3 pending free agents Browns should retain and 2 they should not

Browns should not retain: Kareem Hunt, RB

Cleveland originally moved on from Kareem Hunt and it appeared for a minute he would take the Jarvis Landry path and sign with the New Orleans Saints. That never materialized, nor did the rumors that he was heading to Indianapolis or Green Bay.

Instead, he sat out the first two weeks of the year but got a call from his former team following a devastating injury in Week 2. With Nick Chubb suffering a torn ACL and MCL, which required two surgeries, the Browns brought back Hunt who had spent the past four seasons with his hometown team.

This time around, he found himself being called upon primarily for short-yardage and goal-line situations — a role he thrived in. Overall, Hunt had just 411 yards while averaging a career-low 3.0 yards per attempt. He did, however, score nine touchdowns and then added two more in the postseason.

Despite playing his role well, the Browns don't need to bring Hunt back in 2024. That's a tough thing to hear for someone who is understandably a fan-favorite but the ground game was a major disappointment in 2023. Instead of running it back with the same crew, Cleveland needs to find more consistent players. They also need someone who can start (not Jerome Ford) until Chubb can return — because it might not be Week 1 when he comes back.