The Cleveland Browns needed to add another wide receiver to the roster, but they didn’t do so in the NFL Draft.
Then, they signed veteran WR Diontae Johnson to a one-year deal.
Johnson is quite familiar with the division, given his past with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he’s coming off quite a chaotic campaign in 2024.
With that in mind, team insider Tony Grossi believes that his role with the Browns will be a WR2 at best.
He also doesn’t expect the team to deploy many sets with three wide receivers:
“At his best, [Diontae] Johnson is WR2 ahead of Cedric Tillman. At his worst, Johnson won’t make it through training camp. Keep this in mind: The Browns will have fewer 11 formations – three wide receivers – in 2025 because of the return of Stefanski’s multiple tight end system. It’s possible third-round pick Harold Fannin Jr., the tight end from Bowling Green, will have more snap counts than the third Browns wide receiver,” Grossi wrote.
Johnson is a proven commodity in this league.
While not a superstar, he can clearly post Pro Bowl-caliber numbers when he’s locked in and at his best.
Then again, that last part hasn’t necessarily been the case recently.
Johnson was traded from the struggling Carolina Panthers to the Baltimore Ravens midway through last season.
He threw multiple temper tantrums because he wasn’t getting enough touches, and he was cut shortly after.
Johnson wound up with the injury-riddled Houston Texans just to be cut again.
This is a risky gamble for the Browns, but this might also be the end of the line for Johnson.
Given his skills and résumé, the fact that he had to wait until after the NFL Draft to find a new deal speaks volumes about how he’s currently perceived around the league.
Hopefully, that will motivate him to be on his best behavior.
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