The Browns have agreed to a one-year deal with WR Diontae Johnson, according to multiple reports. Since the end of the 2023 season, Johnson has seen the Steelers trade him to Carolina, the Panthers trade him to the Ravens for minimal return, Baltimore waive him, Houston claim him only to release him shortly thereafter ... and then no team sign him until after the draft. Johnson averaged career lows 2.8 receptions and 31.3 yards per game across last year's three stops. He'll turn 29 in July.
Is there a player with a wider range of potential outcomes for 2025?
Johnson joins a Browns team that had only Jerry Jeudy exceed 64 catches last season. (He caught 90.) Jeudy has been inconsistent through five seasons and saw his most productive stretch with Jameis Winston in the lineup last year. (Winston's gone.)
Cleveland also hasn't brought back WR Elijah Moore, who ranked second in targets, third in receptions, and second in receiving yards last year. And the Browns added zero WRs in the draft.
Johnson has enjoyed a more productive career to date than Jeudy -- and spent much more time as his team's clear target leader. If Johnson gets his crap together ahead of September, his ceiling could be leading the Browns in targets.
That said, he kept that crap together for approximately six games last season (as far as we know). And then Johnson -- in his age-28 campaign -- made himself useless from Week 7 on.
The low-end of that range of outcomes -- plus the low-level commitment he finally managed to get in Cleveland -- means Johnson should reside in the double-digit rounds of drafts across formats.
But he'll carry enticing upside if he stays in the late rounds.
We'll watch how he plays with others through the summer and what coaches tell us about the WR depth chart.
Oh yeah ... and we'll also see if these Browns have a competent QB at some point. The collection they've gathered this offseason certainly won't boost the pass-catchers.
WR Cedric Tillman's a bigger potential loser here than Jeudy. The Browns aren't going to knock Jeudy out of their top two at the position. But a good summer from Johnson could certainly threaten Tillman's role.
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