Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Diontae Johnson

Wednesday, May 28, 10:14 PM

The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar writes that new Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp could work underneath in the middle of the field in his first year with the team, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba serving as the big-play threat deeper down the field. Kupp and Smith-Njigba have overlapping skill sets, and general manager John Schneider said the use of tight splits will make the two wideouts hard to defend. Seattle could align JSN more out wide as opposed to in the slot, where he spent 77.4% of his snaps last season. Smith-Njigba led all receivers in yards (956) and catches (79) from the slot in a breakout campaign. It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak uses both Kupp and Smith-Njigba in 2025. Kupp is on the wrong side of 30 and has missed five or more games three seasons in a row due to injuries. JSN has the higher ceiling, and we can't count on a ton of volume from Kupp at this point in his career.

Thursday, June 12, 3:36 PM

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson is focused on changing the perception surrounding him this season after a tumultuous 2024, he told ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi on Wednesday. Johnson was all over the place last season, leading the Carolina Panthers in receiving through the first seven games before a mid-year trade to Baltimore -- and eventual release after he refused to play in Week 13. The Texans claimed him, and he caught two passes for them in Week 18, but was waived after their wild-card win over the Chargers due to his "visible frustration" after playing just 15 snaps. The 28-year-old will get a chance to prove himself in Cleveland, as the target competition behind fellow WR Jerry Jeudy and tight end David Njoku isn't too daunting. Still, the offense's success will largely depend on who is calling signals for the Browns in 2025, and even that might not be a guarantee on a weekly basis.