Free agent Kareem Hunt remains a free agent primarily because no one has made him an offer he won’t refuse. However, before the Browns even considered doing that, they had to see what he could do.
It was widely reported as a visit by Hunt to the Browns on Tuesday, and the official personnel notice from the NFL shows that Hunt has already had a tryout with the Browns.
It is a distinction that should not be overlooked. A visit means the team doesn’t need to know what the player can currently do. The test entails subjecting him to the necessary steps to monitor his skills and abilities in a tangible way.
In contrast, the Colts visited Tuesday with running back Trey Sermon; It has not been subjected to actual training.
Hunt, who spent four seasons in Cleveland, is the only player the Browns brought in on Tuesday, the day after a Monday night loss to the Steelers that was exacerbated by a season-ending knee injury to running back Nick Chubb. He has not signed yet.
In theory, there could be more players training or visiting the team today. Leonard Fournette is available, as is James Robinson. The Browns could also try trading for Rams running back Cam Akers.
Comprehensive move It will involve a potential trade For Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. However, as we noted yesterday, giving significant trade assets and paying big money to Taylor would diminish the analytics-fueled approach to roster building to which the Browns have been fully committed.