns can get Derek Anderson under contract (and they're reportedly close), they'll have all the key pieces back from the offense that scored 25 points a game last year.