Report: Browns trading for FB Andy Janovich

The Cleveland Browns have reportedly made a trade with the Denver Broncos for fullback Andy Janovich.

According to Mike Klis of Denver’s 9 News, the Browns will send a seventh-round draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to the Broncos in exchange for Janovich:

Originally a sixth-round selection by the Broncos in the 2016 NFL Draft, Janovich appeared in 50 games for the Broncos. Befitting his position, he has just 22 receptions for 233 yards and 13 rushes for 51 yards in his NFL career. He only played seven games in 2019 due to a dislocated elbow, but Klis points out that Janovich is a valuable special teams player, so he has that going for him.

Interestingly, the Broncos signed Janovich to a three-year contract extension last October, and general manager John Elway praised Janovich’s growth as a player, according to Yahoo Sports:

‘’Andy has developed into one of the best fullbacks in the league. He’s exactly what you look for in a fullback - tough, reliable and a versatile part of not only the offense but also our special teams. It’s nice to see how Andy’s hard work has paid off.’’

Janovich became expendable, however, after the Broncos hired Pat Shurmur, who has little use for a fullback in his vaunted offense, as offensive coordinator in January.

That should not be a problem in Cleveland, where head coach Kevin Stefanski said in January that he has a “healthy respect” for the position, according to clevelandbrowns.com:

“I have a healthy respect for the fullback position. I think it gives you some versatility - because the defense has a hard time knowing whether we’ll be in a one-back, two-back or empty set. In addition, and maybe most importantly, the full back brings a physical aspect to our football team, which is very important to me.”

Given the choice, Browns fans will take Stefanski’s philosophy over Shurmur’s any day of the week.