Executive vice president and general manager Andrew Berry wasted no time finding him one, or two to choose from.
Berry’s first NFL trade was for Broncos fullback Andy Janovich. It cost him a 2021 seventh-round draft pick and Janovich can’t wait to get to Cleveland.
“From what I’ve seen, the whole offense is just stacked with all sorts of talent,” Janovich told 92.3 The Fan in an exclusive interview with the Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima Monday morning. “This is a scheme that they’re bringing in that I’ve been in a handful of times and I love running an offense like what’s coming in.
“I think we’re going to put something good together. I think it’s going to be an explosive, powerful offense.”
Janovich will be tasked with helping block for Nick Chubb, who finished second in the NFL in rushing in 2019 with 1,494 yards and Kareem Hunt.
He’ll also be tasked with picking up blitzes and keeping quarterback Baker Mayfield on his feet.
“I don’t know a lot about him personally,” Janovich said of Mayfield. “I know he married a gal from Nebraska, which my wife likes so hopefully they get to be friends over the next couple of years.”
Janovich played fullback and linebacker in high school and Nebraska was the only college program that wanted him to keep playing fullback while other schools wanted him to play linebacker.
“That’s the only school I wanted to go to was Nebraska,” Janovich said.
He ended up walking on for the Cornhuskers.
“That was hard enough, just getting to Nebraska. The NFL was never a thought in my mind,” Janovich said.
Janovich loves the country lifestyle. He enjoys hunting, and drinking beer.
“Growing up in Nebraska there’s not a whole lot to do besides work or play sports,” Janovich said. “I grew up working, building houses and decks with my brother and in my free time I drank Busch Light or played football.”
Janovich would make the perfect pitch man for his favorite beer.
“Personally, I think it’s the best tasting,” Janovich said. “I don’t think you can beat it. And it’s cheap.”
The Browns were supposed to begin their offseason program on April 6. That is not going to happen as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the nation forcing people to stay home and eliminating travel and gatherings.
Janovich is doing what he can to keep busy and stay in shape.
“Just trying to do the prison workout – pushups, sit-ups, whatever else you can do, grab the couch, maybe do something with that,” Janovich said. “I’m heading back to Nebraska on Wednesday and the good thing there is my dad has a home gym, so I’ll be able to work out at his place.”
Berry was candid with Janovich when they spoke after the trade that he isn’t sure when they’ll be able to begin offseason work.
“Hopefully it’s not July,” Berry told Janovich according to the fullback.
The likely inability to install the offense in the offseason will be at east one roadblock Janovich and the Browns will have to deal with in 2020.
“The good thing for me is that I’ve been in it before,” Janovich said. “The downside is that we really don’t have a lot of time to run it together, so that’s going to really be the hard part, being able to click with one another and letting all those cylinders run together. We’re going to have to figure it out quick and hopefully they can get the iPads out to us so we can actually study the playbook.”