Disappointment is starting early for Cleveland Browns fans this year. Or at least, that's true for fans who had built up some unrealistic optimism during free agency in March. The Browns didn't exactly have a splashy free agency period, refusing to break the bank for any difference-makers, but there were plenty of low-risk, under-the-radar additions.
One of those additions already looks well on its way to being a dud. The Browns decided to gamble on a player who had a complete disaster of a 2024 season to bolster their wide receiver room, and he's taken a major step toward finding himself cut before ever playing a snap.
Diontae Johnson Still Skipping Browns OTAs
Diontae Johnson has yet to participate in a single voluntary OTA practice for the Browns this offseason. In a vacuum that might just be a little concerning, not a huge red flag. But anyone who followed the Johnson saga last season isn't going to take this lightly.
The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked Johnson to the curb early in the 2024 offseason, sending him to the Carolina Panthers. His name was constantly swirling in trade rumors after he had a strong start to the season for the tanking Panthers though, and fans were completely shocked when he was traded for almost nothing. Of course, the reasons became clear a month later when the Baltimore Ravens suspended him for "conduct detrimental to the team" when he refused to enter the game when coaches told him to.
The Ravens waived him shortly after, and then the Houston Texans signed and waived him in less than a month. Four different teams got rid of him in a single season. With rumored locker room issues (and a factual one in the suspension), it becomes clear why a player of his talent level can't stick with one team.
So while skipping OTAs isn't the biggest concern in the world, it catches some extra attention for a player like Johnson, who should be doing everything he can to prove he's a reliable teammate to make this roster. And for the Browns' sake, that would be a huge win.
Where Does Johnson Fit on the WR Depth Chart?
The pecking order of Cleveland Browns wide receivers becomes very muddy, very quickly. There's a long list of names in the room, but not many who stand out ahead of the pack:
- Jerry Jeudy
- Cedrick Tillman
- Diontae Johnson
- Jamari Thrash
- DeAndre Carter
- Michael Woods II
- David Bell
- Kaden Davis
- Gage Larvadain
- Cade McDonald
- Kisean Johnson
- Luke Floriea
There are a few things to consider when looking at this list: Between Elijah Moore and Amari Cooper, over 1,200 WR snaps from 2024 are unaccounted for (for context, Jeudy led the room with 1,061 snaps). Six receivers played at least 100 snaps for the team on the season. Eleven different WRs saw the field altogether.
So while we can assume Jeudy and Tillman play significant roles, the Browns are still looking to fill some serious voids.
With Thrash, Carter, and Woods as his top competition, a dialed-in Johnson would have a really good chance to see significant playing time and make a big impact for this offseason. But that "dialed-in" qualifier is the real question mark. So, what would things look like if Cleveland did move on from Johnson before the season?
What Would Cutting Johnson Look Like?
Teams weren't exactly tripping over each other to sign Johnson after last year's debacle, and the Browns got him for a virtually risk-free contract: a one-year deal worth barely over $1 million and zero dead money if they do cut him, per OvertheCap. That means the Browns could move on from him for free — opening up about $1 million in cap space and facing no penalties.
It would also mean that Cleveland would need another WR to step up and play an expanded role in the offense. Woods may have the inside track, having played 304 snaps last year (compared to 143 for Thrash and just 9 for Bell), though he only caught seven of 17 targets for 65 yards (an abysmal 3.8 yards per target), and his 48.6 PFF grade ranked just 129th among 133 qualifying WRs.
If Johnson can't prove himself to the Browns' coaching staff, Cleveland may be forced to bring in more free agent help at the position when training camp rolls around.