Last season, the Cleveland Browns surprised many by finishing with a winning record for the first time since 2007. The franchise even ended their 18-year playoff drought. Not only that, but they also secured their first playoff win by defeating the Steelers in the Wild Card round.The Browns will look to build on last season’s success and continue to rise as a competitive team in a tough AFC North division.

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Cleveland Browns Schedule:

• Week 1: Sun 09/12 at Kansas City Chiefs
• Week 2: Sunday 09/19 vs Houston Texans
• Week 3: Sun 09/26 vs Chicago Bears
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 at Minnesota Vikings
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 vs Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 6: Sun 10/17 vs Arizona Cardinals
• Week 7: Thu 10/21 vs Denver Broncos
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 vs Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 9: Sun 11/07 at Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 at New England Patriots
• Week 11: Sun 11/21 vs Detroit Lions
• Week 12: Sun 11/28 at Baltimore Ravens
• Week 13: BYE
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 vs Baltimore Ravens
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 vs Las Vegas Raiders
• Week 16: Sat 12/25 at Green Bay Packers
• Week 17: Mon 01/03 at Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 vs Cincinnati Bengals

AFC North: The Browns will be fighting in a three-way battle with two other contending teams within the division. The Steelers and Ravens will give the Browns some trouble if they want to win this season’s division title. The Browns will struggle against the revamped Ravens offense led by Lamar Jackson. In regards to the Steelers, Cleveland split last year’s regular-season series, but Cleveland won when it mattered in the postseason. Pittsburgh continues to be led by an aging quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, and the Browns defense seemed to finally have his number in the 2020 NFL Playoffs. With Odell Beckham Jr. returning from a season-ending injury, the Browns’ offense could be as explosive as ever this season with Baker Mayfield at the helm, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the backfield, and Beckham, Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins catching passes. Between the team’s strong defense and their revamped offense, the Browns are not to be taken lightly in 2021.

Matchups: Cleveland will open its season with a tough game against Patrick Mahomes and the reigning AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Another tough game for Cleveland will be against the Packers, but that game will depend on whether Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers gets his trade from the team or not. The Ravens will be difficult considering they easily beat the Browns both times last season. Cleveland also has some favorable matchups such as their games against the Lions, Bengals, Broncos and Patriots.

Overall: The Browns will not have much trouble except for their inter-division rivals in the Ravens and Steelers. Their Chiefs and Packers game may be out of reach for the Browns, but the rest of their schedule will be much easier.

Prediction: The Browns will finish 12-5, second in their division. They will qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

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Kareem Hunt continues to find himself flashing across the news for less than admirable reasons. Although the running back’s most recent fiasco brings about less concern than his prior domestic abuse headline did, Hunt once again seems unable to stay away from actions warranting potential league discipline.

After a night out at a Cleveland Bar known as the Barley House, a TMZ video surfaced showing police questioning Hunt after an argument ensued between Hunt and a so called “friend.” Although the police took no action other than momentarily interrogating Hunt, the bar’s owner, Bobby George, later confirmed an altercation indeed took place, however the level to which situation reached remains somewhat undetermined.

Hunt still awaits his chance to begin serving the eight game suspension handed down to him after a video surfaced showing him kicking and pushing a woman outside his Cleveland home last February. That video not only brought about an investigation now forcing Hunt to miss half the upcoming season, but also lead to his release from the Chiefs last year, as Hunt reportedly lied to his team about the situation on multiple occasions, leaving them with no trust and no choice but to part ways with the young star. Hunt was also involved in an altercation with two men last summer in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, which also drew league attention.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

After his release form Kansas City, the Browns extended Hunt an extremely rare second chance, as other players involved in similar situations such as the infamous Ray Rice or Josh Brown found themselves placed on an unofficial NFL “blacklist” and never played again. The Browns reportedly remain knowledgable about the situation’s details and spoke with Hunt about it at a later time. Signed to just a 1–year deal with no money guaranteed, discouraging instances though such as this reported bar altercation involving Hunt now thins out the already delicate ice he currently skates on.

The Cleveland Browns look like serious Super Bowl contenders for this upcoming season. With QB Baker Mayfield earning the starting job halfway through his rookie season, he’s proven himself as the doable leader to conduct this Browns team forward. Former head coach Hue Jackson was fired back in October and the team hired within the staff to appoint defensive coordinator Gregg Williams as head coach to finish out the season. After losing in the playoffs, the Browns hired Freddie Kitchens as the new head coach. General Manager John Dorsey has put his chips all in for this upcoming season, with the signings of former Kansas City Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt, and trading for All-Pro superstar WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Hunt has an eight game suspension to serve at the beginning of the regular season after an abuse altercation with his girlfriend. The Chiefs released the RB after a video from the hotel that proved as evidence back in November. The Browns pounced on the free agent in February, but has a suspension to serve after violating the league’s conduct policy. With Hunt missing half of the season, Duke Johnson and Nick Chubb will have to pick up the tough workload that comes with being a running back in the NFL. But during the first day of minicamp, Johnson revealed he has requested for a trade.

Johnson unveiled that Dorsey placed him on the trading block earlier this offseason, shopping for options to improve the team in other categories.

“I want to be somewhere I am wanted. I think at the end of the day that is all this is about is about being somewhere you are wanted,” Johnson said, according to Cleveland.com. “Nothing has changed. The only difference between last week and this week is this is mandatory, and I am here.”

Johnson was a third-round pick back in 2015 and has rushed for over 1200 yards in his four seasons with the Browns. Chubb had an outstanding rookie year last season and took over the starting role, setting the franchise record for most yards by a rookie.

Reporters asked Mayfield what the locker room situation is like with Johnson revealing he wants to be traded. “It’s not awkward, it’s self-inflicted,” Mayfield said, according to ESPN. “It’s not awkward for anyone else in this building. He’s got to do his job. He said he’s a professional. I hope he does his job.”

It appears that 2,151 yards paired with 15 touchdowns over a two-year span fill out the difficult yet necessary job requirements for the next Kansas City Chiefs ball carrier, as Kareem Hunt now finds himself wearing brown rather than red after his domestic abuse charges ended his Kansas City tenure.

The Chiefs made clear this week that once un–drafted fifth year player Damien Williams will get the first crack at matching the former league–leader’s rushing production. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy made clear the team’s direction moving forward as he stated, “Damien Williams is our starter. We expect him to excel in the role.”

While Williams only found the end zone twice last year and eclipsed just 256 yards, his promising 5.1 yards per carry and 129-yard AFC Championship performance warrants optimism for the former Miami Dolphin come game time. Former Browns, Jaguars and 49ers running back Carlos Hyde will most likely serve as Williams’ understudy, standing in as the always appreciated veteran presence still with play–making abilities yet a strong locker room presence to mentor younger players such as Williams. Williams currently remains tied to a two-year, $1.8 million dollar extension. However, if his production rises anywhere near Hunt’s prior to his release, the young back could solidify his position within Kansas City, while also adding some extra zeroes to the ends of his checks.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Kansas City will kick off its season out west against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, September 9, while later facing Hunt during his scheduled first game back from suspension in Cleveland on Sunday, November 4.

In November of 2018, Kareem Hunt was the star running back of the Kansas City Chiefs league-leading offense. Then, a video of him beating a defenseless woman surfaced. Hours later he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list and then released by the Chiefs.

Hunt signed with the Cleveland Browns on February 11, 2019. Though he was still indefinitely suspended, the Browns were willing to sign the 23-year-old. They expected that he’d be suspended for the first eight to 10 games of the season but that he could still be a productive teammate.

They were right that the NFL wouldn’t do much to quell violence against women by its players. Hunt, who lied to his team about the altercation that was on video, has been suspended for only eight games. He will not appeal the punishment.

In a statement released by the Browns, Hunt said: “I want to again apologize for my actions last year. I know that my behavior hurt a lot of people, and I again apologize to them. I respect the league’s decision on discipline, and I appreciate the time I spent with Commissioner Goodell last week. I’m grateful for my time with the Browns over the last month and thankful to all the people in the organization that have welcomed me. I also appreciate all of the support I received from my union through this process. My commitment to earning the trust of the league, my teammates, the organization and this community through my actions will continue, and I understand there is a lot of hard work ahead of me before I’m able to fully return to playing the game I love.”

Hunt will forfeit $303,529 of his $645,000 base salary with his 8-game suspension. However, he’ll have a chance to make an additional $200,000 with per-game roster bonuses. After this season, he’ll hit the free agent market with little wear and tear as a restricted free agent.

The Cleveland Browns signed Kareem Hunt on Monday.

Hunt Joins Browns after controversy

In December, Hunt was immediately released by the Kansas City Chiefs after a video surfaced of the running back kicking and shoving a woman in a hotel last February. Hunt was not arrested or charged for the incident. However, he was placed on the Commissioners Exempt List by the NFL shortly after there was major public backlash to the video. He’s still not eligible to play and the NFL must complete its investigation into the incident before a decision about discipline can be made.

Current Browns general manager John Dorsey drafted Hunt, an Ohio native, in 2017 when he was with the Kansas City Chiefs’ front office.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“My relationship and interaction with Kareem since 2016 in college was an important part of this decision making process but we then did extensive due diligence with many individuals, including clinical professionals, to have a better understanding of the person he is today and whether it was prudent to sign him,” Dorsey said in a statement.

“There were two important factors: one is that Kareem took full responsibility for his egregious actions and showed true remorse and secondly, just as importantly, he is undergoing and is committed to necessary professional treatment and a plan that has been clearly laid out.”

Hunt apologized to his victim, the Chiefs organization and his family following his release in December. He again apologized in the Browns’ statement on Monday.

“First off, I would like to once again apologize for my actions last year. What I did was wrong and inexcusable. That is not the man I was raised to be, and I’ve learned a great deal from that experience and certainly should have been more truthful about it after the fact. I’m extremely grateful that John Dorsey, Dee and Jimmy Haslam and the Cleveland Browns organization are granting me the opportunity to earn their trust and represent their organization in the best way possible on and off the field,” he said.

“I am committed to following the necessary steps to learn and to be a better and healthier person from this situation. I also understand the expectations that the Browns have clearly laid out and that I have to earn my way back to the NFL. I’m a work in progress as a person, but I’m committed to taking advantage of the support systems that I have in place to become the best and healthier version of myself.”

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport explained Monday that the Browns signed Hunt despite his multiple incidents of misconduct — the last of which placed him on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell‘s Exempt List — because they intended to do so before the league finished its investigation into his latest incident. Rapoport explained that Hunt’s group of agents and other representatives were “on the clock” to find him a new team to play for. Rapoport said the Chicago Bears were among the many teams who expressed interest in the running back. Goodell announced ahead of the Super Bowl this month that the probe into Hunt was nearly completed.

This may be the most confusing move of the offseason. On the field, Hunt is a talented back but he’s mostly benefitted from the amount of attention the ridiculous talents around him drew. Josh Gordon was an All-Pro wide receiver on a desolate Browns team. Yet Cleveland sold him off for pennies on the dollar along with a seventh-round pick in September to the New England Patriots in exchange for a fifth-rounder. The Browns gave up on a talented player because of some suspension issues. Meanwhile, they’re willing to give up valuable cap space to a player indefinitely suspended who hasn’t played in a year or without Andy Reid as his coach.

On a more serious note, the move is complete hypocrisy. If the Browns’ logic was that everyone deserves more than one chance, how could they move on from Gordon but bring in Hunt? Gordon was suspended for alcohol and marijuana abuse due to mental health issues. He hurt no one other than himself. Hunt, on the other hand, beat a defenseless woman even as others held him back. One of these issues is much more serious than the other. Hunt promised to be a “healthier version” of himself after going through alcohol and anger management counseling and becoming a “better and healthier person.” I can only hope he is. Regardless of Hunt’s rehab as an individual, this move does not reflect positively on the Browns or their standards for players. Free agent Colin Kaepernick‘s fans must be screaming angrily into the void yet again at the latest news involving Hunt, and it’s hard to blame them.

Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is speaking out against domestic violence. He also added that the move was not in an attempt to restart a long-dead NFL career.

Ray Rice Comments On Kareem Hunt Case

In an interview with CBS This Morning on Tuesday, Rice said, “I’ll be the first one to say it: I don’t have to retire to tell you I’m done with football. The pressure I was under of being a star, that was the person I hated the most.”

His wife, Janay, was also present. Following an assault in which Rice punched, kicked, and then dragged her unconscious body out of an elevator, he was suspended  in 2014 and then released, ending his NFL career. The two are still together and have had two children since then. “During my darkest moments,” Rice said, “I used to ask myself, ‘How could (Janay) even be — want to support me? …That’s understandable. But I think what’s misunderstood about us is that the friends we were before the incident. That’s why, when I look at Kareem Hunt, I want to know what his life was like. I want to know what happened in life. I know Kareem has apologized.”

To this day, Janay has not seen the video of the event. She also adds that it was the only time Ray ever abused her. “I was there. I lived it,” she said. “I don’t really need to relive it over and over again just to appease the world.” She added, “And I’m not here to force people to understand,” she said. “This is somebody I’ve known since I was 15 years old. I knew that we had work to do, and I was willing to move forward and put in the work.”

Rice says that football for him was an unhealthy coping mechanism. “One of the underlying issues for me was I never wanted to ask for help,” the running back said. “Football, for me, was my counseling. It was my therapy. It was my psychologist. It was everything.”

Rice talked about Kareem Hunt‘s release from the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 30 following a video of him beating a woman was leaked. “Well, obviously, you know, you look back and you see the similarities,” Rice said in the interview.

Twitter got all over this. One user wrote, “Y’all done blew the dust off Ray Rice so he can tell us about how that “One-Pop Judo Chop” ruined his life…smh”

Another said, “Ray Rice. That’s real growth.”

Another said, “Just woke up to the headline “in 2014 ray rice was seen knocking out his fiancé, now 4 years later the married couple reveal how they moved forward” LMFAO WHAT”

Kareem Hunt was released by the Kansas City Chiefs last month following the surfacing of a video of him hitting a woman, but he isn’t the only one in his family to have a history of violence and criminality.

Ex-Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt Comes From Criminal Family

According to USA Today, several of Hunt’s relatives have also been charged and convicted for crimes over the years. The Chiefs released 23-year-old Pro-Bowler Hunt on Nov. 30 after a TMZ video showed him pushing and kicking a 19-year-old woman in a hotel in February. The running back was placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list.

Hunt’s 47-year-old father, who is also named Kareem Hunt, has reportedly been arrested at least 35 times in Ohio for domestic violence, records show. The elder Hunt was also detained for multiple drug-related offenses and has spent a combined nine years in prison after drawing felony convictions.

In April, Rashan Hunt — an uncle of the younger Kareem Hunt — was sentenced to 23 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter. The NFL star’s cousin Lorenzo Hunt was sentenced in 2004 to seven years in prison for aggravated robbery and felony firearm possession.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Other members of the Hunt family who have served time behind bars include Kareem Hunt. Jr.’s older brother Clarence Riggins, who was sentenced in 2014 for criminal trespassing, Hunt’s mother — who was arrested that same year for cocaine possession and pleaded guilty to a DUI charge — and Hunt’s stepfather Deltrin Kimbro, who in 2004 received an eight-year prison sentence for drug trafficking and other crimes.

Two other relatives of Hunt are currently in prison: his uncle Kevin Riggins is serving a 10-year term for drug-related offenses and his cousin Gregory Hunt is serving a 12-year term for gun and drug-related charges.

After the Chiefs released him, Hunt apologized for his assault in an interview on ESPN’s NFL Countdown. However, outrage followed after it was revealed the NFL didn’t thoroughly investigate the incident involving the former pass rusher because it never questioned him directly.

As a rookie in 2017, Hunt led the league in rushing yards.

The NFL failed to thoroughly investigate the February assault incident involving former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. The league had never questioned Hunt directly, despite having a copy of the police report which showed Hunt in a physical altercation with a woman and several others.

NFL Didn’t Question RB kareem Hunt After Incident

The NFL and the Chiefs were both reportedly aware of the incident but only reacted once the public was able to view the video. The NFL faced criticism similar to that of the 2014 incident involving Ravens running back Ray Rice, where the NFL only suspended him once video evidence was available, despite being aware of what had happened. The league claimed it requested several interviews from the woman involved and several other witnesses, but never Hunt himself. Reportedly, the league claims it did everything in its legal boundary to find out about the incident, and could not subpoena for the video.

The video, released by TMZ on Friday, shows Hunt and the woman arguing in a hotel hallway. They continue to draw closer, and are separated by several others. Hunt pushes the woman, who then hits him in the face, which prompts Hunt to collide with a man who then knocks the woman to the ground. Kansas City claims the recounting of the incident was misleading by Hunt, which led to his release.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said after the team’s first game without Hunt that he was aware of the video and condemned the actions of his former teammate. “I saw the stuff that happened,” Mahomes said after Sunday’s 40-33 win over the Raiders. “We don’t do those things.” Other teammates weren’t as bold and forthright as Mahomes but were aware of the severity.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“Kareem being a friend of mine, I think the impact is just that — Kareem as a person,” said Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley. “I didn’t think about football or how it would have an impact on this locker room or on our season at all. Because obviously, this is secondary. And life, life is first. You know, he has some things that he needs to learn. Some time that he needs to take. Reflection. I think he’s going to do that. Hopefully he has those people around him in that circle who are going to help him through that.”

The Chiefs have replaced Hunt with backup Spencer Ware. Their next game is against the Ravens on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.