DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Duke Johnson

Judging by some of the things I've heard from Rogers .. probably. Tom Brady .. Big Ben ... would most likely do the same... after all .. Duke is just a 3rd to 4th string running back trying to force his way out of town.

Entirely too much time and worry is being spent on this situation. In the words of W. C. Fields, "Get away kid. You bother me."

j/c:

--Duke is now the bad guy. And a 4th string RB. Hmmmm...

--Nah, this is not a distraction.

--I wonder what the reactions if OBJ or Landry ever question Baker in the media? LMAO

--I wonder how Baker will handle his first contract negotiation. Will he be on the train, or not?

--I wonder what the reaction would have been if OBJ had made similar comments about Duke?

--I wonder if people will stay it isn't about money if Duke gets cut?

I'm going to be as transparent as possible here. I do NOT care if some of you rip me like you have so many times in the past. I refuse to compromise my ethics due to bullying techniques. I could care less if you like me or not. I'm very secure in who I am and have plenty of people who love and support me for who I am. I don't need the devises, WSU's, Memphis', etc to approve of my messages.

I understand Baker's feelings, but he should not have said it to the media. Period!

I cannot believe how apparent it remains that a few people seem to not know what were the questions asked of Baker. He didn't "speak out" to the media...he answered a question as transparently as possible. I am replying to Vers and Pit directly there.

I guess when you are young, being transparent is a no-no.

I have already acknowledged that he was asked questions. I also provided generic answers to those questions.

JC

Baker can say whatever he wants. He's the QB and one of the leaders of the team. If you wanted cookie-cutter responses and PC answers, you came to the wrong place, everyone here knew that before he ever threw a pass.

Duke also has a right to say what he wants, he wants to be traded, he seems to be disengaged and wants to stay in that state - while seemingly blaming it on the team.

Our coach says if you don't bleed brown and orange - you don't matter. How would y'all categorize Duke right now? Exactly. So you have a coach outspoken about what it will take to be a Brown, on his team, and his QB echoing the sentiment. The same coach and GM just told a hot prospect to walk on to the next interview and make sure he's all in before he comes back.

"Self-inflicted" was about the best two words you can use to describe the situation. Baker said nothing that wasn't 100% true, he wasn't rude about it either. In the same statement he told Duke what he expects from him as a Brown. Did we, or did we not, just watch 15+ years of virtually NO leadership from the position?

Keep me posted, I'll be waiting patiently to hear of "discord" in the locker room over something Baker says. Until then, the fans, blow-hards, and local-media-cartoon-characters can say whatever they want. Won't affect anyone that wants to play hard for this team - that's all that matters.

And Duke, don't think you'll get too far telling this version of a Browns FO what you think they should do. They'll probably give you about two options at this point... show up to camp, do your job, take advantage of your chance to shine during your regular season audition ~OR~ get traded for the 5th rounder everyone promised when your stock was cold. If the latter is the scenario that plays out, they'll pull the trigger when they're good and ready. Your best chance to move on quickly is to "ball-out" when given your precious touches.

If what the coach says will look like it has any ring of truth to it, Duke should have been traded the first time he said he wanted to be traded. He obviously no longer wants to be here and he has been saying that since April 1st. This isn't some new revelation.

He knows he doesn't matter. He knew that when he found out the team had him up on the trading block. If someone were trying to trade you away, would you feel they really still wanted you there?

There's two sides to this story. It's strictly business between Duke and the FO. Claiming it's the business of other players is just silly.

Not how the league works, bud. Not now with the Browns, and hardly ever for someone with Duke's resume. Dorsey buys low and sells high. Had he fielded what he considered to be reasonable offers, Duke would be gone. He's not Kyrie Irving, for crying out loud. Not just going to scream and moan and get his way, he's just diggin' his own grave. Until Dorsey can sell higher than he could on April 1st, or he's done with Duke, he'll play the waiting game. The more Duke cries, the surer that scenario becomes.

You really love to skirt the issue here don't you? Let's try this again, shall we?

If a team had put you up for trade would you feel that team still wanted you? Would you rather be somewhere a team did not want you or somewhere a team did want you?

My point is that Duke's reaction is normal. It's not someone "crying". It's saying I want to be on a team that wants me there and values me.

That's the issue here. Both sides have their position and I can see them both. The teams FO doesn't want to give Duke away just as you said. Duke doesn't want to be a pawn in a chess match being held onto by a team that does not really want him. Both of those views seem reasonable to me.

That's a difference between a player and the FO. It has nothing to do with the other players. They have zero say in a players contract or whether a player is traded or not. It seems the rest of the players have managed to understand this.

I've never really heard of comments being made about someone who "don't matter".

On the flip side, it isn't personal, it's just business, and he is crying.

They DO want him, else they would have cut him already. However, there is the clear & undeniable reality that although they may want him, they may not be able to keep him - they have a crowded room and only so many spots. There are hard decisions to make about who you can keep, and part of that is that when you realize someone may not be able to stick around, you begin to look at what value they can bring you in return.

That is NOT "not wanting him", that is realizing that the boat is full, but you're going to try to find another boat for him, and maybe see if you can get a little something in return in the process.

How is saying he wants to be traded, "crying"? I plainly stated that I see both sides of this. But I'm not about to praise one side and condemn the other.

I would probably just assume that GMs regularly toss around ideas for trades and wouldn't be too worried about it.

I would look at it like a business. GMs try to build the team the best that they know how to and I would go out and do my best to help the team. This means knowing the playbook, practicing hard, playing hard, and being a good teammate. Do all those things and produce on the field, and you'll have a job in this league, on one team or another.

Players ask for trades often, but do not always announce it in the Press. Dorsey did not announce it. The person who announced it, is the person who created the tension.

come week 1 all this,wont really matter.but its alot better having this drama from what we've seen in the past.
you know Josh Gordons issues.
which scrub QB was going to be the starter
Cody Kessler or Brook Osweiler.
Or how Sashi was the right GM to get the Browns to the,playoffs

And that last one is a real laugher.

I think this topic is a non issue.

The Browns wanted to make a deal for Duke the price wasn't high enough and Duke remains.

Duke is ass hurt over it sense he signed a new contract when the Browns were 2-14 followed by 0-16 and still he wanted to be a Brown. I get it he feels he stayed willingly and now they want to trade him. The team signed a better player which is their job to do.

That is truly the end. If your looking for a bad guy here, he doesn't exist.

j/c:

I don't like some of the phrases being thrown around. Duke is butt hurt. Duke is a whiner. Duke is crying.

This is his career. Of course he is upset.

This is why I thought we should have traded him before or during the draft and that was before Baker inappropriately opened his big mouth and dissed Duke in the media.

Now you are skirting the issue.


Duke is the one who went public with demands to be traded....now he is upset because we can't.

Trust me, if Dorsey had gotten a decent offer for the guy, he would be gone.

Pit was one of the guys saying we should trade him this off-season.

I know. So did I. My comment to him was about him saying skirting the issue, then go and do it himself.

The problem we have with Duke is he isn't a TOP back. He is a role type back, and the reality is the value of backs has taken a big hit over the last 3-4-5 years. Unless you are really special, teams don't see a reason to pay big bucks for a player with maybe a 4-5 year average lifespan.

It is what it is.

People complain about Jarvis being overpaid. IMO Duke is overpaid. I guess at the time it seemed like a good idea, but as it turns out it wasn't very smart.

All three of us were proponents of trading him this offseason.

I do think you misinterpreted Pit's comment about the last one being a laugher [sic.] I believe he was talking about the last comment made about Sashi being a good GM or something like that.

Slot WRs and 3rd down backs are a dime a dozen. Certainly no slot WR is worth 15 mil a year if a RB is worth 4 mil a year.

I saw him making a reply to Fate....I didn't see any comment about Sashi.


None the less, I think we have been trying to trade Duke. We just can't find a buyer willing to pay what we feel is worth the insurance to keep the guy.


Dukes displeasure isn't helping.....but then I don't really expect him to cooperate....Duke needs to do what he thinks is right for Duke. I always did what I felt was right for my family and I.

No, he was replying to iluvmystripper.

I stand corrected.

It is his career, and he has every right to be upset.... that doesn't mean he isn't crying or making the bed he has to lay in.

Granted, for the player it far more personal, but he's taking an unpublicised behind-the-curtains business action personally and went public with it and did so with little to no tact. He got emotional over a business decision and took it to the media - that's crying. It's his party and he can cry if he wants to, but it's still tears on his pillow.


As for Baker - I see both sides of the argument here. My first reaction is that he should have said nothing, but the other side of the argument is that he was pointedly asked about it. On the one hand, Baker has every right to speak plainly and openly, but on the other hand nothing he said is wrong. He definitely did not take the high road, though.... then again, maybe he's a little ticked off at Duke for going public and causing unnecessary drama.

That's a fair take.

The only thing I want to expound on is Baker being asked about it by the media because that point has been brought up several times by various posters.

I think that is a given. Players don't slink around and see a reporter and say...."Psssttttt...... I have some great material for you to put in your paper and on your website." LOL

The media is always asking questions and the players/coaches respond. The most typical response goes along the lines of "That's between Duke and the front office. I'm just out here working as hard as I can to get ready for the season."

Now again, I would have no problem if Baker said those things to Duke's face. Man-to-man! And perhaps he did.

We all have our opinions on this and that is my take.

right now is there a team that Johnson can be traded to and get more snaps.
nobody in the North

maybe the Dolphins
Bills
Cardinals?

Is this response to me?

It's been my position that we should have traded Duke before all of this drama started. I said that from the beginning. My biggest reason for having that position was that I predicted that this situation could very well become a distraction for the team.

Duke’s getting paid what he signed his contract for; play it out and move on. If the team can get some value for him before the trade deadline, I’m sure they will but right now both are contractually connected, so Duke, accept your money and quit whining.

Dallas, Jags, Oakland, Bucs, Packers, Ravens, Broncos, Falcons, Colts, Texans, Rams and Vikings.

I agree w/all of that. I just don't want people to misinterpret what my message is. I have always been in favor of trading Duke because I felt he could be a distraction. Not because he is a trouble-maker or a "whiner," but because he's been too productive and/or good to be a 3rd stringer.

From the organziation's standpoint, it didn't make sense to trade Duke as he will serve as the #2 RB until Hunt's suspension is up. This is a "go for the playoffs" year, and Duke is talented. Its not like we need cap space. Its smart to keep him and use him in the early part of the season.

From Duke's perspective, he is being devalued in that the Browns have added two guys above him now in the past year. And RBs have shorter career spans and maybe fewer chances at a big payday than most positions in the modern game.

I agree both sides have valid points. It is a shame that it all had to get out to the media though. Oh well, so it goes.

"maybe the Dolphins
Bills
Cardinals?"

Probably not the Cardinals. David Johnson is coming back, and it should be Edmonds or Penny as the back-up.

Further: that's the one game I'm going to this year. I'd prefer not to see Duke (by some horrible twist of fate) gash us in December. Not likely, but you never know.

I've stayed out of this discussion mostly because I don't feel strongly about it. My observation is that with Duke having said he wants to be traded, his trade value has dropped. The league knows he wants out and that the Browns pretty much have to trade him or release him.

Other than that, this is a non-issue for me.

There is no gray area here. It was a lack of leadership or poor leadership, whichever descriptor someone wants to use. Everything about it - his answer, his tone, his body language - was dismissive of Duke and his position. Then he dug in when he had a chance to soften it by going on about Duke doing his job. What a swell teammate.

I cannot stress this enough...there is no gray area here. It's not even a debate. It was poor leadership. Any statement to the contrary is tainted with fandom.

Duke is the one who made his request public. He is the one who did not keep it between him and the Front Office and further showed his displeasure with the team by not showing up for the voluntary workouts. If he wanted any "reconciliation", he would have shown up for workouts and everything would have been a non-issue. Did he do this ?? No. The 3rd/4th string Running Back did not attempt to show that he was willing to be a team player. So .. when the media asked Baker what he thought about of any awkwardness .. He responded with .. any awkwardness is all on Duke Johnson .. he brought this on himself. I agree with Baker. Johnson is under contract. Obligated to show up. Should have kept the trade request between him and management .. so any awkwardness is about him .. the rest of the team is not awkward at all.

I agree with this... This is not a big deal. It's only becoming a big deal because what Baker said is being misinterpreted.