Browns News: GM John Dorsey Says Duke Johnson Staying Despite Trade Request

Even though Duke Johnson would like to be traded before the start of the 2019 season, the Cleveland Browns have no intention of honoring their running back's request. 

Per Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, Browns general manager John Dorsey said the coaching staff considers Johnson "as a vital part" of their offense and he will be a "member of this organization moving forward."

Dorsey's comments echo what head coach Freddie Kitchens told reporters about Johnson during the NFL's annual meetings last month. 

"I don't know why we would ever want to voluntarily give up a good football player," Kitchens said. "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."

Cabot previously reported on April 1 that a representative for Johnson asked the Browns to trade the fifth-year running back. 

That same day, Johnson was a no-show for Cleveland's voluntary offseason program. 

"It's what he chose to do," Kitchens said. "It's all voluntary."

Speculation about Johnson's future in Cleveland began in February when the team signed Kareem Hunt to a one-year deal in February.

Hunt is suspended for the first eight games of the 2019 season due to violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. He was released by the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 30 after TMZ released video footage of him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel in February 2018. 

The Browns signed Johnson to a three-year extension last June that runs through the 2021 season. The 25-year-old has 3,456 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns on 534 touches in 64 games over the past four years.