4 pending free agents the Cleveland Browns will gladly let walk
By Greg Newland
Cleveland Browns FA No. 3: Kareem Hunt
When I say I’m glad to see Kareem Hunt finally leave the Cleveland Browns, I don’t mean it because I think he was a bad player. I personally think that the relationship has run dry and it’s time for both parties to move on.
We had hit that point last year and Berry didn’t bring him back, but with the early injury to Nick Chubb, it was far too easy of a fix to just plug him back in. Hunt needed a fresh start after some off-the-field issues during his rookie season, and he got exactly that in Cleveland.
I don’t think that Hunt is going to be in line to be an NFL starter with any other team, but there are certainly places where he can go and be utilized better than he was. Hunt is a nose-down runner which is great in short-yardage situations, but he often got swallowed up in the Browns zone scheme as he struggled to let plays develop like Chubb or even Jerome Ford did.
It’s unfortunate for this to happen because in the Browns new offense, I think he could be a bigger weapon in the passing game as well. While with the Chiefs, Hunt showed that he had the skill set of a wide receiver and the toughness of a running back. Kevin Stefanski used him in the screen game some, but I never understood his lack of routes in this offense.
Again, no ill feelings toward Hunt, he is a Cleveland guy through and through, and I’ll be happy to watch him play for another team next season unless it happens to be in the AFC North.