Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's difficult to argue with the extension the Browns gave running back Duke Johnson last week. The deal is for three years and $15.6 million, with $7.74 million guaranteed.

Johnson expressed, dating back to the end of last season, a desire to stay in Cleveland and it's a no-brainer for the Browns to hang onto the man who scored more than a quarter of their touchdowns a season ago.

So I was a little surprised when

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I don’t really understand that contract extension for Duke Johnson, on either side. Think both would have benefitted by him seeking a team with less options moving forward. — Ian Kenyon (@IanKenyonNFL) June 7, 2018

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And, look, if you really think about it, you can talk yourself into that line of thinking. How much is too much? The Browns spent significant resources on their running backs this offseason, signing Carlos Hyde and drafting Nick Chubb early in the second round.

Beyond that, you brought in Jarvis Landry, who plays an awful lot from the slot. You have two tight ends in David Njoku and Seth DeValve who are best utilized split out from the line. You're hoping for a full season of Josh Gordon and a big leap from Corey Coleman.

However, Browns fans know, probably better than anyone, there is no such thing as too many options. In the Browns' Week 4 loss to Cincinnati last year, Ricardo Louis, Kenny Britt and Rashard Higgins took the most snaps among skill-position players. Two weeks later, Kasen Williams, a waiver claim prior to the season, took 58 percent of the offensive snaps. Higgins came off the practice squad in Week 2 after getting cut at the start of the season and was the most-targeted receiver.

If the Browns were entering 2018 as a well-oiled offensive machine with a stable quarterback situation and a history of easily replacing key players, I would listen to the value argument.

I'm not about to make that case, though. Johnson's extension is a win all around. Here's why:

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Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

It's about matchups

The Browns were never in a position to create matchup problems a season ago. Gordon was gone for most of the season. Coleman played in just nine games. Njoku was effective but raw. The only people losing sleep over Kenny Britt were the Browns' coaching staff.

Johnson is a matchup problem.

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"Unlike a majority of the league's backs, Johnson had significant success running routes and catching the ball away from the backfield, as he ran north of 80 routes either in the slot or at outside receiver. Such positional versatility contributed to his fourth-ranked average depth of target (1.88) and eighth-ranked passer rating when targeted (100.8) among running backs with at least 60 targets in 2017. He also turned 44.6 percent of his receptions into either first downs or touchdowns this past season, which ranked fifth among the same group of backs."

All of a sudden, an opposing defensive coordinator has to think about how he is going to deal with Gordon on the outside, Landry, who can line up in various spots, the power-running duo of Hyde and Chubb, the athleticism of Njoku and, oh, where is Johnson lining up?

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Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

It's about weapons for your quarterback

Sure, if you have Tom Brady, you can fudge some things. The Browns, however, do not have Brady and aren't waiting for him to show up. Tyrod Taylor is a quarterback who can win games, but you need to surround him with options.

Hopefully, since he was the No. 1 pick, Mayfield will develop into the type of quarterback who can thrive independent from his surroundings. He hasn't taken a snap in the NFL yet, though. Invest in his supporting cast while he's making rookie-scale money.

Taylor is set to have legitimate weapons at all levels of the field this season. He has a deep threat in Gordon. He has Landry who can work underneath. He'll have Johnson, too. Of course, Johnson wasn't going anywhere this season, but this means that so will Mayfield, for this year and years to come.

Sometimes, it's nice to let your weapons develop alongside your quarterback.

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John Kuntz, cleveland.com

It's about talent

Scheme is important. Coaching is important. There's nothing to be done about that for now.

You know what else NFL games come down to sometimes? Simply put: Are you better than the man across from you?

Hang around enough press conferences and locker rooms and you'll hear someone say, "They get paid, too."

In other words, all of these guys are professional athletes and, sometimes, the other guy is just going to win his matchup on a particular play. The better the talent, the more that guy is going to win. The bigger the talent, the bigger the problem.

Duke Johnson can be a problem.

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via GIPHY

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A big problem.

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via GIPHY

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Remember 2014

Things tend to shake out in the NFL. The Browns signed Ben Tate in 2014, then drafted Terrance West and signed Isaiah Crowell as an undrafted free agent. Eight months after Tate signed, he was released. West and Crowell took over.

This running back group is different because of Johnson's versatility, but any overcrowding will work itself out. Hyde is essentially on a one-year deal should the Browns choose to move on after this season. Even if they don't, what's your worst-case scenario? Hyde and Chubb split carries in an era when the featured back is a rarity and Johnson continues in his Swiss Army knife role.

For now, Haley can ride the hot hand and save Chubb, who carried the ball over 200 times in three of his four seasons at Georgia, the wear-and-tear of carrying the rushing load.

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