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Mike McCarthy sounded suspicious about how the Browns ended up with Charles Johnson on their injured reserve list with a torn ACL.
(Jim Prisching/Associated Press)
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Browns plan to keep and develop former Packers rookie receiver Charles Johnson after he recovers from surgery this week to repair his torn anterior cruciate ligament. Last week, Packers coach Mike McCarthy sounded suspicious about how the whole thing unfolded.
"Charles Johnson, fine young man,'' McCarthy told reporters Friday. "I wish he was still here. Injured during training camp. I’m very curious to see how this all came about. I don’t know if all the facts are in yet. He was obviously under our care and acquired by Cleveland. That’s probably all I should say, he works for the Browns right now.''
The Browns signed Johnson, a seventh-round pick out of Grand Valley State in Michigan, off the Packers squad Oct. 12. A few days later, they discovered in a physical that he had the torn ACL. Johnson had missed practice the previous Wednesday in Green Bay, but returned the following day.
“We didn’t know anything about that (the ACL) so from that standpoint, it was a surprise,'' coach Rob Chudzinski said Friday. "He’s a developing player that has some potential. It’s unfortunate. He’s going to have his surgery next week, and we’ll get him ready and we’ll see where he’s at down the road.”
With all of the injuries at receiver, the Packers were especially disappointed to see Johnson go. A day after the Browns signed him, the Packers lost receiver Randall Cobb and James Jones to knee injuries. Cobb is on injured reserve and Jones is inactive today.
"I think we’re gonna try to get Charles Johnson back from your guys’ team, put him in our system,'' quarterback Aaron Rodgers joked to Browns reporters on a conference call Wednesday. "No, we've got some young guys who are getting a chance here.''
The Browns will retain Johnson's rights for four years. At 6-2, 215, he's got size and speed. He dazzled scouts on his Pro Day last year by clocking a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash.
His last two seasons at Grand Valley State, he had more 1,000 receiving yards each year. He caught 15 TD passes in 2011 and 16 in 2012.
Grand Valley was Johnson's third stop in college. He started out at Eastern Kentucky, but was suspended for what he later told mlive.com was "immature things.'' The Packer Report discovered that Johnson was kicked out of Eastern Kentucky because he and his roommate had a stolen laptop in their dorm room.
He then headed to Antelope Community College in California in 2008, and took a year off in 2009 before beginning at Grand Valley in 2010.