Salary cap limits Cleveland Browns’, Duke Johnson’s options

Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson wants to be traded, but his contract and the salary cap limits the Browns’ options.

Nate Davis of USA Today published an article about Duke Johnson, advocating that the Cleveland Browns cut him due to his trade demands. However, if he had taken the time to read Dawg Pound Daily to better understand how the salary cap works in Johnson’s situation, he would realize that cutting him now is not a good option. There was an opportunity to cut Johnson earlier this year, but as of March 15, a special contract provision made his 2018 salary fully guaranteed.

If they cut Duke right now, between salary and bonus money, it will cost the Browns $4.05 million ($2.55 million against the 2019 cap, plus $1.5 million charged to the 2020 cap. Plus they have to pay someone to occupy the roster spot, which is at least $495k). So really the total cost of cutting Duke would be $4.545 million.

However, if they can trade him, the salary at least transfers to the new team, the Browns save $1.8 million and pay “only” $2.25 million ($750k bonus each year for 2019, 2020 and 2021). The new team would pay the $1.8 million salary for 2019, and $3.6 million for 2020 (but they can cut him with no penalty since the Browns are required to pay the bonus money).

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If they keep Johnson all year, the Browns pay him $3.05 million for 2019, and they would still be charged for the bonus money, $750k in 2020 and another $750k in 2021. The total obligation is $4.55 million. It costs $5,000 to keep him on the roster versus not having him on the roster.

Are you really going to cut a very good football player to save $5,000 on the salary cap?

John Dorsey’s gamble is that there is a team out there that would be willing to pay Johnson $1.8 million. Apparently there may not be such a team out there right now, but it is plausible that some team will find itself short on running backs and want to trade for him. By comparison, veteran running backs in the $1.8 million range would include Frank Gore, Brandon Bolden or C.J. Anderson.

The Browns could receive a player or perhaps a late round draft choice for Johnson. But forget about getting a fat, juicy draft pick or a sensational player in return. Because Duke is perceived as overpaid versus the cap, he does not command much value. Browns fans are reminded that quarterback Brock Osweiler was the poster child for overvalued players. The Houston Texans could not give him away. They actually gave the Browns a second round pick just so the Browns would be willing to pay his salary (the total trade was Osweiler + 2nd + 7th round pick for the Browns’ 4th round pick).  That is the perfect example of a player having negative trade value because of his excessively high salary.

Duke Johnson probably has negative trade value in the eyes of most NFL teams right now, but let’s see who stays healthy in the preseason. A trade partner could emerge, particularly if the other team has a player with a similar hefty salary comparable to Johnson’s.

Back in March, there was an argument that Johnson should have been cut prior to March 15 in order to save the $1.8 million from the salary cap.  However, judging from many of the comments, the Dawg Pound was sure that Johnson was worth every penny.

Something else to think about is where Johnson might go if he were cut. One of the most attractive landing spots would be Pittsburgh, where James Conner is a very good running back, but with not very much to support him. Consequently, the Steelers were 31st in the NFL in rushing yards despite having Conner gain almost 1,000 yards rushing. That’s hard to do, and speaks to lack of depth among the running backs. Johnson would be perfect in Pittsburgh. Hence the Browns must not let Johnson appear in the black and gold.

Is it too much to ask that the Browns also make sure he doesn’t appear in Patriots blue this season?

Some analysts suspect that Johnson might be more valuable as a slot receiver than as a halfback.  In Cleveland, there is very little chance of finding out as long as Jarvis Landry is manning the slot.  But he is probably worth a $1.8 million investment to a team that feels short on receiving talent.

Despite the fact that Johnson has been a quality performer for the Browns, he may be the fourth-string back on the Browns, behind Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and probably Dontrell Hilliard. Let us just say that Duke is one of the highest paid fourth-string running backs in the history of the league. But that is not a reason to cut a player. What good thing happens to the team by cutting him? The Browns save all of five thousand dollars once everything is added up.

The fact that he is unhappy is also not a reason to cut him, particularly if there is a danger that the player may find happiness in Pittsburgh or some other city that could stop the Browns from appearing in the Super Bowl. It is probably worth it to keep him on the roster just for that reason.