The Cleveland Browns have a few important decisions to make this offseason. So far they have taken care of a few, some bigger than others:
- David Njoku was given the franchise tag
- Andy Janovich will not return for next year
- Three were tendered making them exclusive rights free agents
- Reportedly, Austin Hooper will stick around despite Njoku’s tag
The team still has some big name, big paid players that they could move on from and save cap space. Jarvis Landry is the most obvious name among that group given his social media posts recently.
The biggest free agent for the team is Jadeveon Clowney but a report this week says he will not be returning.
That left D’Ernest Johnson as one of the last lingering issues with uncertainty. According to multiple reports, first by Brad Stainbrook of The OBR, the team will tender him to make him a restricted free agent.
Of most interest is the level at which they are tendering him according to Stainbrook and, later, Ian Rapoport:
The team intends to offer Johnson a right of-first-refusal tender, sources say.
That means that Johnson can shop his services to any team but Cleveland has the right to match that offer. If they do not, they do not receive any compensation. The Browns could have tendered him in a way that if another team signed him it would require compensation but that often limits teams from making offers.
The most likely scenario is that Cleveland retains Johnson’s service either on a one-year contract (via the tender) or matching another team’s offer. The Browns could also negotiate a trade if another team wants the running back enough so that they get some compensation for not matching the offer.
Still some things up in the air with Johnson, especially with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt already well paid in the team’s backfield, but we know he be a restricted free agent after today’s news.