3 Cleveland Browns who could be cap casualties before 2022 season
By Greg Newland
Cleveland Browns Cap Casualty No. 3 – Kareem Hunt
This one may surprise folks a little bit, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Kareem Hunt out of Cleveland after this season. This isn’t a move because he hasn’t been good or isn’t needed on the team. There are just more important positions that need to be upgraded at the moment, and Hunt is an easy one to let go of.
Easy may not be the right word but releasing him is justifiable. One, he has zero dead money on his contract for 2022 so a release would save the Browns over $6 million in cap space. Two, although a free agent after 2021, the Browns could likely re-sign D’Ernest Johnson back to the roster for a much cheaper price. Johnson may not be Hunt, but he did a heck of a job filling in this year when needed.
We also can’t forget that Hunt has been injured for seven games this season. I’m not saying it’s a trend, but it’s certainly something to be aware of. It’s hard to justify a backup running back making that much money if he isn’t available when you need him.
If the market for guys like David Njoku or Jadeveon Clowney get out of Cleveland’s league, Hunt could survive to live out the life of his contract. If Berry is able to keep one of those two guys around, Hunt could easily be disposed to create more cap.