The Cleveland Browns need a lot of help in the passing game.
They added TE Harold Fannin Jr. in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they still need more firepower in their wide receiver corps.
That’s why they rolled the dice and signed former Pittsburgh Steelers star Diontae Johnson, who didn’t generate a lot of interest in free agency because of his recent history.
But despite his antics, power struggles, and lack of production, head coach Kevin Stefanski is still excited about his arrival.
When asked about him, the Browns’ coach claimed that his presence at OTAs would be crucial to getting him acclimated to the new offense:
“Diontae [Johnson]’s a veteran that’s played at a high level. We’ll see as he gets involved more. These OTAs will be really good for him because this system is new for him. But [I’m] excited about the skillset and he’s got to obviously prove it to us and he’s excited to do that,” Stefanski said.
It’s been quite a while since Johnson last put up WR1-caliber numbers.
His receiving totals have dropped every single year since he posted a career-best 1,161 receiving yards back in 2021.
Even so, he’s still under 30, and, to be fair, the Steelers’ offense left plenty to be desired during that span as well.
Of course, he failed to settle in with the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans last season, and that’s a bit of a red flag.
But since he wasn’t given a fully guaranteed, long-term, or big-money kind of deal, he was most definitely worth the gamble.
This might be his last chance to stay in the league, and hopefully, the Browns will help him find his new home and finally prove that he can still be the physically imposing wideout he looked like almost five years ago.
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