Browns running back Duke Johnson has hired a new agent just days after parting ways with Kristin Campbell. Johnson has joined forces with Florida-based mega-agent Drew Rosenhaus.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson is expected to continue pursuing a trade from the Browns. He has doubled down on that request earlier this offseason.
Rosenhaus is one of the most prominent agents because he frequently stages holdouts and plays hardball in negotiations with NFL teams for his clients. Browns fans know him most recently from Rosenhaus’ representation of Breshad Perriman and Emmanuel Ogbah (and Johnny Manziel for a time). He was also the man behind Antonio Brown’s numerous contractual squabbles with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His clients often stage holdouts, something Johnson has yet to do despite already demanding a trade. If Rosenhaus’ history with players in Johnson’s status is any guide, expect any sort of amenable negotiations and full participation by the running back to be out the window.
Browns GM John Dorsey has years of experience working out deals with Rosenhaus, so perhaps their familiarity will help. Dorsey and coach Freddie Kitchens have both insisted they value Johnson and want him on the team. Those words might come back to haunt them now with Rosenhaus calling the shots for Johnson.
It could also facilitate a trade before the season. The prospect of an ongoing headache and holdout for a player who sits third on the depth chart (behind Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and perhaps Dontrell Hilliard too) at his position might be enough to make Dorsey pull the trigger on a respectable trade offer.
