DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum An Offseason Consideration- What To Do With Kareem Hunt?

Trade him for a Safety.

I agree that Baker needs outlet type players. My contention is you can draft those guys every year starting in round 4 or 5, if not a UDFA.

I agree with Memphis. You have to look at the big picture. In 2 years we will need to lock up Chubb. At that point we will have too much of the cap locked up in a position that is being devalued by teams because drafting a quality back is something that isn't all that hard to do.

My thinking is sign Hunt to a fairly friendly deal and look to trade him in a year or two, at which point he will still have time on his contract making him easier to trade. He will also serve as insurance. Backs get hurt every year.

Trading away Hunt ensures that Chubb will get injured. After all, we are the Browns.
But a back like that behind Chubb may be too much of a luxury. I would take a No. 2 for him in a second.

If they do trade hunt I hope they draft JK Dobbins

Give him a nice tender and see how he fits with Stefanski this year. Look at it again after next season.

I don't get the thinking that letting Hunt go would remotely help the team... You all know what you have in Hunt..

Trading Hunt is just what foolish Browns fans would want. Why would we keep one of the best running backs in the league, when we could get some draft picks? It's freaking ludicrous. The same people who think trading him is a good idea will be the first to bash the FO for doing it, when the guy wins the rushing title again.

Average RBs are easy to find, yes.

Elite RBs (which Hunt is)?

Not nearly as easy. We don’t have to do anything in terms of letting him go this off-season IMO.

I would keep him for 2020. He is an elite RB. He catches the ball well and he blocks. Nick and Kareem are a two headed monster that a DC would really have to game plan for. If you have Chubb in the backfield you can use Hunt as a flanker. Kareem is a FA after 2020 so he will really be trying to be productive and stay in line for a big payday. It's a no brainer to keep him. JMO

[quote=lampdogg]Average RBs are easy to find, yes.

Elite RBs (which Hunt is)?

Not nearly as easy. We don’t have to do anything in terms of letting him go this off-season IMO. [/quote

I still think the real question is if we're going to be able to (or willing to commit to) using 2 elite backs. Will we use wither of these guys enough to reflect that status? That to me would take a huge commitment. I'm talking an Oline built to run first, and putting the ball in to the hands of Chubb and Hunt a combined 40+ times a game at a minimum.

I'd love to see that, but is it realistic? I don't know.

As we discussed in another thread, the hope is the HC and the numbers guys are all on the same page in this decision. We have had a long history of HC's who started out losing and never recovered.

If Stefanski wants Hunt on the roster, I hope the numbers guys make that happen. Going into 2020 we need all of those guys on the same page. Stefanski getting off to a good start in the W column could go a long way in turning things around here. And that turn around would be worth more than anything we could ever get in the form of moving on from Hunt.

Good idea .. sign him to a 3 year deal, use him next year and then trade him when Chubb’s deal is up

I've been hearing this crap about RBs being easy to find for years. Yet over the years we never seemed to be able to find one them. We now have two great RBs, and people act as if you can just go find another with Hunt's talent. IMO, only a fool would believe that.

I have no idea. For all the jockeying and positioning on this board, the truth of the matter is that nobody has a clue what the future holds.

Dalvin Cook was the Vikings 2nd most targeted "receiver". Hunt excels in that part of the game. Chubb still has a ways to go in that aspect of his game.

Stefanski has talked about the marriage of the run and pass as well as how hard it is on defenses when pass plays look like runs and vice versa. Hunt is good at both, so unlike years past looking at the back wouldn't tip the D to run or pass.

Hunt seems to be happy to simply still be in the NFL and I haven't heard anything about crazy contract demands, so I don't see why some are trying to get rid of him.

If he has exorbitant demands down the road, sure, take the comp pick and replace him. No need to get rid of good players in the hopes of being able to replace them through the draft, though.

Plus, Lincoln Riley used a lot of split back formations at Oklahoma which Baker had a lot of success with. It can help stress the defense in both directions horizontally. I wonder if Baker might facilitate putting Stefanski and Riley together.

Exactly. Let's not make the same mistake again and get rid of talent. We did it with Zeigler and payed for it all season. I can think of a few others like M. Schwartz, Gipson, Mack (although I believe he wanted out) Haden even Cam Ewing whom we misused while he was here. Aren't 2 of those guys starting on K.C. o-line? I think getting rid of Genard Avery was a mistake also although I don't know how good he will become. He was productive here and had potential. Let's keep talent.

This makes so much sense it hurts. Hunt for less than $5 mil? You are kidding, right? Shoot, I'd pay him twice that for 2020.

Keep him for at least one more year and draft a guy in the middle rounds to groom. I've watched the Stoolers and Ratturds find mid-rd RBs for years who were/are very effective. We can too...maybe.

I agree. You always have special backs who can make things happen on their own. They are rare, no doubt.

Then you have those mid round guys. If given a solid O-line, they can do just fine. Given a good enough line, darn near any back can look good.

I would rather invest in a good O-line with a little depth. Those guys can play a long time and usually don't sustain very many serious injuries. You can also find good linemen fairly deep in to the draft.

I never said we'd find a running back with Hunt's talent. I also believe I have said I would move him for a second or third round pick (not going to happen because teams don't value running backs). A second/third round pick and Hunt's replacement is better in my view than Hunt for only one more year.

How will we get Hunt's replacement? You stated a 2nd/3rd Rd pick AND Hunt's replacement is better than just Hunt for one more year. Are you suggesting a FA RB? Or burning a pick in hopes to get some production out of that?

Stefanski likes to run the ball...a lot. We will need a good 2nd back...maybe two. I'd pay him for one more year and use our picks and cap to fix the many areas that are already broken. Also, why can't it work with two stud RBs when running is a big part of the offense?

It can work (very well), I just value the pick, if it's a second or third round pick or better, over Hunt being on the roster for one more year.

Remember the Broncos' offense when they could basically anyone into the offense and they would get a thousand yards? That's the same offense we are running. The same offense that Raheem Mostert just averaged 5.6 yards in.

I want to keep Hunt for reasons I stated in a previous post. Also, just say next season we are out of the playoff picture by the middle of November (which is usually the case but I certainly hope not) we could always trade him then for a pick IF that's what our FO decides to do. Hopefully we will be in the thick of the playoff race and will need to keep him.

We usually don't even make it mid-Novemeber before we're left to hang on to some wacky playoff scenarios!

But to your point, the trade deadline was Oct. 29th this past year. You wouldn't have the luxury of waiting until mid-November to make a trade.

Your right Milk. I Forgot about the trading deadline until later. Well, there have been seasons we were out of it by then. More than I'd like to remember

Keep Hunt and Chubb together as long as we can. It's nice to know we've got that covered.

Keep him and use him in there with Chubb. This is maybe the most exciting upside on the offense, especially with some tackle improvements.

Keep him. Just incredibly obvious.

It is worth it to get his good attitude. IF Stefanski can't run with Hunt and Chubb, we have probs in C-town indeed. I especially want to see what they do together in the backfield.

I don't see us keeping Hunt. 2nd round tender and take the pick.

I'd imagine this will cause a rift and some fans will see this as "starting over."

I could see us drafting one and perhaps signing one. Maybe Abdullah?

I won't be upset if Hunt isn't here next year. I hope he's turned a corner in his life and wish him well and great success. Unless he goes to Pittsburgh or Baltimore.

Losing Hunt would be a dumb move.

I think it comes down to losing Hunt this year but possibly getting something in return or losing Hunt at the end of next season with getting zero in return. This is of course, if you think the team prefers to commit to Chubb. If someone is fine with the latter option, then so be it.

I don't think the Browns commit to long-term deals for both players for a several reasons.

Baker needs a top end running game. We have that with Chubb and Hunt. Not to mention Hunt is a good receiver. Keep him for at least 2020.

I don't see anyone giving up a second round pick for a veteran running back (the third round pick we got for Duke Johnson was the highest pick anyone has given up for a running back since we got a first for Trent Richardson). I especially don't see anyone giving up a second round pick for a running back that has domestic violence issues in his past.

My guess is that Kareem Hunt will be on the team in 2020. That is not a bad thing.

People are going to lose their minds when they find out there are people out there that think we shouldn't sign Chubb long term.

I'd be fine doing it this offseason although that is not the norm. We have a decent amount of cap space and it gets in front of other, bigger contract we might need to pay for, namely Myles Garrett and in a perfect world Baker Mayfield.

You can't sign a player to an extension until after their third year.

Stop ruining my dream!

I suspect we’re going to be a a run heavy, multiple tight end play action team starting next yearnif we can get the blocking together. You do not jettison high quality HBs in that scheme. I’ll bet we’ll be looking for a number 3! And It’s not like we’re cozied up against the cap. We have time until the cap becomes an issue so I really don’t think money should be part of the equation at this point.

More generally I hope this team keeps it’s talent. We’re definitely NOT a team that can get by without solid depth. Teams like the Patriots, Packers, Cowboys, 49ers, KC and others can solidly expect the “next man up” strategy to work in their favor because players know that it’s a very real opportunity with a very solid team. The culture is bigger than the players. We don’t have that benefit of the doubt or that luxury. When thing start going south for the browns, the whole thing falls apart fast. I’d say that alone is the over riding “culture” of the Browns the last 20 years. I hope that changes and players start to take the team more seriously and a real team culture begins to emerge but we need real depth until the plane actually gets off the runway and stabilizes. Much more so than other teams. Too often over the last 20+ years a few key injuries or “unexpectedly” poor play by specific positions sends the team into a total collapse and it can’t recover. If I’m the new Browns GM, that’s a reality I’d be addressing at all costs.