The Browns’ running back situation is in flux and won’t be settled until the team has gone through free agency and the draft.

Jamal Lewis remains the feature back, but will retire after six more games. Jerome Harrison has gone from possible future star to forgotten man. Rookie James Davis, a sixth-round pick, carried nine times before needing shoulder surgery. And Chris Jennings, who was cut twice in the Canadian Football League, has the rest of the season to prove he belongs in the NFL.

The No. 1 back in 2010 doesn’t appear to be on Cleveland’s active roster. But if he is, Jennings would be the favorite. That’s quite a leap for someone who was released by the Montreal Alouettes in August.

“Hard work pays off,” he said this week. “The NFL is nothing but opportunity. There are a lot of guys in the CFL who could play at this level.

“Once you get that opportunity, I say anybody would try to take advantage of it and hopefully stick.”

Jennings was an afterthought when he was signed in training camp, cut after the preseason and signed to the practice squad. But the season-ending injury to Davis earned him a promotion to the 53-man roster. When Harrison fell out of favor and Lewis announced his retirement plans, it only made sense to see what the 5-foot-10, 218-pound former walk-on at the University of Arizona could do.

After four games inactive, he carried seven times for 18 yards against Baltimore, then 10 times for 36 yards against Detroit, adding five catches for 38 yards. For the year he has 18 rushes for 62 yards (3.4 average) and seven catches for 50 yards.

“I love football with a passion,” said Jennings, who will watch Montreal play in the Grey Cup on Sunday night. “Everybody dreams of playing in the NFL and to compete for as much time as I’ve had, I love it, enjoy it and am going to continue to bust my butt to have the opportunity to continue on.”

“He’s a good running back, a strong running back, has a lot of potential,” Lewis said.

Jennings dropped a touchdown pass against the Lions — “I guarantee you if it comes again, I will make it,” he said — but showed good quickness in open space. A 16-yard run against the Lions showed a burst, but there were a few runs that fizzled when he tried to bounce them outside.

He conceded he left some yardage on the Ford Field turf.

“I could be more explosive and there’s little things I could work on in my game,” he said. “Because great running backs will make those runs and break some and go the distance. That’s something I have to work on to be a better back and to get better each week.”

Harrison’s progress has stalled.

Coach Eric Mangini raved about him early in training camp, then a knee injury cost him much of the preseason and the regular-season opener. But with Lewis out with a hamstring injury, Harrison posted career highs with 29 rushes for 121 yards in Week 4 against Cincinnati.

He hasn’t carried more than eight times since, including a goose egg on “Monday Night Football” Nov. 16. That was followed by a healthy inactive Sunday in Detroit.

Harrison has a bubbly personality, but declined to talk last week, saying he was “afraid” of what he might say.

“I know how I am when I’m sort of frustrated and angry,” he said. “I will say things that I don’t mean and that’s not appropriate.”

Harrison met with Mangini to discuss his role and playing time.

“I just had a real serious man-to-man conversation that needed to be had and we’re on the same page,” Harrison said. “Matter of fact, we were always on the same page, just different paragraphs. We got there.”

Harrison’s speed, shiftiness and 4.8-yard average on 146 carries in four seasons have intoxicated fans. But Mangini followed Romeo Crennel in not trusting him to pick up the blitz and be the primary ball carrier.

“I had a good conversation with Jerome last week,” Mangini said. “You can go through and just have a very clear vision of what you have to do collectively, my expectations, his expectations and what he has to do to be active. I anticipate him having a good week of practice.”

Depending on the collective bargaining agreement, Harrison may be a free agent following the season. He said he wants to stay and that his confidence has never wavered.

“I know what God blessed me with and the talents He gave me,” he said. “Stuff like this happens all the time, history shows, like Priest Holmes. Ain’t nobody knew him right away. The list of great running backs who took a long time goes on.

“When it’s time, it’ll happen.”

Harrison has the pedigree of a No. 1 back, rushing for 1,900 yards as a senior at Washington State. Jennings totaled 607 rushing yards in 23 games at Arizona and hasn’t been the featured back since high school.

Could he reach that role in the NFL?

“It’s really, really early for that,” Mangini said. “He’s young. He’s inexperienced. He’s enthusiastic, which is all encouraging. He’s made some nice plays.

“That feature back role, that takes some time and there’s a lot of things to it that you have to do. He is chipping away at establishing a role, which I’ve been happy with. He’s come a long, long way from when we first got him. I’m looking forward to him just keep moving along that path.”

Injury report

Nose tackle Shaun Rogers (ankle), tight end Robert Royal (thigh) and fullback Lawrence Vickers (hamstring) did not practice again Thursday and their availability for Sunday is in doubt. For the Bengals, running back Cedric Benson (hip), receiver Laveranues Coles (chest) and defensive tackle Domata Peko (knee) didn’t practice.

Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.

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