The Browns’ decision to sign Kareem Hunt has obviously stirred up some controversy. Hunt is back on the commissioner’s exempt list and is being investigated for three off-field incidents from 2018.
John Dorsey said, per ESPNCleveland’s Tony Grossi (Twitter link), the length of Hunt’s suspension may be known within a couple of weeks. Hunt is expected to receive at least a six-game suspension, and given that two other alleged incidents accompany the video of the Cleveland-area native kicking a woman, the 23-year-old running back may be banned longer than that.
Once the suspension is assessed, Hunt will be able to attend Browns offseason activities and then training camp. Dorsey expects the 2017 rushing champion to be present in April when the Browns begin their offseason program.
Although Dorsey said the Browns conducted a thorough investigation, the second-year Cleveland GM admitted this did not include speaking with the victim. He added an effort was not made to do so. Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, the latter a member of the NFL’s conduct committee, signed off on the move.
“I talked to a lot of people (but) I didn’t get a chance to talk to that victim,” Dorsey said, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “That’s probably part of her privacy stuff.”
Dorsey spoke with Hunt several times before making this decision (Twitter link via Grossi). The former Chiefs GM, who took a chance on Tyreek Hill after a domestic violence incident, said he realizes the backlash that will come the Browns’ way and indicated this is Hunt’s last chance.
This signing will place Hunt back in his hometown. The former third-round Dorsey draft choice out of Toledo carried a reputation as a respectful, hard-working person in the Chiefs’ building but also one who dealt with alcohol and anger issues outside of it, per Albert Breer of SI.com. Although Dorsey did not confirm Hunt has been attending treatment for these issues, both Cabot and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport report he has been through counseling.
If Hunt is on the Browns’ active roster for at least six games, he will become a restricted free agent at season’s end. If a suspension shelves him for more than 10 games, Hunt will be an exclusive-rights free agent in 2020.
The Browns now have Hunt, Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson on their roster. Both Johnson and Chubb are signed through 2021, the former via three-year, $15.6MM extension agreed to in 2018. Dorsey said Johnson’s roster spot is not yet in danger.
“I don’t think it makes him expendable yet,’’ he said. “You have to research your options and see moving forward what’s best for the organization. Duke is a fine football player.”
Cleveland’s passing-downs back, a third-round pick during the Ray Farmer regime, had his worst year as a pro in 2018. He totaled just 630 yards from scrimmage, doing so after surpassing 1,000 in 2017. Dorsey has jettisoned many players brought to Cleveland during past regimes since taking over 14 months ago.
Duke had his worst season statistically because Hue Jackson and company decided to stop getting him involved in the offense for some reason.
totally agreed. he is way better than his stats show. how they handled his usage was the problem.
Yeah, it’s not that he got worse as much as it is that he didn’t get nearly enough opportunities.
Agreed 100%. Duke getting 8-12 touches a game makes the browns a better offense. He didn’t get that opportunity in 2018. Duke is a very underrated player… would be a shame to lose Duke because we signed hunt.
Not worth it. Dumb dumb dumb.
Ain’t that a kick in the head……
That’s just kicking somebody when they’re down.
Couple weeks back there was that 3rd stringer that got arrested and someone on here said to make an example out of him…. This is the guy you make an example out of, 8, 10 even 12 game suspension. The NFL needs players to know that violence of any kind is not okay or they will be harshly punished.
They did not talk to the victim because they did not want to. They were looking for every reason to sign him and did not look for any reason not to sign him.
They dont need to talk. Video is there. She attacked him. He fights back. Equality
No, dude. No. You’re a 230lb football player, you don’t tackle and kick people half your weight after years of training to take and give hits
You dont instigate and call someone the N word
@Kenleyfornia2 .. so in your line of thinking if a woman calls a man a n word if she is white then that man has the right to shove her down and kick her while she is down? so that considered “LIT” question how come drake , Cardi B , Nicki Minaj get a pass on the n word ? better question so when people of color call trump racist slurs I guess by your way of thinking he has the right to have to shove them down and kick them while they are down ? AIGHT BET
Yes the video is there and you’ll see him attack her first, he shoves her to initiate all contact.
fact of the matter is its ok because he is black and she is white .. BUT if Kareem Hunt was white and the girl doing the name calling was black you can rest assured Lebron James, Kapernick ,Cardi B and company would of been calling for the man to be locked up and thrown in prison and never be allowed to play football again .. they would be right BUT they are no where to be found when the offenders are Kareem Hunt,Tyreke Hill ,Ray Rice, they are mighty quiet on that front.
Scarier thought is what went on inside that room prior to the camera going on when he tried to force her to have sex with his homie and then threw her out of the room when she wouldn’t.
I’m sorry but that’s far from true. Legally an employer cannot talk to a victim of a crime committed by a person they r trying to hire. NFL is also included. There’s privacy laws in place for victims of DV, Assault and all that. Sometimes even the DA doesn’t even speak to the victims during the trial process. They go by statements and police opinions and findings.
And to crucify an organization who is trying to find the best players possible to become a competitive team is wrong. These dudes aren’t even close to saints. Every locker room has a$$holes and guys who have done bad $hit. Dorsey drafted and has a relationship with Hunt. He’s probably the best guy to make sure he’s keeping on top of the kids situation and help him thru his issues.
I by no means excuse Hunts behavior. But people r allowed a second chance. If u made a mistake in life u as well deserve a second change. (This is coming from a victim of a DV situation) So don’t throw stones at a glass house. Let the league take there action and dull out there punishment and respect Dorsey’s decisions. He’s been doing his job for a long time and has a pretty good track record.
Hunt did not commit domestic violence, he got in a fight with someone that happened to be a woman. Yes, he was wrong but this is not a domestic violence situation where the victim is not at fault, both parties here are responsible for the fight. He deserves punishment but this incident should not be punished nearly as severe as domestic violence because domestic violence is much worse than this. Getting cut and missing the end of the year should be punishment enough and they should let him play week 1
The kicking while she was on the ground is where the self defense argument gets thrown out the window. And at this point he should be suspended because there’s a pattern of incidents. A pattern isn’t enough for a conviction, but the NFL does and should have a lower standard for punishment. I think he gets 6 or 8 and everyone moves on. You’d have a potential self defense argument if she just came at him and he threw her away instead of additionally kicking her while she was lying on the ground
Exactly!!
I didn’t say it was self defense and I don’t believe he was justified in using the amount of force seen in the video. My point is that people are lumping in this incident along with domestic violence just because it was a woman that he hit. Treating this as a case of domestic violence would be a mistake because it isn’t domestic violence and it’s not nearly as severe. Hunt has already served 5 games(plus playoffs and a lost job) so suspending him 6 or 8 games. would be punishing him much more than he deserves.
BUT SHE CALLED HIM A NAME! AND SHE STARTED IT ! SO BASICALLY THIS GIRL HAD IT COMING – signed people who are outraged when a police offer shoots someone who points a gun at them …
You are obviously a Browns fan or have absolutely no morals.
Can someone be both of those?
Most browns fans are both
No, they’re not. But thanks for hating.
Mikel Grady you’re god damn right!!!
Now if the Browns can just get Josh Gordon back they will be able to compete with the Steelers for the drama title.
You’re on to something, a backfield of Johnny Manziel faking the handoff to Kareem Hunt and then dumping the pass off to Josh Gordon would be priceless…
“Why would we talk to the victim?? She can’t carry a football worth a damn!” – John Dorsey
She aint a victim. Shes a party in a fight
You need to watch the video again and see who hit who first.
Tyreke Hill punched his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach and choked her. Pro Bowl.
I’ve seen toddlers kick someone harder than Hunt tapped this belligerent drunk chick. All the headlines say he beat and kicked her like it was some massacre. I watched the video, I don’t see where he beat her. She got knocked over and he tapped her w/his foot.
Everyone’s outraged b/c it’s just the lasted update of the story. You’ll all forget it when he’s back scoring touchdowns and the Browns are winning.
What’s wrong with you? You’re a pos it doesn’t matter how hard he kicked her bottom line is he did.
Can’t read your comment without hearing it in a high pitched whining voice.
You’ve probably bumped into people harder by accident. Should we arrest you?
And you also failed to grasp the irony of what I was saying…. After a few games, no one cares what they’ve done as long as the team is winning games or they’re producing. Joe Mixon, Tyreke Hill still cashing checks.
I wonder how Z-A would feel if that was his mother / sister or daughter in that video ..hmmmmmm
Always that weak argument. Sorry but my mother, sister, daughter, wife, girlfriend, girl I know isn’t underage drinking crashing someone’s party at their house and then refusing to leave and then dumb enough to provoke a pro athlete into a physical altercation. So no I’ll never know what that’s like to see any of them in that video.
Total loser move by Browns.
I’ll avoid commenting today. Most everyone seems to hate me on this website.
Xabial, you are not alone.