“To me, actions earns trust” said Cleveland Browns (CLE) General Manger (GM) John Dorsey today as the Browns have signed former Kansas City Chiefs (KC) running back Kareem Hunt to a contract.
The Browns have become the epicenter of the offseason as their decision to sign Hunt is unfavorable and unexpected.
The All-Pro (RB) was recently released from the Kansas City Chiefs (KC) because of an off-the-field incident where he got physical with a woman. The Chiefs weren’t hesitant to release Hunt when the video surfaced as they believe that the actions he took that night were inexcusable and didn’t represent the culture of the franchise.
John Dorsey is the former (GM) of the Chiefs and was the one who gambled on Hunt with a third round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. During his college years at Toledo, Hunt faced high criticism pertaining to his character development, however that didn’t stop Dorsey into drafting a player that he thought was a franchise cornerstone.
Hunt went on to have a great rookie season, foreshadowing a possible hall of fame career. However, he now will forever have this incident attached to him and the privilege of actually putting on an NFL uniform again is unknown. Hunt is currently on the commissioner’s exempt list meaning that he’s off the table when it comes to being able to be on the field and he’s just in the beginning stages of this case.
“We have done extensive research, with regards to this case, to this player and at the end of it one thing we did find was he understands and takes full accountability…” said Dorsey in a press conference where he showed belief that Hunt can move on from this.
In today’s society the acts of domestic abuse have shown absolutely no sympathy to players found guilty in the past. However, there have been some owners who’ve overlooked these actions and signed players because of their talent more than their character level. It’s not difficult to argue that if players who were found guilty of these actions and weren’t that all impactful to a team would have a roster spot. That’s where the discussion rises and the hopes of second chances come to fruition.
Hunt, has a long road ahead of him in order to continue his career, although not impossible. Dorsey has strong confidence that Hunt will move past this. If signed to the team and participation of team activities occurs for Hunt, he will compete in a three-back line-up with high talent.
Rookie sensation Nick Chubb has become the number one back, while Duke Johnson Jr. plays the pass-catcher role. Where Hunt fits is questionable because his talent outmatches both of these players, so if all goes well the Browns will look to ship one of their backs during the NFL Draft.
Again, this is not concrete but very intriguing move as the Browns capitalized on a huge signing. The move has generated speculation from those highly against domestic abuse and victims of such incidents.
The franchise will look to make their signing a validation that with understanding, everyone deserves a second chance.
