Cleveland Browns: Kareem Hunt's fate after this season
Seeing the reactions to the Duke Johnson video I did in regards to Kareem Hunt's fate after this season, it seemed like people are at about 90/10 that Hunt will be a Cleveland Brown in 2020. So I wanted to go ahead and explore that a bit more.
Assuming Hunt stays out of trouble and has a great second half of the season as expected, hopefully playoffs, he'll be a restricted free agent. The Browns could opt to put a high tender on him at the first or second round level.
If the Browns were to put a first round tender on him, they definitely intend to keep him. No one is going to give up that much, may try to negotiate a trade for his rights, but if the Browns willing to pay a little over $4 million for another year of Hunt, that seems likely to happen.
Likewise, an original round tender, which would amount to a third round pick and it's difficult to imagine another team doesn't sign Hunt with the Browns unwilling to match.
A second round tender seems like the sweet spot where things could get interesting. Another team willing to look past his off field, especially a year removed from his most infamous incident, could talk themselves into being one cheap, big time playmaker away from making a serious championship run.
An extra second round pick for the Browns is more attractive than some might realize. They could get an offensive tackle, safety, defensive tackle or wide receiver on a very cheap four-year deal, which could all be premium positions that need to be addressed next year.
Should Hunt stay for 2020, then leave via free agency and get a massive deal elsewhere, the Browns would get a third round compensatory pick they'd receive in 2022.
All of this hinges on Hunt being on his best behavior for two years. Should something happen, especially if it's as ugly as the last incident, the Browns not only lose the investment but the franchise's reputation would be understandably bruised, which should land on Dorsey.
I make no secret of the fact that I didn't like the signing of Hunt and while I appreciate his talent, this incident is past a point I'm willing to venture on a player. I would flip Hunt as soon as I could and call it a success as I don't like the risk involved.
John Dorsey, who has a history of taking shortcuts, is far more willing to gamble and especially if they feel like 2020 is their year, they may be inclined to keep Hunt as try to win the Super Bowl. Another incident could also potentially derail a Super Bowl run as Tyreek Hill's situation could in Kansas City.
To this point, despite some horrific incidents, Dorsey's history with risky players hasn't caught up with him and he's long overdue. That may be the reason he is more inclined to flip Hunt sooner than later. Both sides have strong cases to make and it's one of the most interesting what if's on the roster for the 2019 season.
