5 Cleveland Browns whose stock is down after mini-bye as Steelers await

3. Brown S John Johnson III

The Browns went hunting for a safety in free agency and found their man in John Johnson III, luring him away from the LA Rams with a lucrative contract

He gave his stock a heartbeat against Denver, but up until then, Browns fans have been left wondering what the heck happened to Johnson.

The Browns were lauded for the signing, adding PFFs third-ranked safety from 2020, when Johnson accumulated a grade of 85.3. But this year? He currently sits at 55.3. That’s Pro Bowl level to a “replaceable” level player.

Defensive coordinator Joe Woods is drawing a lot of heat in the early going for not properly using Johnson. Some have said he needs to be closer to the line of scrimmage to have a true impact. We’ll see, but one thing’s for sure, he’s had far too many communication issues with his teammates, allowing players to run wide open for easy touchdowns.

Johnson was gifted an interception against the Broncos, but at this point, we’ll take it. Now we’ve got to see him show out against a good offense when the defense really needs a stop.