Houston Texans RB Duke Johnson
It finally happened, Duke Johnson got out of Cleveland. After months of trade block rumors and Johnson’s trade requests, he was finally dealt to the Texans for a conditional fourth-round pick (it becomes a third-round pick if he’s active for at least ten games).
For whatever reason, the Browns always seemed to struggle with figuring out how to consistently get Johnson involved in their offense. The talent was never a question with him, and when he was used, it was blatantly beneficial to the offense. In four years in Cleveland, Johnson put up 3,456 total yards and 13 touchdowns.
With the utter importance of a satellite back (pass-catching running back) in NFL offenses today, it’s peculiar the Browns couldn’t make it work with Johnson. He’s been one of the best receivers at running back since entering the league.
Although they gave up a lot to bring in Johnson, this is exciting for Texans fans. Head coach Bill O’Brien comes from the Patriots, where they’ve been utilizing satellite backs for years (James White, Dion Lewis, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead, Kevin Faulk). Adding a dynamic pass catcher like Johnson to an attack that already has Hopkins, Fuller, and Coutee should terrify AFC South defenses.
The wildcard in all of this is how the Texans feel about Lamar Miller. Miller is sort of the Andy Dalton of running backs. He’s serviceable, but there’s always something better out there. If the Texans feel Johnson can give them more on the ground and expand from his satellite role, it will make this whole situation even more interesting. At a minimum, it feels as if the Texans landed a potential game-changer in their passing game and maybe even more if he develops as a runner.
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