Cleveland Browns Duke Johnson, agent fire up trade talks again

Duke Johnson recently hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent which has led to the running back’s trade request resurfacing with the Cleveland Browns

The saga of Duke Johnson keeps going. The Cleveland Browns backup running back stated earlier in the offseason that he wanted to be traded and that desire reportedly has not waned yet.

Johnson’s request came after the Browns signed former NFL rushing leader Kareem Hunt, but according to the running back, his desire to leave isn’t due to that addition but rather the team’s lack of commitment to him.

Johnson’s name was thrown around in trade discussion during the offseason and he now says he wants to play somewhere that he is wanted. While head coach Freddie Kitchens and general manager John Dorsey have claimed there’s a role for Duke, he still wants to play elsewhere in 2019. He’s even brought in a new agent to get that done.

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Johnson recently hired Drew Rosenhaus, one of the biggest names in the business. Rosenhaus has orchestrated many big moves in the NFL, including being a central figure in the dispute between the Philadelphia Eagles and Terrell Owens.

Now, Rosenhaus is going to bat for Johnson as he met with the Browns decision makers on Tuesday according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

"“Rosenhaus, hired by Johnson on July 11th to help get him traded, flew to Cleveland on Tuesday morning to meet with Dorsey at the Browns’ facility, a league source told cleveland.com.” — Cabot, Cleveland.com"

Johnson stayed away from voluntary workouts this offseason, but there’s no word if there will be a holdout should the team continue to hold firm on their stance. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him do so, but that doesn’t mean the team should concede.

According to Cabot, they don’t want to just give away a player they find valuable, and there’s really no reason for them to do that. The Browns will enter this season with Nick Chubb as the starter and Duke as the No. 2 while Hunt serves an eight-game suspension.

Once Hunt returns — assuming he finds himself in no more hot water — than Johnson may not be as necessary to them. However, as long as Hunt is ineligible to play, it makes no sense to give away the only experienced backup.

For Duke, he sees the writing on the wall and doesn’t feel like being an insurance policy. This is understandable considering he plays one of the more brutal positions in the game and just wants to play as many snaps as possible before his days are done.

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It’s a stark reminder that the NFL really is a business. Both sides are looking out for themselves in this instance and it’s hard to fault either one.

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