DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns Sign WR Diontae Johnson

As far as I'm concerned he is just another camp body at this point. I don't see him as anything more than that.

we have the most random roster lol

Conceived on the fly, but with a smidge of forethought.

So, let me ask 2 questions:

1) is Jerry Jeudy the #1 receiver on the team?

2) If he is, and I am going to debate anyone who disagrees, will you take issue with a second receiver that gets us 800+ yards and 5 TDs?

OK, I guess 3 questions... What are the expectations of receiver #2 and even receiver #3?

That is what you are getting in Johnson... 800 yards and 5 TDs as a starting receiver.

Waiting to hear the numbers, but this could be a good signing if he managed to be humbled and has his head on straight.

The other thing is Elijah Moore got an unrestricted tender, so if he doesn't sign with another team before the deadline July 21, he can only sign with the Browns and it's only $3.428M in 2025 salary. If he does sign elsewhere, the Browns will have him used in the compensatory calculation for next year. My guess is he will not sign elsewhere, so it is a fairly inexpensive 3rd receiver for the roster if he doesn't.. If he does sign, it should help us get a comp pick.

He had a good 3 year stretch in Pittsburgh (21/22/23 (with Pickett) - before the wheels fell off. If he can get back to that, good signing.

Seems more like a skosh to me; but if you say smidge, it's a smidge.

The date has changed to May 1st, so we will know by Friday.

As I said elsewhere, it's a decent signing. It has some potential upside, maybe big. It also carries some potential downside. Being this might be his last chance, we stand a good chance to see the good Diontae.

If not, it won't be hard to wash our hands.

That’s just it, I wouldn’t call it the wheels falling off. He was leading the Panthers in receiving the first third of the season when they traded him out of nowhere, went to the Ravens and couldn’t get on the field and that’s when he got fired up and demanded they cut him, which they obliged. He then got picked up by Houston and same situation as Baltimore. I can’t quite figure out what happened those final several weeks of the season, but if he’s past that, then he shows a propensity for 800+ yards and 5 TDs.

My bad, I thought the May 1st date was for waiting to sign Johnson. If they waited until May 1, HE wouldn’t count in compensatory equation for Baltimore.

The signing does not hurt - it might help a lot. I have not followed him closely but kjnow he had some good years early in his career.

Again, that was just two years ago. He ended up playing on 3 teams last year, then the Ravens picked him up again to try to include him in the compensatory calculations. He is only one year removed from having 5 years in a row of at least 680 yards and all but one of those seasons he had 5+ TDs.

Last season he through the first 7 games, before being traded, he had 357 yards and (3) TDs. (project that out over 17 games, he is in his normal range of 867 yards and 7 TDs).

After the trade he had 18 yards and 0 TDs.

What happened to the second half of the season, that's what the big question is. If that is resolved, then expectations should be back to 800 yards and 5-7 TDs. He's only 28 yrs old. I think Flacco can find ways to use him with a full off season in the offense. His rookie year he came in and produced 680 yards and 5 TDs. That is a lowest yardage production year of his career before the second half of the season hit last year.

All indications are that he should be a productive #2 receiver.

Diontae needs a timing QB. He's a good route runner. He was good with Big Ben because of that. Lamar/Bryce were not a good fit for him.

So, it bodes well for him with Flacco and this offense.

Didn't I just read where Elijah Moore just signed with Buffalo?

Yes, he signed yesterday for $5M 1 yr deal.. Which means he will be included in the compensatory calculations for the Browns, but will not help the offense. I would rather have him in uniform than a comp pick.

Maybe the best thing about being a “final destination” team, the last-chance stop for some players before being shown the league door is that if they have any sense at all they’ll straighten up and fly right. So we sometimes land talent value in exchange for career reclamation. Hope this is one of those cases because this team is both hopelessly drawn to and yet desperately needs to avoid more drama.

I certainly agree with your assessment as well as your sentiment, We seem to be addicted to media madness and controversies of all kinds this tent. We would love to showcase a circus of performers and talents, wowing the Land. But we are addicted to the spectacle of sideshow freak shows instead. The big names and the minor contributors are all amplified by the media, speculation, untruths, and our addiction to rumors and real drama.

I believe that if there was an intervention and treatment program for the FO and friends and fans of the Bowns, it would have to be about a 25-step program. That number is because of our intensity and deep-seated love of the Browns. I have been chugging this Kool-aid for years and revel in my addiction despite all the episodes over the decades as we tried to "right the ship" while we "waited for next year"(again and again).

That said, I can't wait to get this season kicked off. Hope our hopes pan out.

That's what we keep thinking but it seldom works that way. That's because we're never truly the "last straw"; not for coaches, not for players. They can always move on the next year and both parties at the next table just shrug off Cleveland while they all have a nice laugh. We're usually just a check-writing pit stop.

Or we get a greedy washed up player looking for a last paycheck....like Dwayne Bowe or that other receiver that came after him.

Kenny Britt.

May your weekend be filled with headaches and diarrhea for even bringing that nightmare back up.

I’d forgotten both of them.

Well you can thank jfan for reigniting that horror

Lol

Or Andre Bad Moon Rison

Or we get a guy that runs someone over and kills them. Hi, Dante Stallworth.

Or we get a guy that posts a bunch of pics of drugs on his coffee table and then loses his mind at the Miami airport and assaults some cops. We miss you, Davone Bess.

Oh the memories!

...or a guy that forgot he had a loaded gun in his carry on luggage. Shaun Rogers.

I loved the Dwayne Bowe singing if only because every time they over threw him you got to hear “that one want over Dewayne Bowe” 😂

Low risk....

I have to say that I like the signing. He is still a dangerous receiver. When he was on the field with Pukesburgh, I watched him all the time. He always scared the crap out of me due to his speed and elusiveness. I did watch him some last year and he appeared to still have the physical skills. Yes, he has questionable hands, BUT he is the most accomplished receiver on the roster IMO. His problems seem to be above the neck and i think he fully realizes this will probably be his last shot. Maybe he had had some counselling or possibly a medication to get his head together. I hope we get lucky for his benefit and ours. You never know, when young men approach 30 and there back is against the wall for their livelihood, sometimes the stars align and they come out better on the other side. We are really DUE for some luck. Go Browns!!

The Browns signed Dionte Johnson out of desperation and he's at a yard sale price
This is par for the Browns course . They sign FA WRs with very little left in the tank . The only WR I know that played with 3 different franchises in one season yet 3 years removed from
A flookie 1000 yd season . Everytime the Browns sign a FA WR this board
Gets all excited and acts like their problems are solved in the WR room .
This franchise was better off trying to sign a Hunter Renfro , Davinte Adam's
But no they sign a WRs teams easily bypassed
He is a zero threat with the ball in his hands

A few things:

The Browns do have some cap constraints. Some of the guys you mentioned would be fairly expensive and hard to sign without doing backflips to get it done.

We did sign a TE who functions much like a wide receiver. He is probably going to take away 50 or so targets from traditional wide receivers.

Stefanski does favor two TE sets. Being such, that will take away from one position...1 less WR will be playing a good number of snaps per game.

I think the decision was made early on that we will lean on the running game. Us drafting 2 running backs is a pretty good validation of that happening.

Given all of that, I don't see where the Browns had any real need to go after another receiver. The returns would have been diminished due to the reduction in pass attempts to wide outs.

Can't argue with your assessment. All signs point to a big change in offensive philosophy. But that's been a problem in Cleveland under Stefanski. Every year he keeps changing the offense. The only identity is
That there is none. Look at your best offenses in the NFL.
The Bengals ,Lions , Eagles , Ravens ....those offenses have elite talent
And steadfast philosophy.
Didn't the front office restructure Watsons contract to create more
Cap room . Yet the best WR they could add was Dionte Johnson ??
Funny how much $$$ the Browns invested on the defensive side of the ball
And are going cheap on the offensive side .
Yet it's a offensive driven league

You do realize to start the season they use a lot of bodies. That they sign everything from UDFA's to cheap retreads in the beginning. That when there are no guarantees to the contracts they can be cut at any time with no actual cost. Often times this is referred to as "camp fodder".

If anything signing someone like Johnson who actually has shown he can produce in the NFL in the past is a far cry better than some of the bodies all teams will be using to fill the second and third teams in training camp. I honestly have no idea what the all of the attention is about.

I'll help you Pit...the Steelers acquired D.K. Metcalf...we acquired Dionte Johnson...the Bengals re-signed T Higgins (when no one thought they'd spend the necessary $$$ to keep Burrow stocked with top-WR talent...the Ravens acquired DeAndre Hopkins (for 2.5x what we spent on Johnson)...we didn't draft a single WR.

I honestly have no idea how that isn't quite obvious.

Here is what should be quite obvious. They blew it with the trade for watson. Haslam outright admitted that. As such we didn't have a first round pick for three years. We didn't a have a second round pick for one of those years.

So now somehow in your infinite wisdom you think every position and need can be filled in one draft? This is the type of unrealistic expectations we see from those who can't seem to see the forest for the trees.

I honestly have no idea how that isn't quite obvious.

That's some sound drafting right there . The Browns draft 2 QBs and 2 RBs.
Yet don't draft 1 WR in the draft . One of the worst offenses
In the league last year in points and explosive plays .
The offense needed a WR more than it needed another RB.
This front office could have retained Nick Chubb.
The Browns have only drafted WRs twice in the 1st RD since 2005.
That's 20 years.
That has to be the lowest figure in the NFL.
The Browns had every opportunity to upgrade the WR room this year
What's their solution.....Dionte Johnson. Okay gotcha . We'll done Andrew
How you still have a GM job is baffling

And your post is a prime example why you don't have a job in an NFL FO. A lot of positions needed to be addressed. They can't all be addressed in a single season. Next year has a much better QB class than this year. So would it be better to address the RB position this year and find a permanent back-up QB this year in the hopes they luck out and get a franchise QB? Try to win all the games we can and create an explosive offense in a single off season?

Or would it e better to build on things like LB'er and DT this year in hopes we actually have a pick high enough to land a franchise QB in next years draft in next years darft?

Yeah, they should have set themselves up to win 10 games this coming season so they have no shot at a franchise QB next season. Yeah, that's the ticket.

They needed to rebuild a lot of units. Playing the long game is critical in doing that the right way. People who only thing about short term gratification is why the divorce rate is so high.

How does one draft a receiver when unsure who the quarterback is?

And when was your last job in a NFL front office
Sashi Brown Junior ?
Yeah the Andrew Berry is so smart.
That's why he has a .390 winning % as GM
And no division titles . OK. Read ya loud and clear.
Hey let's bring in 4 QBs to figure the backup QB
Position for next year . Wow that's genius .
Gotta love how you stand behind a team
That isn't trying to win.
You might want to text Andrew and remind him
This is league driven by QBs and high scoring offenses
Not by LBers and 43 defenses .
If Berry wanted to be ahead of development curve
He could have drafted Hunter and Sanders

Once again, next years draft is the best shot we have at a franchise QB. In your wisdom you think we should have addressed the WR area this year and fixed the DT and LB'er next year. Somehow you seem to feel that lessening our chances of getting a franchise QB in next years draft is the best path forward. A franchise QB is the missing ingredient that has been holding this team back since its return.

So you think a 5th round QB, who every QB needy team passed on four times would put him "ahead of development curve"?

He could have drafted Hunter. Then we wouldn't have gotten the best interior DL in the draft and wouldn't have an extra first round pick to after a franchise QB in next years draft. Like I said before, some don't understand the long game.

We also wouldn’t have had one or the other between Schwesinger or Judkins.

He talks about drafting two RBs, but he doesn’t talk about the fact there were only two RBs in that room and neither are even a second back type. Both of the RBs drafted are better than what we have had since Chubb got hurt. I understand he wanted Chubb to come back, but Chubb isn’t Chubb anymore. It’s sad to watch him go out there and run for 2-3 yards.

How many teams were QB needy this year ? Of course the Browns which is every year...
The Giants , the Seahawks , and the Steelers . So your going to go off the judgements
Of 4 teams who have poorly addressed their QB situations over the last
3 to 4 years ? The Giants have a joke front office . The Steelers
Have been Clowns addressing their QB room since Ben retired
You state the long game . The Browns have been playing the long game since 1999.
Answer me this . When was the last time a NFL franchise
drafted 2 QBs and 2 RBs in the same draft and brought in 2
QB with very limited NFL futures as we speak ?
Andrew Berry's " I'm the smartest GM around " attitude has
Got him no where.
Hate to break it to you . Defenses wont fear the Browns
Passing game this year .teams are gonna load the box and
Dare Pickett with his noodle arm to make throws
Or they are gonna blitz Flacco to death

I think our opponents will worry about the defence
We shall trot out
at the football park
Mason. Graham MG - I just noticed he has the same initials as Myles!! -
Will be disruptive
To the xtreme

There are always going to be those WR guys who complain about not drafting a receiver. It's been that way since we first started talking on this board since we drafted Tim Couch.

I tried to explain to them we will be a run heavy team playing out of 2 TE sets for at least a year or two, and you told them that with an unsettled QB situation, coupled with what I said makes drafting another receiver somewhat useless.

First off, there were five QB's drafted before Sanders. So you can carry on about only three teams needing QB's if you like. And you can ignore my point about the long game all you like. We didn't have this FO in 1999. You can try to ignore that by tagging the word "Browns" on it if you like but that doesn't change that the only person at the top now that was there in 1999 is Haslam. So trying to lump every FO in with who is there now is a false narrative. And you know that.

Why is it you haven't been able to figure out that if you can keep your opponents scoring down that means you need to score less points to win? You do realize you only have to look back to 2023 to see just how much a good defense can make a difference in the win column.

One point you can't ignore or overcome was that we need a franchise QB. It seems as though you're trying to paint that as a failure before it has even been attempted. Without a franchise QB you will never win a SB. Or your odds of doing so are very slim. I hate to break it to you but having Hunter without a franchise QB won't accomplish that.

Having that extra first round pick next year can be very helpful in doing that. I'm only stating the obvious here.

I see
what you did
there

Haha!

If he cares enough he’d be at OTA.
I can excuse MG, but not this guy.

Not showing up for OTAs can speak volumes. Especially for a team that won a whopping 3 games the year before . The Browns lack leadership like the Cavs lack a killer instinct .
Man 6 years in and Berry and Stefanski really have this team on track .

I am not sure that is a fair analysis. Every team in the NFL has veterans that skip OTA's. It is not a mandatory camp. It is 100% voluntary. Blaming Stefanski and Berry because 3 players Garrett, Ward, and Newsome skipped the camp is really reaching to try to pass blame on a coach and GM.

Dude, I don't have enough glue to fix this broken record. The staff that you're blaming isn't the ones not showing up, this makes no sense. You are talking about a guy that was on (3) teams last year and they took a flyer on. That's on Johnson, the NFL obviously is not high on his priority right now.

You really just need to do some research on who is going to be a sure thing playoff team this year, maybe just settle on the Chiefs until Mahomes retires... Your life seems miserable friend, I would just move on if I were you. Nothing wrong with going bandwagon either, if Mahomes is hurt in the pre-season, do a quick switch to another team. Start listening to Taylor Swift until Kelsey retires.. Kumbaya..

I totally agree. There were actually 14 Browns players that didn't show up for OTA's......

Myles Garrett, Diontae Johnson, Greg Newsome II among Browns players not at OTAs

CLEVELAND, Ohio. — Myles Garrett, Diontae Johnson and Greg Newsome II were among the 14 or so Browns players who weren’t on the field for the second voluntary organized team activities practice on Wednesday.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...ii-among-browns-players-not-at-otas.html

I'm the not the only one questioning MG's leadership or lack of.
Trying listening to local Cleveland sports talk.
Don't cry to me when the Browns are 1 and 5 and already out of the playoff race.
I just tell it how I see it. Sorry not a Homer.
All I heard 3 years ago was how Berry and Stefanski was this awesome
Duo and the Browns were on the right track
On BTW you might want to read where PFF ranks the Browns roster .

All one needed to do was see the words "sports talk". Those are the people who create controversies in order to rile up fans and get attention for a living.

You might want to ignore how people rank a roster before the first snap of the season has happened.

I have to say that DJ should have been at OTAs, developing familiarity and chemistry, voluntary or not.

He’s on thin ice in the NFL, so he needs to do everything he can to keep earning those seven-figure annual salaries.

Or else he won’t be getting one.

I certainly can't disagree with that.

In the end, they are voluntary so it doesn't matter.

I think it does matter. In his case, for sure.

DJ and MG should have BOTH been there...for completely different reasons.

Some of you wonder why the Browns only have 4 seasons over .500
Since the return. It's because you have roster of guys who could care less
About creating a culture of winning year in year out . Myles Garrett got paid
I question his desire to be a leader. When was the last time a Browns player
Said " I'm tired of losing , it has to end, it starts with me"
Funny how MG is on vacation yet I see teams other franchise
Players at OTAs.

You have an odd sense of what's funny.

Just a reminder ...last winter MG asked to be traded. He didn't want to
Be in Cleveland. He's tired of rebuilds. He's playing for the $$$$. Not the colors

Yet he could have gotten the money from any team that traded for him. Hmmmmm.....

Are you willing to work for less than your market value?

I mean isn't the reason you work for the money? Hmmmmm.....

Let's not forget Myles Garrett gave his all every Sunday on a 3-14 season. Had a tremendous individual season. Missing a voluntary camp is not a huge deal. Every team including the Eagles and Chiefs have veteran star players that do not attend OTA's.

Does Myles Garrett show up tp mandatory camps?
Does he keep his body in great shape throughout the year?
Is he ready to go every year when training camp comes around?
Does he give max effort every game and every season?

If the answer is yes then it really shows how complaining a player does not attend a voluntary camp.

And some of us wonder why you still haven't figured out how not to type in haiku format
Since the return.

NFL OTAs tracker: Kirk Cousins, Micah Parsons and T.J. Watt among big names not participating in voluntary workouts.


https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/articl...ing-in-voluntary-workouts-195150672.html

I personally don't give a hoot about voluntary workouts.

However, comparing Kirk Cousins, Micah Parsons, and TJ Watt to the Browns players is a huge stretch. Parsons and Watt are in difficult contract negotiations and Cousins is trying to get traded or released. Garrett has none of those issues nor does DJ. Though it could be looked at that coming off a 3-14 season and not attending voluntary workouts gives the perception of "I don't care" but to each their own.

I don't care if Garrett is here, as there is very little, truly, for a DE to do in OTAs.

He'll come in, and in shape, so I'm not concerned.

These OTAs are only voluntary because the union won that concession in negotiations. Teams CLEARLY feel that these OTAs are important, otherwise they wouldn't use resources on it.

The last time MG was 'in the news' he was disparaging the team on radio row during Super Bowl week...after being 'all in' just a couple of weeks earlier. He didn't believe in the direction of the team...didn't want to be part of a rebuild...yada yada yada. Then suddenly - after signing a colossal $$$ deal...he was all-in again.

What changed other than the $$$? The promise to trade for Kenny Pickett?

The team just used it's first (2) draft picks on defensive players...one guy who will play beside MG and one who will play behind him. MG is the focal point of the defense...everything revolves around HIM...he!!...he's the face of the franchise at the moment. I don't care if he even participated on the filed...just eat with the guys...get a beer...talk about dinosaurs...just fricking be there.

Yeah...other vets have sat out these OTAs...do any of them have THAT ^ kind of back story?

Me personally... I feel like everybody should be there. But I'm not going to cry and complain if they are not.

Especially when we're talking about veterans that know the system they are operating in, have a history of good performance, and it's in the team's best interest to keep as much wear and tear off their bodies as possible.

So the fact is they're under no contractual obligation to be there. Every thing after that is just noise.

Thanks DotD! This is what is relevant!

The media blowing this up isn't.

The facts behind this are, he is in a significant relationship now with Chloe Kim. SHE was part of the Anime Awards show in Japan. He supported her and instead of flying 12 hours each way for one night, they made a vacation of it.

The other facts are what is involved with OTA's vs mandatory mini camps.

OTA's are a lot of class work installing the playbook. Anyone here that believes Myles Garrett doesn't understand his role in the defensive playbook needs to take a fans lesson in professional athletes and their roles.

Comparing Myles Garrett and Dionte Johnson is downright ignorant when it comes to OTAs. Johnson can be cut for any reason at any time. He was signed to compete for a spot on the team, he was not signed as a decorated veteran here to lift the offense to new heights. If he doesn't understand the offensive playbook, he will be behind every other player competing for those spots. Right now there are 12 WRs total, 9 competing for probably 3 positions...I would put Deandre Carter right there as one of those 3 spots because he was signed as a special teams ace.

Already made the team:
Jerry Jeudy
Cedric Tillman
Jamari Thrash

Dionte Johnson isn't just playing for a roster spot on the Browns, he is playing for his career. He was on (3) teams last year, not because of lack of talent, but because of attitude. This is another example of not understanding where he currently stands in the league.

Well, we are checking the annual "vets need to be at voluntary camps" box. Up next is the no-name player needs to make the team b/c he played good against 3rd stringers in the preseason. Sounds like we are getting closer to the football season!

I want to add two notes:
1. it's been said, it's voluntary

2. Generally speaking, we have no clue why said player isn't there. It could be b/c it's voluntary. It could be b/c they don't care. It could be b/c they have a personal issue. That is between the coaching staff and the player to know.

Looking around the league ...Chris Jones and Patrick Mahomes are at OTAs
Same for DeAndre Hopkins, Lamar Jackson for Ravens .
Joe Burrow , JaMarr Chase are at OTAs.
It's bad enough the face of your franchise is a DE. It's even worse that
He feels OTAs aren't important.
See the common denominator...3 teams who have gone deep in the playoffs
Who's leaders are trying to getting better and make their teams better and setting examples

Since you mentioned them, these players were absent from OTAs;

Chiefs: Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, Trey Smith, and Hollywood Brown were among those not present.
Ravens: Chidobie Owuzie, Daniel Faalele, Kyle Van Noy, Jake Hummel
Bengals: Trey Hendrickson, Shemar Stewart, Jermaine Pratt
Bengas are interesting here since they have the exact same issue with Hendrickson as the Browns did with Garrett, yet the Browns front office took care of that problem early.. Bengals are still at an impasse. They also can’t come to terms with their first round rookie despite there being a rookie wage scale to get that done. The Browns have their rookies signed, except Judkins and Gabriel, but both are participating in OTAs despite the contract not signed yet.

Nothing you write makes sense. You make it out to be an outlier in the league and it is just ignorant nonsense.

He's a Bengals fan.