Booger McFarland ‘not surprised’ Cleveland Browns signed Kareem Hunt

During an interview on ESPN’s NFL Live, Booger McFarland is not surprised that the Cleveland Browns decided to sign Kareem Hunt.

The Cleveland Browns sent shock-waves throughout the NFL on Monday after they announced the signing of running back Kareem Hunt to a one-year contract.

It came as a surprise to many because the league has not finished its investigation into Hunt, although it’s expected to be finished soon.

However, there is a small amount of people who follow the league that are not surprised by the move. The main reason is because Browns general manager John Dorsey drafted Hunt when he was in Kansas City and the two sides have extensive history.

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One of the people not surprised by the Browns signing Hunt was ESPN analyst Booger McFarland. During an interview Monday on NFL Live, McFarland said Dorsey signed Hunt because he is doing his job as the general manager and is doing the same thing that society generally does.

“We want the NFL to do what society doesn’t do, and that’s punish people greatly for this incident, especially if they’ve only done it once or twice,” McFarland said. “The NFL is only a microcosm of society. In society, you are given a first, a second, a third opportunity in a lot of cases.

“If you’re a fan and asking these teams, ‘Hey, don’t sign this player. Stay away from that guy.’ You’re asking the NFL to do what the society that you live in doesn’t do. And that’s not going to happen. Because the job of the Cleveland Browns is to put the most talented team on the field. That’s John Dorsey’s job. His job is not to acquiesce to society. His job is not to uphold some type of moral standing that society does.”

McFarland also said that because Hunt is a young, talented running back, he is not surprised the Browns are taking the chance on him. He did say he was surprised that more teams were not interested in signing Hunt.

In a statement following the announcement of the Hunt signing, Dorsey said that the team “believes [Hunt] deserves a second chance.” Later Monday, Dorsey said while meeting with the media that there will be zero-tolerance for Hunt should another incident arise.

Although it is not the best PR move by the Browns to sign Hunt, it is incredibly unlikely that a team would not have signed Hunt, which is the point that McFarland was making. Considering Dorsey has experience with Hunt, more than most around the NFL, it is understandable why he was willing to take the chance.

Dorsey has also shown that he is willing to give talented players second or third chances if it improves the roster he is building. Him signing Hunt is even more evidence that he will do whatever he can to build a talented roster.

It furthers the point that McFarland made on Monday: The NFL and the teams will do anything to make their team better. They are willing to give multiple chances to players if that means it will increase the team’s chances to make the postseason and pursuit of a Super Bowl.