Getty Former Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt flexing as he walks off the field.
The New York Jets could make another run at a former Pro Bowler.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic joined me on “The Boy Green Podcast” to explain why the team would be interested in free agent running back Kareem Hunt.
“Absolutely [a signing could make sense], yeah I think that goes to the point that I was making earlier about how Joe Douglas is really good at waiting things out and getting guys at below-market value because they don’t have a market,” Rosenblatt explained on my podcast posted on June 13.
“Kareem Hunt definitely would be a guy that would get the fans pretty excited. He would be one of those offseason signings that especially when there is nothing going on I think Jets fans would get overly excited about.”
If the #Jets decide to go bargain bin shopping at RB instead of pursuing Dalvin Cook, @ZackBlatt said free agent RB Kareem Hunt ‘absolutely’ makes sense + @AlbertBreer said NYJ & the #Browns had trade talks about Hunt last year after Breece Hall got hurt 🤔 #TakeFlight #DawgPound
Jets-Browns Had Prior Trade Talks About Kareem Hunt
Last season the Jets and Cleveland Browns had trade conversations centered around Hunt, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
After Breece Hall went down in Week 7 with a torn ACL, Douglas canvased the league evaluating potential replacement options.
The price for Hunt was expected to be “around a fourth-rounder” at the NFL trade deadline, per Breer.
Gang Green decided to go with a cheaper alternative and traded for James Robinson. The Jets sent a conditional sixth-round pick in 2023 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for the running back.
If the hurdle for the Jets last year was the apparent trade price, then what is holding them up now?
The 27-year-old who will turn 28 before the start of the 2023 season is currently an unrestricted free agent. He is free to sign with any NFL team of his choosing at any moment.
According to Spotrac’s market value projections, Hunt could land a deal that pays him $7 million annually which would be the No. 10 best market in the NFL among running backs, per Over The Cap.
However, that figure seems like an unrealistic goal to reach in June.
28 running backs signed free agent deals this offseason, per Spotrac. Only three of those players earned a contract that paid them at least $4 million per season.
None of those players reached a $7 million per year evaluation and the top two running backs both signed deals at the beginning of free agency when NFL teams had all of their cap space available.
- Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers, $6.25 million per year
- David Montgomery, Detroit Lions, $6 million per year
Kareem Hunt Could Provide Excellent Insurance for Jets RB Breece Hall
The Jets were originally interested in Hunt as a potential fill-in option in place of Hall after he went down with an injury.
That same idea could make sense this offseason. All indications point in the direction of Hall being ready for the Week 1 matchup versus the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
What if there is a complication? Or God forbid he reinjured himself early in the 2023 season? Would the Jets be confident with the remaining pieces to hold down the fort for Aaron Rodgers?
Hunt has proven to be a more than capable running back at the NFL level. He led the league in rushing in 2017 and Hunt has also been comfortable in a tandem role during his time with the Browns.
So whether the Jets need him as the lead man or a piece of the puzzle to take some of the load off of Hall, he’d be ready for it.
In his six seasons in the pros, Hunt has rushed for 4,025 yards, scored 48 total touchdowns, and averaged 4.5 rushing yards per clip.
The former Toledo product has also proven to be an adept receiver out of the backfield. He has 211 receptions, for 1,806 receiving yards, and has averaged 8.6 receiving yards per reception in his career.
In addition to his tangible contributions statistically, Hunt is a really talented pass-blocker out of the backfield.
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Jets ‘Absolutely’ Could Make 2nd Run at Pro Bowler: Insider