32 teams have hit the ground running with NFL training camps starting this week. Very shortly, all of these teams will reaffirm what their strengths are and find out what their weaknesses are. With that being said, there are still several veteran running backs on the free agent market, and Kareem Hunt is one of them.

Kareem Hunt set the league on fire in 2017, leading the league in rushing and totaling nearly 1800 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie on the Kansas City Chiefs. He was off to a similarly great sophomore campaign before a video surfaced of him assaulting a woman in a hotel, and the Chiefs released him.

Since 2019, Hunt has played for the Cleveland Browns, serving as a second-string running back to Nick Chubb. Though his role drastically decreased, Hunt has still found a way to be productive. He scored 11 touchdowns in 2020, and averaged 5.8 yards per touch in 2021.

At the onset of the 2022 season, Hunt asked for a trade, and the Browns did not oblige. They decreased his role, and he had just 158 touches, though he played in all 17 games.

Now that Hunt is a free agent, and still just 27, which teams should consider adding the former Pro-Bowler as NFL training camp commences?

 

New York Jets

The Jets just created a lot of financial flexibility by reworking Aaron Rodgers' contract. Rodgers agreed to take a $35 million pay cut, and obviously expects the team to add missing pieces, particularly on the offensive line and run game, in return.

New York's lead back as of now will be sophomore Breece Hall. Hall had a fantastic rookie season until he tore his ACL in Week 7. The Jets hope he will be ready for Week 1, but don't want to rush his return.

In any case, the Jets could use another running back. All the talk is about Dalvin Cook, who is a more productive player than Kareem Hunt, but he is also more expensive. Because Hunt was already a backup and had less than 500 rushing yards last year, he's not going to command a significant contract from any team.

Signing Hunt instead of Cook would give the Jets more flexibility to add depth at other positions.

Plus, Rodgers is used to relying on a running back to be a significant part of the passing game. He targeted Aaron Jones over 60 times in each of the last four seasons on the Green Bay Packers. One of Hunt's most valuable attributes is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and get into space. He has 1,800 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in his career.

 

Buffalo Bills

The Bills are another AFC East team linked to Dalvin Cook. His younger brother James projects to be the starter for the Bills, who lost Devin Singletary in free agency.

Buffalo obviously needs help in the running game, as they rely way too heavily on quarterback Josh Allen to carry the workload on the ground. With a strong defense and passing game, this is an area the Bills need to improve in order to contend for a championship.

Putting together a strong committee of running backs made up of Kareem Hunt, James Cook and Damien Harris would go a long way in terms of relieving some of the pressure on Allen, who Buffalo simply just asks too much of.

Hunt would get to play for a true contender, and the Bills would get a nice versatile running back and red zone threat.

 

New England Patriots

The Patriots would really be a perfect fit for Kareem Hunt. New England is already in the market for offensive talent after missing out on DeAndre Hopkins. Bill Belichick loves to run the football, and the Pats only really have one proven running back.

New England would love to add Hunt as a veteran presence in the backfield for several reasons. The offense will shift even more to the run game without Hopkins, and Rhamondre Stevenson will need to split the carries with somebody.

Again, as Hunt is a great receiving back, he will make Mac Jones' life easier, who has shown to be the master of the check down. Having a reliable option in the short passing game will be big for Jones, who struggles throwing downfield. Part of those struggles stem from the Patriots' below-average receiving corps.

Hunt would slot nicely into any of these three situations. All of these AFC East teams are reportedly more interested in Dalvin Cook than Kareem Hunt, but they can't all have Cook. Hunt is a cheaper option with limited injury history and strong consistency as a No. 2 running back. His upside is well worth a low-risk investment into the seventh-year RB.