Browns trade Duke Johnson to Houston

The Cleveland Browns were forced into a corner from various moves from the off-season and finally had to end the game as the Browns traded running back Duke Johnson to the Houston Texans.

Johnson had been requesting a trade ever since the Browns signed Kareem Hunt and after Hunt would potentially return from his NFL-enforced suspension, Johnson's role would likely dwindle to that of a situational pass receiving back, which would not thrill the former Miami Hurricane.

Johnson ran for 201 yards last season on 40 carries and caught 47 passes for 429 yards with three of those catches resulting in touchdowns, but as Nick Chubb established himself as a feature running back and Baker Mayfield throwing the ball more to downfield receivers, Johnson's statistics took the largest hit of all the Browns weapons.
Johnson was irked by the signing of Kareem Hunt in the off-season and demanded a trade, despite the teams' assurances to him that even upon Hunt's return from a suspension that Johnson would see plenty of touches.
Johnson was a reluctant participant in mini-camp and the writing appeared on the wall for his departure as Johnson again expressed a wish for a trade and was criticized to the media by Baker Mayfield for not buying into the program.

Johnson's final stats with the Browns showed him rushing for just under 1,300 yards, grabbing 235 passes for close to 2,300 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns as a Brown.
The 2015 third-round choice heads to Houston, where he should become a larger part of a Texans offense that he should step in immediately as the top non-Demetrius Hopkins pass-catching threat in quantity and is likely to see more carries as the second back (Behind Lamar Miller) than he would have behind Nick Chubb (and later Kareem Hunt) in Cleveland.

As for the Browns, sending Johnson to Houston, who has been a common trading partner during recent years, they picked up pretty good value for a running back that they were able to use for four seasons as Cleveland added the Texans 2020 fourth-round draft pick, that will become a third-rounder, if Johnson plays in ten games for Houston, which unless Johnson suffers a severe injury early in the season is a standard that Johnson should easily exceed.
Adding a more than likely third-rounder for a player that you picked in the third and were able to use for four seasons, is quite a solid return and frankly, a higher return than I expected in a trade for Johnson.

I think both teams did well here.
Houston may have paid a little more than I would have for Johnson, but they will have plenty of things that they can do with the versatile Johnson, who will see plenty of snaps.
The Browns gain another pick in the 2020 draft (they have Arizona's sixth for Jamal Taylor and Buffalo's seventh for Corey Coleman) and remove an unhappy player that could have caused a problem in the locker room as the season moved by.

Still have much more to write, so back with more soon!