Should Oakland Raiders claim Kareem Hunt off of waivers?

NFL teams have until Monday afternoon to put in a waiver claim for Kareem Hunt. Should the Oakland Raiders throw their hat into the ring for the star running back?

You knew someone was going to ask this question, right? Should the Oakland Raiders put in a waiver claim for Kareem Hunt? It’s worth considering, which is exactly what we’re about to do.

So here’s the story: the Kansas City Chiefs released Hunt on Friday after TMZ released a video of the rising-star running back assaulting a woman. It seems like a complicated matter, but the gist of it is that this came to light back in February, Hunt spoke with the NFL and the Chiefs about it, and convinced them to drop the investigation. Apparently, they shouldn’t have.

Here’s the statement from the Chiefs:

"Earlier this year, we were made aware of an incident involving running back Kareem Hunt. At that time, the National Football League and law enforcement initiated investigations into the issue. As part of our internal discussions with Kareem, several members of our management team spoke directly to him. Kareem was not truthful in those discussions. The video released today confirms that fact. We are releasing Kareem immediately."

Now, having been released, every other team in the league has an opportunity to put in a waiver claim for Hunt. The deadline to do so is Monday at 4 PM ET. By that time, we will learn which NFL team is willing to take on a PR nightmare in order to land the services of the young, dynamic running back.

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Should the Raiders be one of the interested parties? Let’s dive into that question, because Silver and Black fans are discussing the possibility. Just search “kareem hunt raiders” on Twitter if you don’t trust me.

On the surface, it makes perfect sense. Marshawn Lynch is no spring chicken, and his contract is set to expire at the end of this season. Behind him, the Raiders have complementary pieces but no capable, long-term starter. Adding Hunt could solve that problem.

Meanwhile, do the Raiders really need that sort of headache? The franchise, and Jon Gruden more specifically, have fallen under heavy scrutiny this season after a number of questionable decisions dropped it to the bottom of the standings. The trading of Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper didn’t help. Put simply, the last few months have been a disaster for the Raiders.

Bringing in Hunt would invite even more public chagrin to Gruden’s doorstep. As tempting as it would be to add a young, cheap running back with game-breaking potential, it’s too risky for a team already drowning in criticism.

Yes, the Raiders have a history of handing out second chances to troubled players (example: Aldon Smith). While that may be the case, you have to know when to stray from the status quo. While the possibility of acquiring Hunt’s talent is certainly intriguing, Oakland shouldn’t be willing to endure even more public flak than what they’ve already battled through.

It’s easy to resist everything except temptation. The Raiders need to be stronger than they have been in the past, and simply let someone else make the mistake.