Eric Johnson Signed (1 Viewer)

[boutte]

EJ tipped 2 passes that were intercepted against Houston and a sure TD pass in another game. (Don't remember which game.)

Other than that he was very sure handed and is great option on 3rd and short. To me his biggest downfall is injuries. The guy is tough but takes a tremendous beating every week.

 

[st.randy]

Apparently Payton is willing to err on the side of a better blocker than on the side of a better receiver.

 

[Domeination]

Signing Johnson was a good move b/c with his return along with that of Miller and Campbell we won't be put in a situation where we have to draft a TE on day 1 even if there is a better player on the board when our turn to pick comes up. And we definitely have the cap space for this signing. Provided Campbell has truly returned to health, we have three guys who are serviceable at the position. At this point, I think we have greater offensive needs at tackle, RB, and receiver than at TE. And our defensive needs at tackle, CB, and LB are definitely more pressing than the need for a TE.

 

[NolaDome]

I agree, the main problem with EJ is that he is strictly a possession TE he cannot run while catching. He fills a need though but we did not upgrade the position which should be the goal of FA...

 

[Waymer]

It looks like the Saints made their move for Troupe, and missed. It happens. After Troupe it's fairly hard to argue that Johnson wasn't the best available TE remaining on the market. The team will go into camp with Johnson, Miller, Campbell, and Ghent. It's not exactly Antonio Gates or Jeremy Shockey, but it is far from the weakest group in the league. Johnson's signing was a must after missing out on Troupe, so it is hard to be that disappointed considering the length and small stature of the deal.

I do expect the Saints to target a TE on Day 2 of the draft though...if there is one there that they like of course. Good TE talent can still be found late.

 

[Jammal70]

Were's Boo Williams when you need him??? haha

boo was awesome

 

[AARPSaint]

boo was awesome

I saw an Arena League game last summer where he played briefly.

 

[Jammal70]

I saw an Arena League game last summer where he played briefly.

speaking of which
i didnt know mcpherson was playing arena hahaha

 

[Albi]

The guy can take a hit, but I want to see something more than the 5-6 yard catch he got every time last year. The guy also can't break a tackle, but he just runs right into defenders and goes down hard. I'm amazed he stayed healthy last year.

He need Meachem or Bush to step up, or we need to draft a playmaker at WR or TE.

 

[SammyDaLoon]

I am not a fan of TE Eric Johnson...here's why..

Eric Johnson at his best is a marginal TE that doesn't have the running ability to get to or even behind the second level of a defense w/ any decent level of consistency. His inability to do this causes linebackers to not respect his speed thus giving them the option to focus on the run first and not sit in coverage at all. Essentially most any NFL Linebacker can cheat towards the line with a step or two when he is in the lineup and still have enough speed to catch up or stop Eric Johnson if he catches the ball. We were victimized by this time and time again last year.

Also the reason he takes way too many big hits(he has a history of this..think back to Dale Carter broken collar bone) is because he lacks field awareness coupled with the fact that he severely lacks atheltic ability to get any type of seperation on even the slowest linebackers in the game. If you have the time, do a quick review of his overall "game" and you will see that he appears as though he is running in sand.

Eric Johnson is also widely known to be a poor to moderate blocker, so the defense immediately thinks pass play when he is in the game. Drew Brees is left at a huge risk when Eric Johnson is in the lineup, and that in itself should cause concern for all on this board.

Last but not least, one of Eric Johnson's best attributes coming into last season were his supposed reliable hands, and I have seen enough to cast a very large shadown of doubt on him in that category.

Finally, Eric is a smart player and a good character guy from what we can tell. He is a "try-hard" type that sometimes get blown up due to not having the athletic ability to protect himself or his QB on the field.

Eric Johnson will be CUT by the end of training camp as long as Billy Miller, Campbell, and TE "to be drafted" dont get injured. Miller and Campbell are much better blockers than Eric. Heck Payton went so far as to name Ronnie Ghent as and i quote "a good young TE".... Draw your own conclusions... Payton nearly dismissed Eric Johnson in the interview on WWL if you listen closely.

Billy Miller is a far superior TE to Eric Johnson in ALL facets of the game....hands, speed, toughness, character, and YAC !!! For goodness sakes...Billy made a HUGE 56 yard play against the Jaguars which was the best play by a Saints TE since Hobby Brenner or Wesley Walls..

The Saints back my statements here by signing Billy 1st and giving him a 2yr contract to boot!!!


Take it easy gang,
samdogg