Browns owner Jimmy Haslam wasn't happy with Kareem Hunt's recent brush with police after a traffic stop, but wants him back if he meets the team's off-field expectations. (Rob Lorenzo)
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
The Browns are good with Odell Beckham Jr. and Kareem Hunt – for now.
Both high-profile players have had off-field conduct questioned in recent weeks, resulting in meetings with new coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry.
“We want guys who are going to be smart, tough and accountable both on and off the field,” Berry said. “Kareem understands that, and we are looking forward to him meshing with our culture moving forward.
“In terms of Odell, both of us have had really good conversation. He is one of the most talented receivers in the league, and we are certainly happy to have him here. Everybody is going to have to fit into our culture in terms of being smart, tough and accountable, and both of those guys know that.”
Stefanski, obviously, would be a better coach with both players on the field.
“I think I certainly want Kareem and Odell on the team this year,” Stefanski said. “Yes, they’re players I believe in. Again, two different situations, but to lump them together, I would put them with all of our players. There’s a standard that we’ll set and that we’re going to ask of them to adhere to those standards.”
Beckham’s overly exuberant behavior at the LSU national championship game resulted in an arrest warrant for smacking a security officer on the butt. It was rescinded the next day. Beckham had core muscle surgery shortly thereafter and has been rehabbing under the auspices of Browns trainers.
Hunt was stopped for speeding in Rocky River on Jan. 21. A search of his car turned up an unsealed bottle of vodka and small amounts of marijuana. Dash-cam video of the stop disclosed Hunt admitting he probably wouldn’t have passed a drug test.
“It’s not good,” owner Jimmy Haslam said Wednesday. “Kareem knows he’s got to do better. Kevin and Andrew have talked to him about it. And I’ll leave it at that. What he did is not acceptable. He’s got to do better.
“We have and will continue to work closely with Kareem, but he knows our expectations are higher than what he showed a week or two ago.”
Hunt and Beckham were two of former GM John Dorsey’s higher-profile acquisitions.
Hunt is a restricted free agent and can be retained easily with a contract tender by the start of the new league year on March 18.
Beckham is entering the second year of a five-year contract Dorsey inherited from the Giants when he traded for him last season. According to overthecap.com, $11.15 million of Beckham’s 2020 salary of $14 million becomes guaranteed on March 18. There would be minimal salary-cap ramifications if the Browns traded Beckham.
Haslam said, “Absolutely … absolutely” the Browns want to keep Beckham.
“Odell is extremely talented,” Haslam said. “He was hampered by the groin injury.
“Listen, he could have done some things better, we could have done some things better. I think Kevin is very excited to have Odell on the team. The surgery went well, he’s rehabbing and we look forward to having him and being a big, big producer for the team this year.”