Sportsnaut
Now that the Cleveland Browns know Joe Flacco will be their starting quarterback, at least for Week 1, the rest of the roster is starting to take shape too. While we know Flacco will be passing the ball, who will he be targeting?
Some players, like Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, David Njoku, and Harold Fannin Jr., are locks to make the team; others are still trying to prove they deserve a chance this season. That includes former Pro Bowl receiver Diontae Johnson, who’s entering his seventh season in the NFL.
According to The Athletic’s Browns expert Zac Jackson, Johnson “has been outplayed” during training camp. Jackson believes the Browns receiver is now at risk of losing his roster spot as the Browns trim their roster down from 90 to 53 players.
While Johnson once earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 for recording 107 receptions for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns, he hasn’t replicated a 1,000-yard season since. Johnson has bounced from team to team, spending time with three different organizations in 2024 alone. Now he’s getting another chance, this time with the Browns.
Unfortunately, Johnson faces long odds of actually cracking the Browns’ 53-man roster, which likely means he’ll soon be trying to earn an opportunity with yet another new team instead.
Johnson managed to play in just 12 games a season ago, but he did draw eight starts. Still, the 29-year-old only recorded 33 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns a year ago. So, unless Johnson is standing out for all the right reasons, he could have a hard time finding an established role elsewhere, especially with so many other receivers hitting the market when teams trim their rosters by August 26.
Related: Cleveland Browns Interested in Blockbuster Trade for Division Rival’s All-Pro
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