Duke Johnson fighting for bigger role
by Mike Tagliere | Mon, Jul 9th 11:08am EDT
Scott Patsko of Cleveland.com is reporting that new offensive coordinator Todd Haley is open to anything with the backfield, but said, "It will be determined by what they are capable of handling on a down-in, down-out basis." (Cleveland.com)
Fantasy Impact:
This is obviously big news for Johnson, as neither Carlos Hyde nor Nick Chubb have been known to be great receivers out of the backfield. Some will say that Hyde posted solid totals under Kyle Shanahan last year, but it was extremely volume-driven rather than skill-driven. In the interview, Haley went on to say, "I've done it both ways. We led the league in rushing in Kansas City (2010) in a two-back, almost a two-and-a-half back system. Then in Pittsburgh obviously, when Le'Veon Bell was playing, he was playing." The three-year extension for Johnson says a lot about the team's plans for him in the offense, but this appears to be more of the two-and-a-half back system that Haley had back in Kansas City. It would be a major surprise if anyone in this backfield netted more than 220 touches in 2018, making it one that'll be incredibly hard to predict.
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