NFL Trade Rumors: Browns set surprisingly low price for Kareem Hunt
By Josh Hill
A Kareem Hunt trade seems inevitable at this point, and it appears the Cleveland Browns aren’t going to price gouge teams that want him.
With the NFL Trade Deadline just days away, the wheels are starting to turn on potential deals that could move key players to new teams.
One of the most talked about names in trade rumors is Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt. Rumblings about a possible Hunt trade can be traced all the way back to training camp when it became clear that while the Browns would have a two-back system that it would be Nick Chubb leading the charge.
Hunt has seen some decent action this year with Cleveland, but he could easily be a team’s lead back. That’s what the Browns are hoping a team elsewhere in the league convinces itself and makes an offer. Any team hoping to make one now knows what Cleveland’s asking price is, which could steer us closer to a deal happening.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Browns are expected to accept as low as a fourth-round pick in a trade for Hunt.
This comes after a report from ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio that stated the Browns were expected to be looking for a deal closer to what the Carolina Panthers received for Christian McCaffrey when the 49ers traded for him last week.
It doesn’t appear the Browns are holding teams over a barrel demanding a similar return for Hunt.
Kareem Hunt trade rumors: What team could make a deal before Tuesday?
With the Browns asking price seemingly established, the phone lines are open for a contending team to make an offer.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo noted that such a thing has already happened. When the New York Jets were shopping for Breece Hall’s replacement this past week, they reportedly called the Browns about Hunt. It’s unclear how far down the road those talks got, but the Jets eventually traded for James Robinson rather than making a deal for Hunt.
That doesn’t mean his market has dried up, however, the running back market isn’t nearly as saturated with buyers as the wide receiver one is. Teams like Minnesota, Green Bay, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay could be in the market for a receiver but are set at running back. Kansas City has been active in trade rumors but will absolutely not touch a Kareem Hunt trade for obvious reasons.
One team to keep an eye on could be the Los Angeles Rams. They were in on Christian McCaffrey before being outbid by San Francisco and are looking to replace Cam Akers on the depth chart. The only issue for Hunt would be that he’d enter another running back committee situation in LA, albeit one where he could easily establish himself as a lead back ahead of Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown.