June is fast-approaching and there are still a number of notable free agents available. That includes a handful of former Cleveland Browns players still looking for work, and at this point, who knows if they're going to be able to catch on before training camp?
Veteran contracts are no longer fully guaranteed after June 1, which is why you may still see a number of prominent veterans available for a few more weeks. Teams are also getting their first on-field look at their rookie class and how those rookies adapt to playing alongside veterans.
After June 1, a variety of former Cleveland Browns players could begin resurfacing around the league. Who are some of the top familiar names still out there?
1. Marquise Goodwin, WR
For the longest time, Marquise Goodwin was one of the fastest offensive weapons in the league, and the threat of his speed certainly kept him floating around the league longer than other guys might have lasted at his position.
Goodwin was very effective for a stretch with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers, and he even eclipsed 1,000 yards from scrimmage with the 49ers back in the 2017 season. Unfortunately, he's been used pretty sparingly since that time, and hasn't been able to carve out a full-time role for a couple of years in the NFL.
Last year for the Browns, Goodwin appeared in 12 games but only caught four passes. Even though he can probably still run in the 4.3s, it doesn't look like Goodwin is capable of contributing to an NFL roster in a substantial way, especially since he doesn't play special teams.
2. Jakeem Grant, WR
When he's played, Jakeem Grant has made it to three straight Pro Bowls and four straight All-Pro teams.
The problem?
He hasn't played since the 2021 season. Even with that in mind, whenever this guy is healthy, he could start getting calls from NFL teams rather quickly because Grant didn't make the Pro Bowl and wasn't named 2nd-team All-Pro for his abilities as a wide receiver, but as a return specialist.
And with the NFL adopting a new kickoff rule that favors the return specialist, Grant's career could be given second life.
Again, assuming he's able to stay healthy.
While he was at his peak, Grant racked up over 5,100 total return yards and six total return touchdowns. He proved himself to be a pretty effective offensive weapon at times as well. The crazy thing is, Grant was doing this when the NFL was trying to kill the kickoff return play. For player safety, the league has done just about everything in its power to eliminate those high-speed collisions.
Now, there's new life given to the kickoff return game, which means there's new life for a free agent like Jakeem Grant. He's going to have to work out for teams and prove he can stay on the field, but he'll be an intriguing name to watch the remainder of the 2024 offseason.
3. Kareem Hunt, RB
There are a handful of things going against Kareem Hunt when it comes to his chances of getting a job anytime soon.
First of all, Hunt plays the running back position, which is being more and more devalued every year in the NFL.
Second, Hunt has a lot of mileage on him. The former Chiefs third-round pick is not yet 29 years old and he's already touched the ball 1,256 times at the NFL level for a total of 6,326 all-purpose yards.
Third, Hunt is coming off of a season in which he averaged just 3.0 yards per carry, easily the worst of his NFL career. The guy who used to break at least one or two tackles every time he touched the ball doesn't appear to be there anymore.
With that said, teams suffer injuries every year that will prompt interest in a player like Hunt. That's exactly what happened last year in his situation returning to Cleveland when Nick Chubb went down with a season-ending injury. But even the Browns have built contingencies to not need Hunt again, so where does he go from here?
The fourth thing against him are his off-field incidents from a handful of years back. Teams undoubtedly take that into consideration. Could Kareem Hunt be done in the NFL before the age of 29?
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