Duke Johnson Requests Trade From Browns
It appears the Browns and Duke Johnson will part ways in the near future. Already believed to be on the trade block, Duke Johnson has submitted a request to be moved, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.
Since the Browns signed Kareem Hunt, the Jets, Texans and Eagles have been interested in Johnson, Cabot adds. Johnson did not show for the first day of the Browns’ offseason program.
When the Browns brought in Hunt, John Dorsey initially said Johnson was not yet a candidate to be moved. Hunt since incurred an eight-game suspension, making backfield depth paramount. But the Browns have been ruthless in moving on from talent acquired under previous regimes. Kevin Zeitler, Jabrill Peppers, Derrick Kindred and Emmanuel Ogbah have been the latest to go. Johnson, a third-round pick during the Ray Farmer regime, has been Cleveland’s passing-down back for four seasons.
Dorsey said recently he has not spoken to Johnson, but Cabot makes it clear the running back’s representatives have spoken to other Browns execs with the intention of being traded.
First-year HC Freddie Kitchens said Johnson would have a role alongside Nick Chubb, even after Hunt returns. But as Cabot points out, Odell Beckham Jr.’s arrival will likely push Jarvis Landry inside more often, decreasing the opportunities for Johnson to work in the slot. His lack of touches last season was already a point of contention, per Cabot.
“I don’t know why it’s assumed that we’re going to trade Duke Johnson,” Kitchens said. “I don’t know why we would ever want to, like, just voluntarily give up a good football player. Duke Johnson is a good football player. Duke Johnson will have a role on our football team. All these guys that are here will have a role. I don’t know when it just became a necessity to trade Duke Johnson because we signed Kareem Hunt.”
The 25-year-old back is signed to a team-friendly three-year, $15.6MM contract. He is signed through 2021. Despite playing in 16 games, Johnson saw his scrimmage-yards total plummet from 1,041 in 2017 to 630 last season. His touches dropped from 156 in 2017 to 87 last year. The former Miami Hurricane still leads all running backs in receiving yardage (2,170) since entering the league (h/t ESPN’s Field Yates, on Twitter).
In signing Le’Veon Bell, the Jets already paid a premium for a pass-catching back. The Eagles just traded for Jordan Howard, but he has not been a prolific receiver. And Darren Sproles may or may not be retiring. The Texans just lost Alfred Blue to the Jaguars and were without D’Onta Foreman for much of last season.
Johnson Wants To Become GM
- Legendary receiver Andre Johnson has joined the Texans’ front office as an adviser, and he doesn’t plan on stopping there. Johnson wants to work his way up through the organization and eventually be a front office head one day, he told John McClain of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). “I’m learning the business of the game. I thought I might want to be a GM or run a team. I want to do everything I can to help the Texans win their first Super Bowl,” the future Hall of Fame member said. Johnson was one of the best receivers in the game for a long time, and holds nearly every Texans receiving record that there is. Johnson was hired last month to work with the team’s coaching and scouting staffs, according to a separate post from McClain.
Texans Still Interested In Jordan Mills
- The Texans recently signed Matt Kalil, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily done adding offensive tackles. The team hosted former Bills tackle Jordan Mills on a visit before signing Kalil, but they’re apparently still interested in adding Mills, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Wilson writes that Houston has “remained in contact with Mills” and that he’s “still a candidate to potentially join the team.” Offensive line was the team’s main weakness last year, and it looks like they’re trying to add as many pieces as possible. Mills started all 16 games for Buffalo in each of the last three seasons, but graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 70th-best tackle last season.
Texans Eyeing Toledo CB Ka'dar Hollman
- Toledo cornerback Ka’dar Hollman also had a private workout with the Texans, reports Wilson. The defensive back has also had visits and workouts with the Dolphins, Saints, Bears, Colts, Eagles, Lions and Browns. While Hollman has boosted his draft stock following a strong Pro Day, he’s still at best a sixth- or seventh-rounder.
[SOURCE LINK]
Matt Kalil Contrac Details
- Matt Kalil received a $2.25MM signing bonus and a $3.25MM base salary as part of his one-year deal with the Texans, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Currently projected as Houston’ starting left tackle, Kalil can also earn $125K in gameday active roster bonuses, which could add an additional $2MM to his deal. If he’s healthy and active for each of the Texans’ 16 regular season games, Kalil will take home $7.5MM for the 2019 season. Kalil’s health isn’t a sure thing, of course, given that he missed all of last year with a knee injury.
Contract Details: RG3, Glennon, McCarron
Some assorted contract notes from around the NFL…
- Robert Griffin III, QB (Ravens): Two years. Deal is worth $4.5MM. Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
- Mike Glennon, QB (Raiders): One year (full story). Deal worth $2MM, an additional $2MM in incentives. Twitter link via Rapoport.
- A.J. McCarron, QB (Texans): One year, $3MM. $1MM fully guaranteed. $1.5MM salary, $1.5MM signing bonus. Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Texans Sign Matt Kalil
The Texans signed free agent tackle Matt Kalil, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely to be a low-cost contract for Houston. 
The Panthers cut Kalil last week to save roughly $7MM, though they’ll eat $5MM in 2019 and $9MM in 2020 by designating him as a post-June 1 cut. The Panthers, apparently, viewed it as a necessary move after Kalil underperformed in his first year with the club and spent all of 2018 on injured reserve. Even under the best of circumstances, many thought it was unlikely that the veteran would ever live up to his five-year, $55MM deal.
Kalil started all 16 games in 2017 in his first year with the Panthers, but knee troubles cost him all of last year. It was never made clear exactly what the issue with Kalil’s knee was, but he’s apparently healthy enough to play now.
Kalil was a star at USC, and the Vikings took him fourth overall in the 2012 draft. He was a reliable starter his first few years, starting all 16 games in each of his first four seasons. But then Kalil played in just two games in 2016 while dealing with a hip injury, which made the Panthers’ decision to give him the massive deal even more puzzling. The Texans need all the offensive line help they can get, and Kalil is still only 29, so he could prove to be a nice reclamation project in Houston.
Texans Re-Sign QB Joe Webb
The Texans are re-signing quarterback/special teamer Joe Webb, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’ll return to the club on a one-year deal worth $1MM. 
Webb’s status for 2019 was up in the air after the Texans made plans to add A.J. McCarron as Deshaun Watson‘s backup. Instead, it appears that veteran Brandon Weeden is on the outs.
Webb, 32, offers unique versatility as a QB, special teams player, and receiver. Last year, he saw just 35 snaps on offense, but took part in 312 special teams plays.
Webb’s unique skill set has kept him in the league for a long while and 2019 will be his tenth year in the NFL. Before joining the Texans last year, Webb spent four years with the Vikings, three years with the Panthers, and one year with the Bills.
A.J. McCarron, Texans Finalizing Deal
The Texans’ meeting with A.J. McCarron looks set to produce a signed contract. McCarron and the Texans are finalizing an agreement that would make him their new backup quarterback, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
McCarron agreed to a one-year deal worth $3MM, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle notes (on Twitter).
Released by the Raiders last week, McCarron will land with his fourth AFC team in barely a year. But it appears the longtime backup will land on his feet, being set to work behind Deshaun Watson. Earlier this offseason, the Raiders indicated a desire to retain McCarron as Derek Carr‘s backup. But the former Bengals, Bills (sort of) and Raiders quarterback will likely head to Houston.
It has been a strange few years for McCarron. In 2015, he started a few games in Andy Dalton‘s stead and showed some promise. Then, last March, he appeared to finally be on his way toward becoming an NFL starter when he hooked on with the Bills.
Ultimately, he did not impress in his competition alongside Nathan Peterman and Josh Allen and was shipped to the Raiders. For the bulk of 2018, he held the clipboard and watched Derek Carr go 4-12 in his 16 starts. Since his work for the most recent Bengal playoff team, McCarron has attempted just 17 passes. Three came last season.
The Texans still have Joe Webb on their roster, but he contributes in other facets beyond the usual backup-QB job description. Houston will not bring back Brandon Weeden, according to McClain (on Twitter). Despite Watson taking a league-high 62 sacks and having suffered a torn ACL midway through his rookie season, he played all 16 games last year and took every snap.
Texans To Sign TE Darren Fells
Darren Fells has a new home. On Monday, the Texans agreed to sign the tight end to a one-year deal, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets. 
Fells, 33 next month, signed a three-year, $12MM deal with Cleveland just last offseason. But, earlier this month, the Browns cut him after being unable to find a suitable trade.
Fells was scheduled to carry a cap charge of $3.7MM. Instead, the Browns sent him packing and took on a dead money hit of $1.4MM.
In his lone season in Cleveland, Fells appeared in all 16 games, but played on just 38.5% of the Browns’ offensive snaps and managed only 11 receptions. While he wasn’t given many opportunities behind starting tight end David Njoku, Fells was effective when targeted. Among tight ends with fewer than 25 catches, Fells finished third in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, meaning he was productive on a per-play basis.
While Fells has historically been praised as a blocking tight end, 2018 wasn’t a banner year for him in that regard, at least according to Pro Football Focus. PFF assigned Fells a 72.9 pass-blocking grade, which put him near the middle of the pack among his position group, but a 55.9 grade in the run game, a mark which ranked near the bottom of the league.
Fells will bring his blocking knowledge to the Texans’ TE group, which currently includes Ryan Griffin, Jordan Thomas, and Jordan Akins.