Nyheim Hines lured to Browns out of familiarity as he makes return

BEREA — Nyheim Hines was ready to play a big role in Ken Dorsey’s offensive scheme a year ago with the Buffalo Bills. A jet ski accident in which he suffered multiple torn knee ligaments eliminated that opportunity.

A year later, Hines will get another chance to showcase his talents in a Dorsey-led offense. The only difference is that it will be with the Cleveland Browns, not the Buffalo Bills.

Hines was one of the big free agent acquisitions for the Browns in March after being released by the Bills earlier in the month. Part of his appeal was due to being the offensive coordinator for the nine games he played for Buffalo after being acquired in a trade from the Indianapolis Colts in 2023.

This helped Hines navigate the transition as he moved from one end of Lake Erie to the other.

“Honestly, there’s some carryover from Buffalo with Ken being there,” Hines said after Wednesday’s OTA session. “So it’s half learning, half new and there are some things that I heard in Buffalo that have changed, so it’s been great to be in the room, to be with the guys.

“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be here after being released and recovered and then rehabbing every day with (Browns coach) Joe (Sheehan) and everyone there. They made me feel very welcome, so the adjustment was actually quite easy as it was my first transition to Buffalo.

Even though Hines is trying to adjust to a new team for the second time in less than two years, as he said, he’s also trying to get healthy so he can help his new team. He underwent knee surgery, in which he tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament, on August 8.

The rehab Hines is going through will prevent him from actively participating in Browns OTAs or mandatory minicamp for the next three weeks. He said Wednesday that his target date for a return is around Aug. 1, which would fall toward the end of the first week of training camp.

Although the injury hurt Hines literally and figuratively a year ago, it also provided an unexpected learning opportunity.

“Ten months later, I look back on what happened to me as not being a blessing in disguise, but it’s something you learn from,” Hines said. “You learn how things are, what you can do to not be in that position, and then, honestly, you learned who stands outside with you when it’s raining outside. Everyone calls you and asks you for tickets a year, then you tear your ACL and no one calls or texts you anymore.

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“So it was really good for me honestly to see who is really on my side and, honestly, this is the hardest thing in my life and I truly believe that everything is on the other side of the difficulty. So this is the hardest thing in my life, so if I can get through this difficult time, I think the best times are coming for me.”

These best moments come with a team that has not one but two very familiar faces on its coaching staff. While Hines and Dorsey were together for a short time in Buffalo, the first four and a half seasons of his career put him alongside Bubba Ventrone in Indianapolis.

As is the case in Cleveland, Ventrone was the Colts’ special teams coordinator. While playing in Indianapolis and for Ventrone’s special teams units, Hines became one of the league’s best in kick and punt returns, averaging 25.5 yards on 32 career kickoff returns and 11.4 on 89 career punt returns, with two touchdowns each.

“I had a great time with him at Indy,” Hines said. “We had some good numbers, so I’m really excited for that and the opportunity to come back here and prepare and be a returning player.”

Don’t call Hines a “return specialist” when referring to his position on the team. While he may have made a name for himself in that area, he’s quick to point out what kind of Swiss army knife he can be as a running back as well.

Hines has 240 career catches for 1,778 yards and eight touchdowns. He also carried 306 times for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I mean, I’m not the biggest guy in the world, but I’m not going to be afraid,” Hines said. “I’ll stick my head in there. No problem with pass-catching ability. So the return specialist thing was a little disrespectful, honestly. I don’t know of any other return specialist who has over 230 catches in five years .

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