Nyheim Hines gets through 'hardest thing in my life' thanks to 'opportunity' with Browns

BEREA — Nyheim Hines was all ready to be a big part of Ken Dorsey'soffensive scheme a year ago with the Buffalo Bills. A jet ski accident during which he suffered multiple torn ligaments in his knee 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's going to 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 the allure was due to the presence of the offensive coordinator for the nine games he played for Buffalo after being acquired in a trade from the Indianapolis Colts in 2023.

That's helped Hines through the transition as he moved from one end of Lake Erie to the other.

"Honestly, there's some carryover from Buffalo with Ken being here," Hines said after Wednesday's OTA session. "So it's half learning, half new and there's some things that I heard in Buffalo that have changed, so it's been great just being in the room, being around the guys.

"Super appreciative of the opportunity to be here after getting released and picked up, and then just rehabbing every day with (Browns trainer) Joe (Sheehan) and everybody in there. They welcomed me really well, so the adjustment has actually been fairly easier than it was my first transition to Buffalo."

As much as 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 just get himself healthy so he can help his new team. He underwent surgery on the knee, in which he tore both the anterior cruciate ligament and the lateral collateral ligament, on Aug. 8.

The rehab Hines is going through will prevent him from being an active participant in either the Browns' OTAs or mandatory minicamp over the next three weeks. He said Wednesday his target date for a return is around Aug. 1, which would fall near the end of the first week of training camp.

As much as the injury literally and figuratively hurt Hines a year ago, it's also provided an unexpected learning opportunity.

"Ten months later I process what happened to me as not a blessing in disguise, but it's something you learn from," Hines said. "You learn how things happen, what you can do not to be in that position, and then, honestly, you learned who stands outside with you when it's raining outside. Everybody's calling you and asking you for tickets one year and then you tear your ACL and nobody's calling you and texting you no more.

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

Those best times are coming with a team that boasts not just one but two very familiar faces on the coaching staff for him. While Hines and Dorsey were together for a short period of time in Buffalo, the first four-and-a-half seasons of his career put him together with 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 developed into one of the best in the league at returning kicks and punts, averaging 25.5 yards on 32 career kickoff returns, and 11.4 on 89 career punt returns, with two touchdowns each.

"Had a great time with him in Indy," Hines said. "We had some good numbers, so I'm really excited for that and the opportunity to come back out here and get ready and be a returner."

Just don't call Hines a "return specialist" when you refer to his position on the team. While he may have made his name 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's 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 scared," Hines said. "I'm going to put my head down there. No problem pass catching ability. So the return specialist thing was kind of disrespectful, honestly. I don't know any other return specialist who has over 230 catches in five years.

"So I think people kind of forgot that in Buffalo. I was traded, only played 10 games there, had to learn a new offense, didn't have the opportunity last year to play. So I'm really excited to go out there and prove the offensive threat I am and I'm just as big a threat on offense as I am in the return game, if it's passing, catching, kicking, or in empty. So I'm super excited for the opportunity to prove to everybody what I can do on offense."

And it's an offense coordinated by a face very familiar to Hines — which is a big reason why he finds himself with the Browns this season.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Readmore about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Nyheim Hines drawn to Browns through familiarity as he makes comeback