The Cleveland Browns are very thin at wide receiver. Outside of Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland lacks many proven starters at the position. Cedric Tillman has had flashes, but nothing that can say he is a substantial No. 2. They also drafted Jamari Thrash last year out of Louisville, but his snaps were very limited.
For these reasons, the Browns took a flier on former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler Diontae Johnson. The Toledo product had a dreadful 2024 season. After being traded to the Carolina Panthers in March, he was traded again before the trade deadline to the Baltimore Ravens. That turned out to be a short-lived stint due to the fact that, in his ow words, he didn't enter a game because he didn't want to put bad tape on film. He was then cut, had a short stint with the Houston Texans, and was released again. Johnson seemed to get very humbled this offseason, though, as he revealed that the Browns were the only team to call him.
"Cleveland called and I was thankful," Johnson said. "They're the only team that called the whole offseason. It humbled me though."
Should Johnson get back to his peak performance, he has proven he can be one of the best receivers in the NFL when he caught over 100 passes in 2021. He could also be utilized as a returner, as he was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2019 as a return specialist.
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