New Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens who was a QB at Alabama told
that the Browns have no intention to trade Johnson.
"“Duke is under contract…I’ve said this for like a month now, I don’t know where all this trade talk started happening. People just assumed that we are going to trade him because we signed another good football player. Me, personally, I like good football players and I like as many of them as we can get. Then, it’s our job to get them the ball and to help enable them to help us win in whatever role that is. Duke Johnson is on this football team, Duke Johnson will have a vital role in this football team and Duke Johnson will help us win football games. Am I surprised that he’s still here? No, not one bit. I haven’t wavered and never said anything different other than that.”"
I have no problem with the Browns keeping Duke Johnson if they're going to use him. But under Kitchens he played just 25 snaps/gm with 5.6 touches/gm. If that's the extent of his role, he probably has more value on the trade block than in Cleveland.
— Ryan McCrystal (@Ryan_McCrystal) April 30, 2019
Kitchens said he did not have an answer for Johnson requestion a trade. He continued to elaborate on Johnson’s situation.
"“Him asking for a trade and stuff like that, it doesn’t matter to me. He’s a Cleveland Brown. If he shows up, Duke is the type of guy that’s going to show up and he’s going to do his job. He’s going to do his job well. That’s all I can ask for as a coach. His opinions and his demands and stuff like that, I’m not impacted by that one bit.”"
ESPN had their own take on Johnson’s trade request. Their timeline is about 11 months longer than Kitchen’s perception of the trade rumors surrounding Johnson.
"Cleveland Browns Duke Johnson Jr., RB Seemingly not a favorite of the John Dorsey regime, Johnson has been the subject of trade rumors for nearly a year now. The 25-year-old requested a trade after the Browns signed Kareem Hunt, and while Hunt will be suspended for the first half of the 2019 season, Johnson would be in a limited role behind starter Nick Chubb until Hunt returns. Johnson still holds some value to the Browns, with just $2.2 million in 2019 compensation coming, so it would probably take a meaningful trade offer from a team that loses a running back to injury to pry Johnson free before 2020."
Chubb and Hunt are both young players with varying skill sets. They are both adept on the ground and as receivers. Hunt is entering his third season and Chubb his second. With Chubb and Hunt younger than Johnson and seemingly more well-rounded backs it’s easy to understand Johnson’s trade request.
What seems likely to happen is for the Browns to hold on to Johnson at least until Hunt returns from his suspension. It possible they try to move him at the trading deadline. Keep an eye on NFL teams that have significant injuries at running back in training camp and during the season.
The Browns traded running back Carlos Hyde to Jacksonville during the 2018 season. The Jaguars lost starting running back Leonard Fornette for a few games and Hyde was acquired to help ease the load on backup T.J. Yeldon who is now in Buffalo.