Dee Haslam: Kareem Hunt “has work to do” to be part of our organization

[KC Wolf]

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The status of running back Kareem Hunt on the Browns’ roster may be more tenuous than believed.

Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam met with reporters on Sunday, and it became clear that Hunt isn’t automatically going to stay on the roster when his eight-game suspension ends.

“We know that Kareem has work to do, and he is in counseling working really hard,” Dee Haslam said regarding Hunt, who recently was questioned by police after an incident outside of a bar in Cleveland. “It is up to him. It truly is up to him. We have high expectations for our players.”

Asked whether she had any qualms about adding Hunt to the roster, given the videotaped assault of a woman that triggered his suspension, Dee Haslam was blunt: “I think you have to take the situation very, very, very seriously. We spent a lot of time and [G.M.] John [Dorsey] spent a lot of time with Kareem and felt like he has potential as a person, which is obviously as important as a player. He needs to continue to work really hard to be part of our organization.”

That last sentence strongly implies that his place on the team is far from secure.

“Kareem understands what he has to do to continue to be a part of the Cleveland Browns,” Jimmy Haslam added.

Jimmy Haslam also noted that the team is still talking to the league about the possibility that Hunt will be permitted to remain with the team during his suspension. For now, a final decision has not been made.

It sounds like a final decision on whether Hunt will even been a member of the Browns during the second half of the season hasn’t been made, either.