What will Kareem Hunt’s role be in Cleveland Browns offense?

Kareem Hunt will play his first game as a member of the Cleveland Browns when they face the Buffalo Bills in Week 10. What will his role be?

When the Cleveland Browns signed Kareem Hunt this offseason, it was a bit of a shock. At the time of his signing, they already were rather strong at the running back position with Nick Chubb coming off a great rookie season. They also had Duke Johnson as a change of pace back — although he has since been traded to the Houston Texans.

Even with Johnson gone, the Browns have been solid at running back — thanks to the play of Chubb. The second-year back already has 803 yards and six touchdowns in eight games while averaging the same 5.2 yards per rush he had as a rookie.

If there is any area where Chubb doesn’t excel, it’s as a receiving back. While he’s been much better in this regard than expected when he came into the league out of Georgia, he hasn’t been a game-breaker in this regard. For that reason, he’s taken off the field often on third downs as the Browns bring in Dontrell Hilliard.

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Looking ahead to Hunt’s role with the team — and head coach Freddie Kitchens seems confident there is a good plan — we won’t need to look any further than this role. Hunt might have led the NFL in rushing yards in 2017 but he’s just as dangerous as a receiver. And he was getting better in 2018 before his off-field issues led him to the unemployment line.

In 11 games, Hunt had 378 yards and seven touchdowns on 26 receptions — an average of 14.5 yards per catch. And Cleveland fans know how quickly he can break a game open, as he ripped off a 50-yard touchdown last year when he played the Browns in FirstEnergy Stadium as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

As the season wears on, the plan could change. Perhaps Hunt will start to get more carries and they could split the load some — which will only help Chubb remain strong down the stretch.

But until he gets his feet wet, the plan will most likely center on Hunt playing on third-downs and the occasional drive where Chubb is spelled.

This will clearly be an upgrade over Hilliard and defenses will be a little less sure of what the offense is going to do — considering they rarely actually run when Hilliard is on the field, evidenced by his five rushes on the season.