Fred Johnson was a small talking point when the Cincinnati Bengals added him off the waiver wire from the Pittsburgh Steelers back in mid-October.
Over the weekend though, Johnson became a bigger part of the plan than anticipated by soaking up nearly 70 percent of the snaps during the loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Which means the writing is on the wall for Cordy Glenn.
Zac Taylor told the media Johnson’s ascent is all about how good he’s looked in practice:
“He showed some positive signs. We’ll continue to give him more work this week. We’ll make a decision on how much that is, but he’s a young player that has done really well in practice. He did really well on the tapes we watched when we claimed him. He certainly has all of the size and the traits you look for in a tackle, so we felt that it’s important to evaluate him. He’s earned those reps, and he’ll earn some more reps against Cleveland.”
Johnson, a big rookie with upside the Steelers wanted to stash, didn’t even come off the field in overtime while manning left tackle. With the game on the line, coaches kept him in so he could prove himself.
From the sounds of it, Taylor and Co. saw what they wanted. Johnson isn’t a danger to supplant Jonah Williams when he’s healthy, obviously, but a backup swing role or even competing on the right side isn’t out of the question, which could change how the Bengals approach free agency and the draft.
As for Glenn, he’s got one more year left on his deal but cutting him doesn’t hurt the financials. After the impasse, suspension and eventual return, the relationship seems to have run its course.
[vertical-gallery id=26303]