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Texans Trade for Duke Johnson

DocBar

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
He probably could've been had for a 5th with a conditional 4th. Other than that, I like the trade.
 

IDEXAN

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Awesome pickup, finally a RB that can catch the ball AND is good in pass pro.

Wonder who they called to make the trade?
Don't you mean which individual in the GM committee handled the call and did the negotiating with the Browns on behalf of the Texans ?
***
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Johnson
Randy "Duke" Johnson Jr. (born September 23, 1993) is an American football running back for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Browns in the third round (77th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.
He was also on the school's track & field team, where he was a standout sprinter and long jumper. He placed 5th in the long jump event at the 2010 GMAC Qualifiers, with a jump of 6.60 meters.[5] In 2011, he placed 4th in the 100 meters at the 3rd Annual Miramar Invitational, recording a career-best time of 10.62 seconds.[6] He finished 3rd in the 200 meters at the FHSAA 3A District 16, with a time of 22.31 seconds.[7]***
Amazing how fast thy change stuff on Wiki.
Hey this guy has some top-end speed !
 
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TheKDog

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Browns’ Duke Johnson Jr. should draw significant interest on the trade block
BY AUSTIN GAYLE
MAR 14, 2019


A year removed from signing a three-year, $15.6M contract extension with the Cleveland Browns, Duke Johnson Jr. is at best an afterthought in a 2019 Freddie Kitchens-led offense with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt as the primary backs, forcing him onto the trade block.

Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Cleveland is “more than willing” to deal the 25-year-old Miami (Fla.) product for the right price. Johnson totaled just 87 touches this past season and earned just a 72.1 overall grade in the process.



Prior to his underutilized 2018 season, Johnson averaged 0.17 forced missed tackles per rush in his career, ranking tied for eighth among the 53 running backs with 250 rushes from 2015-17. And his ability to make people miss and run efficiently on the ground isn’t even the best part of his game.

Johnson’s career receiving grade (90.9) ranks fifth among the 44 running backs with at least 100 targets dating back to 2015. He also ranks second in forced missed tackles per reception (0.338), seventh in yards per route run (1.73) and fourth in percentage of receptions resulting in a first down or touchdown (44.0%) on the list.

At 5-foot-9, 210 pounds, Johnson isn’t the primary back of yesteryear that wore defenses down to the tune of 30 carries and 17 points a game. He’s part of the next evolution of high-volume backs best utilized in target-heavy roles like Chicago Bears’ Tarik Cohen and New England Patriots’ James White.

The five highest-ranked running backs in PFF’s WAR (Wins Above Replacement) metric from a year ago – Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Saquon Barkley, Tarik Cohen and James White – all had 70 or more receptions in 2018. Johnson has some catching up to do in order to join the aforementioned backs in terms of value, but he’s capable, if properly utilized in a pass-heavy scheme, of such heights in 2019 and beyond.

https://www.pff.com/news/pro-browns-duke-johnson-jr-should-draw-significant-interest-on-the-trade-block
 

TheKDog

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
@Jason_OTC
·
6m

That is a lot for the Texans to give up for a player that had no role with the Browns and vocally wanted out. Have to imagine the Texans see him playing a lot now and more so in the future.




@Jason_OTC
·
32s

Texans dont have a GM so its hard to say much on long term planning, but DJ is low cost this year ($2.2M salary) which can justify a time split with Miller to start the year. His salary jumps to $4M+ in 20 so that would be a lead back salary. Miller is a FA after the year.
 

TheRealJoker

Hall of Fame
Excited about this addition. Great security blanket for DW4 AND insurance for Coutee (DW4’s current top security blanket). Can play RB/slot WR. Versatile player with home run speed. Will be our Darren Sproles like we were hoping Tyler Ervin would become.

He will make the OL look a lot better being able to get open quickly for DW4 and force defenses to account for him.
 

otisbean

Veteran
Contributor's Club
I’d gladly give up a fourth rd pick for a RB that can line up in slot (Coutee insurance), catch 50 balls a year, and provide a safety valve for Watson (hopefully the sack numbers will drop). Can you imagine the stress we can put on the middle of the field with our TEs, Coutee in the slot, and DJ out of the backfield
 

TheKDog

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
@SharpFootball: Houston, your new RB:

Duke Johnson ranks

#2 in yards/play (5.8)
#3 in explosiveness
#7 in success rate (52%)

of 62 RBs on early down rushes+targets past 3 yrs.

Playing the NFL's most-injury prone position last 4 yrs, he:
-NEVER missed a game
-Listed as questionable only 2x
 

frethack

Rookie
Excited having DJ! A little expensive as far as the draft pick, but his contract is good and he is very good out of the backfield and is a patient zone runner.
 

zshawn10

All Pro
Adding Duke Johnson to the Texans is a test of scheme vs talent. Texans have thrown to RBs at low rate, but Duke's addition should pump that up.

2017-2018
Miller/Blue: 1,988 snaps, 116 targets (5.8% target rate)
Johnson: 1,026 snaps, 155 targets (15.1% target rate)

— Kevin Cole (@KevinColePFF) August 8, 2019



Unless something drastically changes in the #Texans O, Duke Johnson will help but he will not be the 70+ target or 50+ catch back here. He will help the O no doubt with his presence but hard to see that production.

— patrick (@PatDStat) August 8, 2019


If you want max value, you don’t wait until another RB gets hurt. You trade the player to a team that doesn’t have a GM.

John Dorsey is playing chess.

— Ken Carman (@KenCarman) August 8, 2019
 

TheKDog

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Adding Duke Johnson to the Texans is a test of scheme vs talent. Texans have thrown to RBs at low rate, but Duke's addition should pump that up.

2017-2018
Miller/Blue: 1,988 snaps, 116 targets (5.8% target rate)
Johnson: 1,026 snaps, 155 targets (15.1% target rate)

— Kevin Cole (@KevinColePFF) August 8, 2019



Unless something drastically changes in the #Texans O, Duke Johnson will help but he will not be the 70+ target or 50+ catch back here. He will help the O no doubt with his presence but hard to see that production.

— patrick (@PatDStat) August 8, 2019


If you want max value, you don’t wait until another RB gets hurt. You trade the player to a team that doesn’t have a GM.

John Dorsey is playing chess.

— Ken Carman (@KenCarman) August 8, 2019

So basically Duke is really good in the right scheme. AKA not running up the middle.
 

TheKDog

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
@PatDStat: Unless something drastically changes in the #Texans O, Duke Johnson will help but he will not be the 70+ target or 50+ catch back here. He will help the O no doubt with his presence but hard to see that production.
 

TheKDog

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
The Duke Johnson trade was done by #Browns GM John Dorsey and #Texans coach Bill O’Brien, I’m told. Without a GM, Houston has several qualified personnel people assuming different roles, but it was O’Brien on the phone with Dorsey.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 8, 2019

@RapSheet: The #Browns got a fourth-rounder that can become a third rounder for Duke Johnson. If it does become a third, I believe it will be the highest RB compensation since Trent Richardson went for a first.
 

zshawn10

All Pro
Texans had been working on the Duke Johnson trade with the Browns since before training camp. They'll give up their 3 instead of a 4 if he's active for 10 games. They could have 2 compensatory picks in third round for CB Kareem Jackson and S Tyrann Mathieu.

— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) August 8, 2019
 

zshawn10

All Pro
FWIW: SR610 just talked to a guy with their Cleveland affiliate and directly asked him if he thought the hamstring injury was a legitimate injury or an excuse to not practice in an attempt to force a trade. The guy simply said that he felt like that hamstring injury would heal up really quick after this trade.
 

zshawn10

All Pro
On Duke Johnson, Jr.:
* Under contract through 2021
* Due base salaries of $1.8M, $3.6M, $4.65M
* Since entering the NFL in 2015, he leads all RB with 2,170 receiving yards
* Third in RB receptions since 2015 with 235
* Career rushing average of 4.3 on 299 attempts

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 8, 2019
 

TheKDog

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Houston Texans acquire Duke Johnson Jr. from the Cleveland Browns
BY CONNOR PRICE
AUG 8, 2019
CLEVELAND BROWNS HOUSTON TEXANS DUKE JOHNSON JR.

May 23, 2018; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr., (29) catches a pass during organized team activities at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns have traded running back Duke Johnson Jr. to the Houston Texans for a conditional fourth-round 2020 pick that potentially can become a third, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

This move has been a long time coming for the Browns & Co. Johnson departs a Cleveland backfield comprised of Nick Chubb — who earned a position-high 87.4 overall grade in 2018 — and suspended Kareem Hunt. PFF data suggests that Johnson Jr. now finds himself in a much more favorable situation entering 2019.

When analyzing the Texans’ backfield, there is much to be desired regarding experience after Lamar Miller. Since he joined the team in 2016, 61.5% (738/1200) of Houston’s rushing attempts have been reserved for Miller — the next closest player is Alfred Blue (27.2%), who now resides in Jacksonville.

The two players formerly competing for a backup role behind Miller are Buddy Howell and Josh Ferguson, who combine for 16 career NFL carries. Also sitting behind Miller in the Houston backfield is 2019 undrafted free agent Karan Higdon, who earned a 76.3 grade in his final year at Michigan and ranked 11th at his position on PFF’s 2019 Big Board entering the draft.



The lion’s share of the opportunity for Johnson will reside in the passing game. Over the past three seasons, 55.6% (119/214) of Houston’s running back targets have been sent Miller’s way, and he has earned a sub-62.0 receiving grade in two of the past three seasons.

Johnson’s career receiving grade (90.9) ranks fifth among the 44 running backs with at least 100 targets dating back to 2015. He also ranks second in forced missed tackles per reception (0.338), seventh in yards per route run (1.73) and fourth in percentage of receptions resulting in a first down or touchdown (44.0%) among players on the list.

The three-highest ranked running backs in PFF’s WAR (Wins Above Replacement) metric from a year ago — Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Saquon Barkley, Cohen and James White — all had 70 or more receptions in 2018. Johnson isn’t on the level of said backs as of now, but has the ability to get there should he be correctly utilized in Bill O’Brien and Tim Kelly’s offensive scheme


https://www.pff.com/news/pro-houston-texans-acquire-duke-johnson-jr-from-the-cleveland-browns
 

TheKDog

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
So pff saying he's really good in the passing game.

Patdstat saying that's not how they'll use him.
 

maverick512000

Hall of Fame
One thing I've noticed is that even though the purports to use the new England spread ep system, he is extremely reliant on RBs.

Very much unlike how the Pats do things.
That's in large part due to Brady and then in last few years Gronk. Watson is good but he's not at Brady's level and Gronk is to TEs what JJ is to defense. In short the Pats haven't needed to rely on RBs except to give Brady a break and change things up a bit.
 

TheKDog

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Tweet from @McClain_on_NFL: Duke Johnson's history of hamstring issues in training camp isn't good, of course. He wanted to be traded. He's the kind of back the Texans are looking for, one who can catch as well as run. They made the move after D'Onta Foreman was waived.
 
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