Unveiling the Hunt: Browns Delving into Trade for Fuming Rams’ Running Back Sparks Rumor Mill!
The Cleveland Browns are investigating a trade for Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers as they look to fill the void left behind by Nick Chubb’s season-ending knee injury.
Investigating a Trade for Cam Akers
Chubb went down in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football and was carted off the field. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Chubb is set to have surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
“You don’t replace Nick Chubb,” Stefanski said. “You just don’t do that. Great players in the league, you look around, they go out. It’s always not one person that replaces a player of [Chubb’s] caliber. So, everybody’s got to do a little bit more, a little bit more everywhere.”
Stefanski also noted that the Browns are in the market for a running back and are investigating their options. The Rams have been shopping Akers and he was a healthy scratch last week against the San Francisco 49ers. He rushed 22 times for 29 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ opener against the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams have turned the top running back duties over to 2022 fifth-round pick Kyren Williams.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirmed that the Browns have been one of the teams who have inquired about Akers. NFL insider Jordan Schultz added that the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have also looked into trading for Akers.
“In terms of Akers, the Browns are one of a handful of teams that have inquired, and they might have an edge over some of their competitors because Akers is represented by Deshaun Watson’s agent David Mulugheta,” Cabot reported on Tuesday, September 19.
Akers, 24, had his best season as a pro last year. In 15 games with nine starts he rushed for 786 yards and nine touchdowns. He posted a per-carry average of 4.2.
Browns Also Looking Into Reunion With Kareem Hunt
If the Browns were to trade for Akers, they’d have to give up something in return. If the team opts to look to free agency instead, Kareem Hunt is someone the Browns are interested in bringing back. Hunt briefly spoke on his Browns tenure this offseason, confirming they went their separate ways on good terms.
“The Browns are always going to be a team I have mad love for, but I’m not really talking about that stuff,” Hunt told Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald. “I’m in God’s hands and just looking forward to the next opportunity. It’ll be coming up soon, I’m pretty sure.”
Hunt spent the previous four seasons with the Browns but saw limited free agent interest. In all, he rushed for 1,874 yards and added 973 yards receiving during his time with Cleveland.
“In Cleveland, he knows the scheme inside and out, and can catch the ball out of the backfield, which is a huge plus in this offense,” Cabot reported.
Browns Say Jerome Ford is Lead Back With Nick Chubb Out
Part of the reason the Browns decided not to bring back Hunt was that they wanted to turn over the backup duties to second-year running back Jerome Ford.
With Chubb now out of the picture, Hunt could be a complement to Ford, who rushed for over 100 yards against the Steelers after Chubb went out.
When asked if Ford is now the feature back in Cleveland, Stefanski replied with a simple, “Yes.”
The sample size for Ford is not a large one. He had just eight carries for 12 yards as a rookie. So far this season, Ford has run the ball 31 times for 142 yards.
J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He covered local and statewide sports as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SB Nation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote
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The Cleveland Browns Investigating a Trade for Cam Akers
The Cleveland Browns are exploring the possibility of acquiring Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers in response to Nick Chubb’s season-ending knee injury. Chubb suffered the injury during the second quarter of their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has confirmed that Chubb will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
The Browns recognize that it will be challenging to replace a player of Chubb’s caliber. However, they are actively seeking alternatives to mitigate the impact of his absence. The Rams have made Akers available for trade, and the Browns are one of the teams interested in acquiring him. Akers was a healthy scratch in the Rams’ recent game against the San Francisco 49ers, indicating that he is not part of their immediate plans. He had a lackluster performance in the Rams’ season opener, rushing for only 29 yards on 22 attempts and a touchdown. The Rams have since given the starting running back role to Kyren Williams, a fifth-round draft pick in 2022.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has confirmed that the Browns have reached out to the Rams to inquire about the availability of Akers. Other teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have also expressed interest in trading for Akers, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. One potential advantage for the Browns is that Akers is represented by Deshaun Watson’s agent David Mulugheta, who has a positive relationship with the team.
Akers had his best season as a professional in 2022, rushing for 786 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry and demonstrated his ability to contribute as a starting running back.
Browns Interested in Reuniting with Kareem Hunt
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