Cleveland Browns sign running back Kareem Hunt

The Cleveland Browns have signed former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, who was in the news last season after a video surfaced of him striking a female

In an unexpected move, the Cleveland Browns went out and signed a controversial free agent on Monday as they came to terms with former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. While Hunt has been incredible at running back during his short career, he was on the wrong side of some breaking news last season.

In November, a video was released by TMZ that showed Hunt shoving and kicking a woman in a Cleveland hotel. After seeing what transpired, Kansas City let go of Hunt and he was then placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List which kept him from joining another NFL roster in 2018.

With a suspension still looming — most likely a minimum of six games — the Browns decided to take a shot on the 2017 NFL rushing leader and announced the move on their official team website.

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A statement from general manager John Dorsey, who drafted Hunt out of Toledo in 2017 while with the Chiefs, said he and the team did their due diligence before signing the free agent.

"“My relationship and interaction with Kareem since 2016 in college was an important part of this decision making process but we then did extensive due diligence with many individuals, including clinical professionals, to have a better understanding of the person he is today and whether it was prudent to sign him. There were two important factors: one is that Kareem took full responsibility for his egregious actions and showed true remorse and secondly, just as importantly, he is undergoing and is committed to necessary professional treatment and a plan that has been clearly laid out.” — Dorsey on ClevelandBrowns.com"

While Dorsey feels good about the move, there will surely be backlash as Hunt has become a lightning rod. However, Dorsey has never shied away from taking players with character concerns as he’s been a risk-taker in the past.

As for the implications on the field, the addition of Hunt brings into question the status of Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson. Chubb just had one of the better seasons on the ground in recent memory for the Browns and just missed becoming the first player since Peyton Hillis in 2010 to cross the 1,000-yard plateau.

Johnson, who was just given an extension before the 2018 season was already struggling to find snaps and falls farther down the depth chart now that Hunt is in town.

In his career, Hunt has rushed for 2,151 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. No matter how you feel about the move, the fact is he’s a good running back and improves their roster.