The Cleveland Browns made a mistake not trading Kareem Hunt

The NFL Trade Deadline came and went and the Cleveland Browns made a mistake by not trading away Kareem Hunt.

The Cleveland Browns got call after call about Kareem Hunt but at no point did the team make the decision to trade the disgruntled running back and they may in fact pay the price for not moving Hunt. The embattled and disgruntled running back wanted out in the offseason after it became clear that Andrew Berry didn’t view him as a priority by not giving him a new contract. When that new deal didn’t come, Hunt wanted out.

Considering the team had five running backs, three of which were pretty good, trading Hunt made all the sense in the world. Yet, they opted not to. They could’ve gotten a third-rounder for him, more than likely, had they dealt him when his value was high.

Instead, they kept him and watched his value plummet as he put up career-worse numbers. He’s averaging a career-worse with yards per carry at just 4.0, and while you can blame some upheaval at the offensive line at times, fellow back-mate Nick Chubb is tied for his career-high at 5.6 yards per carry. So there’s really no excuse there.

The onus for Hunt’s disappointing season falls on him. Not counting the 2019 season where he was slowly implemented into the team, Hunt is averaging career lows on carries, attempts, receiving yards per target, and scrimmage yards per touch. He’s fallen so hard that he’s not even seeing the field for huge stretches and only seems to be serving now as Chubb’s backup, not his compliment.

While Andrew Berry may have actively shifted gears at the trade deadline following the win over the Bengals on Monday night, the fact is that the team is still 3-5, and Hunt is still declining in real-time. Holding onto him was a mistake.

The Cleveland Browns made a mistake by not trading Kareem Hunt

The belief by not trading Hunt for anything less than a fourth-round pick is tied directly into the belief that the team can recoup more for Hunt if he signs elsewhere in 2023. NFL teams give teams compensatory draft picks, to help make up for lost players. These draft picks are not set in stone. The belief that the Browns will get a fourth-rounder due to this model is a lie.

The compensatory pick is assigned to a team based on several factors; age, inherent value, how much losing him hurt the team, how much acquiring him helped the other team, the amount he made vs. the amount he signed for, and a whole host of other factors and variables.

If Hunt continues to post career-worst averages, it seems unlikely he’ll net the Browns a high pick. Coupled with the fact he’s turning 28 and won’t get a long contract, the Browns are looking at a late-round pick, at best, unless he turns his season around.

Not trading Jadeveon Clowney or Jack Conklin made sense, especially if the Browns believe they can make the playoffs, but Hunt wasn’t a guy they had to keep. Especially after seeing D’Ernest Johnson come in for relief and run with some explosiveness that Hunt has seemingly lost.