Is he considered durable? He's played a complete season 3 of 7 years, missing 23 of 89 games.
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He also had a knee injury last season. I hope for health for all the Chargers, it couldn't get worse other than a season ender for PR last season.Originally posted by Heatmiser View PostComment
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New 49ers receiver Stevie Johnson hasn’t done much of anything this preseason, catching just two passes for 11 yards in three games. Colin Kaepernick says that’s because he can’t always find Johnson on the field.
According to Kaepernick, Johnson doesn’t always run routes the way Kaepernick is expecting, and that means Kaepernick doesn’t necessarily see Johnson get open.
“There are times that he’s going to make a move on a DB, and you have to be ready because he’s also making a move that you have to see,” Kaepernick said, via the Sacramento Bee. “So I think that’s something where it took a little bit longer just to get used to his body language because he had some unorthodox things that he does. But ultimately his separation is there, he’s getting open.”
Johnson acknowledged that his playing style can be hard for a quarterback to figure out.
“I’ve pretty much taken it upon myself to be unorthodox to make up for some things that other receivers have – you know, speed and quickness,” Johnson said. “I set up my routes a little different. It’s a gift and a curse. Because it can take some time to build chemistry with quarterbacks. But at the same time, the gift is that you know you can get open.”
It doesn’t do the 49ers much good for Johnson to get open if Kaepernick can’t find him. If Johnson is going to help the 49ers win, the two of them need to get on the same page in a hurry.Comment
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Ok, Here is a newer one...
The New England Patriots seem to be busy adding former Buffalo Bills pass-catchers who used to haunt them, since, after signing noted Patriots-killer and red zone TE Scott Chandler, the Patriots have been in hot pursuit of Stevie Johnson. According to NBC’s Dianna Marie Russini, it is “very likely” that Johnson will be a member of the Patriots, and a contract could be finalized as soon as today.
Johnson spent the 2014 season with the San Francisco 49ers, and he was quietly their most efficient pass-catcher. Per Ad*****d Football Analytics, he led the team with a 70% catch rate and an average of 8.7 yards per target, proving to be a quiet bright spot on an incredibly disappointing offense. Fellow free agent Michael Crabtree and current 49ers TE Vernon Davis both had big down years in 2014, but Johnson did a nice job of moving the chains in his lone season with Colin Kaepernick.
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Although he had just 35 receptions for 435 yards and three touchdowns, Johnson’s box score stats don’t do justice to his quality season. Per Pro Football Focus, the former Bills star and Darrelle Revis foil dropped just two passes, was tied for 16th among 90 qualifiers in yards per route run, and gave Kaep a 102.0 QB Rating when he was targeted.
Those are solid numbers across the board, and they reflect the consistently high level of play that Johnson showcased while he was the Bills clear-cut No. 1 receiver. A noted sufferer of poor quarterback play, Johnson still managed to turn in three straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2010-2012, proving to be a valuable possession guy every season since the Bills first found him. His final season in Buffalo was a down year solely due to injury, and he was traded to the 49ers due to his high salary and injury woes in 2013.
Had the 49ers thrown it to him more often, maybe Johnson would have received more praise as a successful acquisition. Instead, the 49ers offense struggled despite Johnson’s best efforts, and any deal with the Patriots would likely be of the cheap, prove-it type in the hopes of securing a significant payday in 2016.
Johnson will be 29 when the season opens up, so he’s still clearly in the prime of his career and has the type of skill-set that would make him a valuable player well into his 30’s. He isn’t a slot receiver by any means, but the Bills once made him an underrated mis-match maker by putting his 6’2″ body and smooth route-running in the slot. Johnson has proven that he has the versatility to make an impact on the inside and outside, and he’s excellent at working the intermediate regions of the field as a “Z” receiver.
With Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Rob Gronkowski, Tim Wright, Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson, Brian Tyms, Brandon Gibson, and Chandler, the Patriots would have plenty of potential mouths to feed and huge competitions and WR and TE in training camp if they were to sign Johnson. You could criticize the Patriots for taking quantity over quality too often, but it makes sense for them to stock up on as many quality, unique pass-catchers as possible in order to build a more versatile, horizontally-spaced offense that plays into Tom Brady‘s ability to find the open man in all cases.
See, Johnson is the kind of reliable receiver who can move the chains and be a real asset to the New England Patriots on the outside, even if he was once a real nuisance to them back when he was in Buffalo. If signed, Johnson would be Bill Belichick’s devilish counter to Revis…just kidding, but he would give Brady a target who was a sure bet to catch 70 passes for 1,000 yards and five touchdowns when healthy.
In New England, Stevie Johnson wouldn’t be the team’s top option in the passing game by any means, but, if signed, we could conceivably expect him to become the team’s main “Z” receiver and third option in the passing game as a whole behind Gronk and Edelman.
There are other receivers who can provide the production Johnson does, but he is a unique, reliable player in his own right and would take pressure off of the middle of the field for the Pats.
I’m not completely sold on the idea of Johnson joining a crowded mix of wide receivers in Foxboro, but I can see how he would help the team, especially since the Patriots wouldn’t have to spend much to bring him in.
This is a guy capable of functioning as a No. 2 receiver in this league, and he could give the Pats a lot of options in the passing game with the likes of LaFell. And if Dobson can rehab his value as a big-bodied deep threat in his third season, then the Patriots could really be in business- and in for plenty of tough August cuts- at the wide receiver position.
Of course, with all the talk about Johnson’s ability to run clean routes and move the chains as a “Z”, it does overlook his ability to stretch the field. He isn’t fast and isn’t anything resembling a true deep threat, but he is useful at going deep, as evidenced by his consistent 13.0-ish yards per reception averages as a member of the Bills.
Johnson isn’t a declining player, as some might have you think, and he could be a real asset for the Patriots. That said, expect this deal to be of the low-key variety, since Johnson won’t be guaranteed a spot on the roster if he signs with the Pats; their depth means that it’s all wide open.
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With us now having two route runner type receivers with Johnson and KA I expect the WR we draft will be a speed guy.Comment
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San Diego Chargers @Chargers 3 minutes ago
“Philip Rivers is one of the quarterbacks I always wanted to play with. I’m happy to be here & happy to work with him.” - @StevieJohnson13Comment
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I was thinking the same thing. This signing (pardon me, singing) definitely gives TT more leeway in the draft's early rounds to take BPA's. I'd still like to see them get a young WR who can take the top off of a defense. Dorsett would be nice, but I doubt he'll drop low enough to be available before more pressing needs are met.Originally posted by rikardo View PostComment
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Good signing. Better contract.Comment
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A smart receiver - give some love to the guy who will decide if he wants to pass to you or not!Comment
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I like the contract...for sure.I'll ride the wave...where it takes me.Comment
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