After a difficult year of football for the Cleveland Browns, the front office prepares for a busy offseason. The roster has some nice talent on the defensive side of the ball but could use some improvements for the offense. Even so, this team will be making cuts and some could be shocking. We take a look at a potential surprise Browns roster cut for the 2022 offseason.
Cleveland needs some help in the receiving room and it should be expected the front office does everything possible to improve that area. Although the Browns utilize a run-first offensive scheme, it's time to find some pass options who will be a great fit. To do so, the front office is going to need some cap space in free agency to hopefully make a splash.
For that reason, we could see a surprising move in the offseason. The Browns clearly have a talented group of running backs, but for one of them, their time may come to an end in Cleveland. It may be hard to believe, but the front office could choose to let go of Kareem Hunt.
With that said, here is our surprise Browns roster cut heading into the 2022 offseason.
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Surprise Browns Roster Cut in 2022 Offseason
Kareem Hunt
The Browns have been known to arguably have the best one-two punch out of the backfield in the league. Nick Chubb is a fantastic pure runner while Kareem Hunt is much of the same. They've been the driving force for the offense for a few years, but now is the time for Cleveland to make a change.
Cutting Hunt makes sense for several reasons. First, if the Browns choose to release him, the team receives no dead cap penalty. Cleveland would take a $6.25 million cap hit, but that's not too big of a deal for them right now. Financially, letting Kareem Hunt go makes sense for this franchise.
On the other hand, D'Ernest Johnson proved to be a reliable option out of the backfield this year. He filled in nicely for both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Johnson was so efficient, the Browns could let Hunt go and not lose any production out of their backup running back role. We'll see how it all plays out, but D'Ernest Johnson gives Cleveland some wiggle room to adjust the roster.
A lot of questions must be answered in the offseason, but the Browns aren't in too bad of shape. Baker Mayfield struggled, but that was mainly due to injuries. There is reason to believe he can bounce back, especially once the front office drastically improves the receiving core. For that reason, Cleveland could let go of Kareem Hunt to create more roster space for a receiver, which is much more important for this team right now.
Kareem Hunt is a good running back and should play a vital role next year, regardless of whether he's still on the roster or not. For the Browns, it makes a ton of sense to move on from Hunt. Between his favorable cap situation, D'Ernest Johnson's emergence as a reliable running back, and the Browns' need for wide receiver depth, Hunt could be on the move out of Cleveland. We'll see how it plays out, but this team will have its hands full in the 2022 offseason.