In the most shocking roster move since Bernie Kosar’s release ten years ago, the Browns have dropped their leading receiver, Kevin Johnson. The AP was the first to get KJ’s reaction on the record.
This is sure to stir up a hornet’s nest among the fans. After all, there is plenty to talk about. Was this a matter of Butch’s ego not being able to handle a strong-willed veteran? Was there really less to KJ’s talents than met the eye. Didn’t he have some trade value? Will this move further alienate the team, or will it clear the air? Is signing Dennis Northcutt more of an imperative now, and is it more likely to happen? Will CJ Jones and Frisman Jackson get on the field this year? Is this a concession that 2003 is officially a “rebuilding” year?
I’m not going there. Not today. I don’t feel much like doing analysis. Basically, I’m a fan. And I’ll miss KJ. So to promote the healing process, let’s take a look back at what #85 meant to this team.
In the new Browns franchise’s first college draft in 1999, the team picked QB Tim Couch first. Their next pick, 32nd overall, was the Syracuse QB-turned-WR. He immediately became the most reliable and productive receiver on teams that otherwise could barely move the ball. KJ not only played in all of the new Browns’ games, he caught at least one pass in every one of them. 315 receptions, including 23 touchdowns. He led the team in receiving each of his 4+ seasons. He had 61 more catches than any other Brown in history over their first four seasons. And except for one punt return as a rookie, KJ never lost a fumble. Let’s reminisce further:
9/19/99: In the new team’s second game, Johnson catches four passes for 62 yards at Tennessee, including his first touchdown, a 39-yarder, which was Couch’s first career TD pass.
10/3/99: At home against New England, KJ catches a TD pass for the third straight game. The 64-yarder helps propel him to his first career 100-yard game, as he caught six for 131.
10/31/99: In the Superdome against the Saints, the 0-7 Browns took a 14-10 third-quarter lead on a 24-yard Couch-to-KJ score, but the Saints kicked two more field goals and nursed a 16-14 lead as time ran down. At their own 44 yard line, the Browns had time for just one more play. Couch looped it down the right sideline, and KJ handled it cleanly in the end zone. The new Browns had their first win, in miraculous fashion. “It’s something you can always look back on,” Johnson said. “It happened so fast.”
11/14/99: Avenging their embarrassing 43-0 opening game against the Steelers, the Browns go into Pittsburgh and pull out a thrilling 16-15 victory. KJ’s 35-yard TD in the first quarter gave them the lead for over half the game. He led all receivers that day with five catches for 73 yards.
9/17/00: KJ catches a career-long 79-yard pass in a 23-20 win over the Steelers. The victory gave the young team their first winning record (2-1), the high-water mark in a 3-13 season.
12/10/00: With four quarterbacks out due to injury, the Browns surprised the Eagles by using the combination of KJ and Dennis Northcutt at QB for part of the game. Cleveland actually took a 14-7 lead before the Eagles, behind KJ’s college teammate Donovan McNabb, clinched a playoff berth with a 35-24 win.
10/14/01, 11/25/01: Combined for 14 catches, 266 yards, and two TDs in the two season matchups against Cincinnnati.
12/30/01: Topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season in a thrilling 41-38 comeback win over the Titans.
8/17/02: After a season that ranked second best in team history in catches and yards — but which also swirled with trade rumors — KJ signs a four-year contract extension, including a $3.5 million signing bonus.
9/8/02: Threw his first career TD pass, a 33-yarder to Quincy Morgan, in the season opener against Kansas City. Symbolically, that set the stage for a wide-open and wild season, in which Johnson shared more of the receiving duties than ever before.
12/22/02: The Browns stayed alive in the playoff hunt with a 13-7 win at Baltimore. KJ “had 10 critical blocks, four when he cut his guy to the ground,” according to Coach Butch Davis.
12/29/02: In a must-win game against Atlanta, the Browns were down 16-10 in the fourth quarter. A fumble gave the Browns the ball at the Falcons’ 11, but two plays later, the Browns faced 3rd-and-14. That’s when Kelly Holcomb found KJ in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.
1/5/03: Playing their first post-season game in nine years, the Browns got off to a fast start in Pittsburgh, when Holcomb hit KJ in stride down the right sideline for an 83-yard gain, setting up a touchdown on their first possession. In an offensive-minded game, KJ led all receivers with 140 yards.
9/21/03: With an 0-2 record and a season on the brink, the Browns looked to KJ time and again in San Francisco. He came up with a career-high 11 catches — seven of which moved the chains — as the Browns pulled out a 13-12 win.
Maybe you have some memories of your own that escaped mention here. Cherish them as well, because it’s the memories that endure, longer than any club exec’s promises, longer than a playing career or coaching regime. Cherish them well. Then shake it off and get ready for the next play.