DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns shopping running back Duke Johnson, sources say

Forgive me, but I'm not sure if you've been living under a rock the past few months or what. We have a ton of talent on this roster. Duke was at one time our best offensive weapon, now he's 5th or 6th down the line.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want Johnson to go anywhere either and I'll be sad and upset when he does, but it won't be the end of the world and trigger another rebuilding phase. We will be fine, I assure you.

If I had to choose between Duke and Higgins at the moment, I'm taking Higgins. My preference is for both to be here.

I'm pretty much in lock-step with you on your Duke assessment. Although I didn't consider the Higgins vs. Duke angle now that you bring it up, I agree with that also.

Well, Gosh, if Hue Jackson used him a lot, I guess that settles that.

All we have to do is find another team coached by an idiot and sell him for a second and a third.

It's a shame we have a new HC who has no clue how to use such a great and valuable weapon.

I don't wish to trade Duke. I like Duke. But with the people we drafted and signed I can certainly understand it's a possibility. And I have to look at the touches and how Freddie did, or did not use him as the case may be to form that opinion.

The way a player is used and his touches kind of set his value to a team. And when leaving my feelings totally out of it, I can see why they may wish to move Duke.

I certainly see your point. The only hitch there is that Freddie is going to have to really change up the way he used Duke last year in order to increase his trade value.

He only had three TD's then entire season. All were receiving TD's. Two of them came against Kansas City in week nine and one against Atlanta in week ten. Nothing afterwords.

Its a tough spot because we don't know who we're drafting and we will be without Hunt until week 9

I'd keep him if it were up to me

Well Duke had a total of 40 rushes last year. The most rushing attempts he had in any game after Freddie took over in a single game was 4 in two games, In one game he had 3, 2 in three games and 1 in another game and 0 in the other game.

I'm not opposed to keeping him but sometimes our memories don't quite line up with reality in how much a player actually did.

His value as a receiver will go up with Baker

Maybe

Wait until week 8...that is all

You know, I would have felt the same way at one point. But we had both Duke and Baker the last half of last season and that didn't seem to be the case. Now with OBJ added to the roster, I would think if anything his receiving targets would go down, not up.

There are vital pieces on a team, and useful pieces.

Baker, OBJ, Chubb, Myles, etc. .... these are vital pieces. Duke is a useful piece. There's nothing wrong with being a useful player ..... but let's not make him All Pro, or something. If the right deal comes along, you trade him. If not, you keep him. The worst thing a team can do is to romanticize a player.

I think we were talking when I pulled up Duke's snap counts with Haley and Kitchens. I think it was on average 5 less a game with Kitchens, but Duke wasn't invisible.

I don't necessarily think of Duke as a running back at all... not even a change of pace back, but I can see why the term is used. Duke can be a great offensive weapon. He always made me nervous because he is prone to fumble.

Duke is a younger, better version of Theo Riddick. Riddick isn't an every down back and no one is trying to make him such. I do think our offensive game planning limits Duke's usage. I don't think it's because he's a bad player, I just think we choose not to use him. I actually think he's a better player than most give credit for, but I don't think that he's a better running back that some are trying to make him out to be.

I remember the draft a couple years ago and wanting to draft Kamara, but I felt he and Duke were similar players so we probably weren't. Now I don't think Duke is as good as Kamara, but I feel Duke could fill that role in a pinch if necessary. We have several better weapons now, but Duke can still be quite useful here or somewhere.

But isn't that the entire point here?

A player is only as valuable as the role he plays on your team. At least to your team. It seems that we're choosing "not to use him" as you so aptly pointed out. So his value may be higher to a team whose scheme fits Duke's skill set better. It appears that's not here.

Yes, that is the point.

I want to keep Duke, but I'm not going to be butthurt if he goes. I don't think the Browns ever used him the way he should be used. Maybe I'm wrong and I don't think he's a hall of famer, but I think he can put up better numbers than he has here.

I certainly don't disagree that if you give a player more touches and more targets their numbers will be better. I mean only a fool would do that, right?

Duke is a true third down back. But with the way the league is changing, many of those 3rd down plays are common on any down. He has value. His stats are pretty good although limited.

A team like NE would make him a star, I even believe he could thrive in the Steelers offense. He still is valuable to us to. He is a great blocker, and is a definite threat out of the backfield. The addition of Hunt makes him expendable. Hunt has got the same skills Duke has coming out of the backfield, but on plays in between the tackles, Hunt is still a threat.

I hope they keep Duke, he is a good player and a good person. But I would love to see him go somewhere where he can be featured more. He's earned it. Just nowhere in the division.

That's the point, right?

Can’t easily oost links from my phone but per rotowold.com eagles cornerbacks jalen mills and rasul douglas could be trade candidates (in general not particularly to us).

Would either if these guys be worth trading duke for ? I don’t know either if these 2 but duke would seem to be a good with the eagles and we could use some db help.

IF I Recall. Duke was here when Pettine was HC too, and Dukes' role was more use all the years before 2018, which in 2018 they used him less.

He doesn't make bad plays, My point is he's a good player and the Browns should keep him.

We don't need him... And we've preserved other team's vision of upside by never really using him enough to show his weaknesses. That said, he's a commodity, and I'm not letting him go for anything less than a known quantity on defense or the equivalent of third round value.

I wouldn't hesitate to do that at any time. Complimenting Chubb is not something we'll have to dig deep into some bag of tricks to accomplish. If Chubb gets injured, we'll be shopping for a back anyway (if it's before week 9).

I think as fans, especially Browns fans, we get upset when a player moves on and has success elsewhere. I don't think we can worry about anyone who isn't on this team. Past players included.

I'd love to keep Duke, as I think he's a fantastic back. Personally, I think he could be an every down back. But.... If our offensive game plan can't get Duke involved, then let him go and make the trade.

"If you don't wear Brown and Orange, you don't matter."

j/c...

Something brewing??....

If we trade him and it isn't for draft choice[s], I hope it is for secondary help.

The secondary: the biggest issue that you think could derail us in 2019? it's the biggest weakness, IMO.

It'll be for Jalen Mills watch lol

Mills and a 5th round pick would be fine by me.

Rasul Douglas (who can also play safety... Mills is over-rated trash

Or better still...neither. Just sayin'

I'm not so sure about that. The fans/media have been hard on him, but his coaches are said to really like the guy. He has battled some injuries in both college and the pros, though.

I'm not dismissing your opinion yet none of the four HC's we've had since he was drafted see it the same way you do.

When we picked up Hunt, I wondered to myself if our imaginative offensive minds could figure out a way to get Chubb, Hunt, and Duke on the field together.....Who would the D key on as the ball carrier?

We used Duke very little even before Hunt. Doesn't seem to make sense that we would use him as much after Hunt arrived.

Agree. Mills is bad. I don't think he'd even make this roster. Rasul Douglas is the better player.

On another note with Mills, he did knockout a woman with a punch to face (though he denies it) during his time at LSU. It's one of the reasons he fell to the 7th in the draft.