Browns had to sign K.J.

CLEVELAND -- Kevin Johnson said earlier this week he just wanted to feel wanted by the Cleveland Browns.
Saturday, he had over 17 million reasons to feel wanted, agreeing to a four-year contract extension with the team that drafted him in 1999.
Really, the Browns had no alternative but to give Johnson the money, which amounted to $13.85 million and extended the current deal that was set to expire at the end of this season.
It also included a $3.5 million signing bonus.
If the Browns are serious about contending for the NFL playoffs -- and they are -- Johnson needed to be not just a part of the team, but a happy one.
A better deal
The money turned out to better than what the team originally offered to Johnson earlier this summer -- $10 million for three seasons -- but negotiations still bogged down.
Presumably, Johnson still felt miffed from last year's training camp when coach Butch Davis made public his intention to include the receiver in some trade discussions.
On Wednesday, the team gave Johnson's agent, Tom Condon, permission to shop the wide receiver to other teams for a trade.
The reality of the situation was, that both the team and the player wanted Johnson to remain a Cleveland Brown.
Tim Couch certainly did, and the quarterback said so on Friday.
"He's been my No. 1 receiver for three years, and I'd hate to lose him," Couch said.
Interestingly enough, Couch is also represented by Condon.
"We've got a good thing going together, and I'd like us to be able to stick together for the long haul and take this team where we want to go," Couch said.
Johnson has been the favorite target of Couch in his first three seasons. Last season, he had 84 receptions for 1,097 yards and nine touchdowns. His career numbers are 207 catches for 2,752 yards and 17 TDs in three seasons.
Like an offensive line that needs time to gel together and develop continuity, so must a quarterback and his receivers.
Favorite receiver
The former Syracuse standout has been Couch's favorite receiver since Day 1. To break up that tandem would have certainly done irreparable harm to an offense that has never been very explosive, but one that could be on the cusp of marked improvement this season.
Saturday night, the first team offense was in for two series. Couch completed two passes to Johnson, including the first play of the game, for 10 yards.
"Obviously what happened a year ago at this time has had an effect," said Johnson, referring to the trade talks. "That [led] to my discouragement a little bit. You start to see other sides, and not just the football side of things.
"I guess I was just a young, dumb player who thought he would just come in here and play football.
"I want to know I'm part of the future, considering what happened last year at this time," Johnson said.
So the last thing the team needed was a public disagreement between management and one of its marquee players.
Teammates intervened
Reportedly, some of his teammates talked to Johnson this week about reaching an agreement.
"We have our best receiver in place for the next five years," Browns president Carmen Policy said. "I think he [Johnson] realized that Cleveland is the best place for him. He feels good about it, Tim Couch feels good about it, and I think the rest of players can breathe a sigh of relief."
XRob Todor is sports editor of The Vindicator. Write to him at todor@vindy.com