Browns Trade Rumors: Duke Johnson Drawing Interest from Cowboys and Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys have shown interest in acquiring Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson, according to Andy Slater of 640 The Hurricane.

Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reported earlier Monday "at least three NFL teams" had registered some level of interest in adding Johnson.

Johnson ran for 201 yards and caught 47 passes for 429 yards and three touchdowns in 2018. He saw his production suffer with the emergence of Nick Chubb, who led the team with 996 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie.

Because of Chubb, the Browns may have viewed Johnson as an expendable asset heading into this offseason. According to Cabot, Johnson was "privately frustrated by his lack of touches" last year.

Cleveland then signed Kareem Hunt in February. Hunt is still on the commissioner's exempt list, so his immediate future is unclear. Should Commissioner Roger Goodell reinstate Hunt anytime during the 2019 season, Johnson would immediately slip to third in the depth chart.

Johnson would have value to a team in need of a running back. He's averaging 4.3 yards per carry and has shown himself to be a capable pass-catcher through his first four years. The price to acquire Johnson shouldn't be all that high, either.

It seems likely the 2015 third-round pick will be suiting up for another team in 2019, though Cabot noted the Browns might prefer to wait until Hunt's status is resolved before they deal Johnson.