This has become a diminishing sight of late: A Browns quarterback throwing to Kareem Hunt. (TheLandOnDemand)
Kareem Hunt going about his business amid trade rumors
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. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
Six NFL trades have been made in the past week. More are expected before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline, but probably not until this weekend’s games are completed.
So far, two Browns names mentioned in speculation are still with the team and are expected to play in Monday night’s AFC North showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Running back Kareem Hunt and cornerback Greedy Williams both participated in practice on Thursday.
Hunt, who asked to be traded in training camp, seemingly has fallen out of the team’s plans in the past two games. In Baltimore, Hunt had five carries for 4 yards rushing and one reception on two targets for 4 yards. The week before against New England, Hunt had four carries for 12 yards and no catches on one target.
When quarterback Jacoby Brissett was asked about Hunt’s lack of touches the past two games, he said, “I don’t make the decisions like that. You’d probably have to ask Kevin on that one.”
“No reason [for the drop-off],” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Expect him to help us and contribute this game. Sometimes you get unlucky a little bit. He got unlucky with some really bad runs, quite honestly, but I wouldn’t read too much into that.”
Still, it’s quite odd that a team in the throes of four straight losses and struggling to make plays at the end of games would suddenly forget about one of its key offensive players.
If something is up, Nick Chubb isn’t aware of it. He said he hasn’t talked to Hunt about the possibility of a trade. How would Chubb feel if his best friend on the team were traded?
“I don’t know,” Chubb replied, treading gingerly on the subject. “Kareem’s a great friend of mine. I love playing with him. He’s a great teammate, great to play with. Who knows what will happen? I love playing with Kareem.”
As for Williams, the position of cornerback could be a target for the Minnesota Vikings, who find themselves 2 ½ games ahead in the NFC North division. They have lost two rookie defensive backs to injuries.
The Vikings’ general manager, Kwesi Odofo-Mensah, apprenticed under Berry last year. Relationships are always important in making trades happen.
Injuries among other players might discourage the Browns from swapping Hunt or Williams.
Rookie Jerome Ford, the heir-apparent to Hunt’s role as the third-down back, remains on injured reserve with an ankle injury. But Stefanski did say he expected Ford to be back after the bye week, which follows the Cincinnati game.
Cornerback Denzel Ward remains in concussion protocol and will likely miss his third game in a row. But he, too, could be back after the bye.
No fallout from screaming match
Rumors about the screaming match in the Browns’ locker room following the loss in Baltimore have pointed to safety John Johnson as the subject of the tirade.
Johnson left the locker room early before media were allowed in.
On Thursday, Johnson said he left early to be with 30 friends and relatives who were waiting for him after the game. He said he heard the screaming but did not know what it was about.
“I was in the shower when all that happened,” Johnson said. “I heard it, but I got out and did some family business. I don’t know what happened.”
Browns players and coaches attributed the outburst to the frustration from losing the game.
“I suppose,” Johnson said. “We’ve lost four straight. I don’t know exactly what it was about, but it hasn’t been a lingering thing.”
Chief feeling better
When tight end David Njoku suffered a high ankle sprain in Baltimore, Stefanski referred to it as a “week to week” injury. Apparently, it’s down to “day to day.”
“Going to be a day-to-day thing,” Njoku said. “We’ll see. It’s feeling better every day.”
Njoku hasn’t been ruled for Monday night’s game, but it’s doubtful he could turn things around to play. With the bye week ahead, the Browns wouldn’t want to rush him back at the risk of worsening the injury.
Njoku said the injury occurred when he was tackled “in a funny way” after a shovel pass gained three yards and a first down in the third quarter.
It was a play out of the Kansas City Chiefs’ playbook that All-Pro Travis Kelce has made famous.
Kelce ranks first in the NFL among tight ends with 47 receptions for 553 yards and 7 touchdowns. Njoku is fifth with 34 receptions and third with 418 yards.
“I aspire to be like Kelce,” Njoku said. “He’s a close friend of mine. He’s a great tight end.”
The Browns also could be without No. 3 tight end Pharaoh Brown for the Bengals game. He is still out with a concussion.
Harrison Bryant would be the only healthy tight end available from the 53 roster. The Browns also have two tight ends available on their practice squad, Miller Forristall and Zaire Mitchell-Baden. They could also use lineman Michael Dunn as a third tight end.
“Week to week, you really do have to pivot based on injuries sometimes and based on scheme sometimes,” Stefanski said. “We have been in a good amount of different personnel groupings, but … without David, he has been important to what we do in the run game and pass game. He is a great player, but if he doesn’t make it, next man up and find a way to run our offense.”
Brownie bits
Recently acquired linebacker Deion Jones logged 33 snaps (52 percent) in his first game action Sunday in Baltimore. He was credited with five tackles, including one for a loss. “That was fun. Good to be out there, flying around and tackling. It was good,” Jones said. “A couple MEs [mental errors], but it is only up from here. Just keep growing, keep climbing, keep learning the defense and keep gelling with these guys.” …
Brissett is 2-5 as the Browns replacement quarterback. He has four more games before Deshaun Watson is eligible to be reinstated from NFL suspension. His take on the team’s record: “This league is so up and down, and you just have to find your streak. It is a league of streaks. It is like a three-point shooter. Once you hit one, hopefully you see more go down, and that gives you the confidence to understand that they will start falling your way. We just have to hit our streak. It is really just finding a way to get one and not necessarily just games but good play, after good play, after good play, after good play. Hopefully, those will pile into a win.”
