Tag: Juwan Johnson

Fantasy football: Will the New Orleans Saints offer utility at tight end?

It’s hard to see much TE worth in the Big Easy.

One year after making the transition from longtime franchise quarterback Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints will enter 2022 with head coach Dennis Allen replacing Sean Payton after the latter spent 15 years on the job (not including his one-year suspension in 2012). The team will bring back Jameis Winston (knee) as its starting quarterback, though, after the former No. 1 overall pick had to outlast Taysom Hill for the top job a year ago. Veteran Andy Dalton will be Winston’s backup.

New Orleans will have a new look on the outside with wide receiver Michael Thomas set to return after missing all of 2021 with an ankle injury. He’ll be joined by Ohio State’s Chris Olave, the team’s No. 1 draft pick, and veteran Jarvis Landry, who comes over from the Cleveland Browns. All that extra talent outside could open things up inside, which brings us to the tight ends. Other than Hill (foot) theoretically making the full-time switch to the position upon his return from Lisfranc injury, the Saints decided to run it back and hope Adam Trautman and/or Juwan Johnson elevate their game.

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7 toughest cuts from our latest Saints roster projection

7 toughest cuts from our latest New Orleans Saints roster projection

It’s a good time to take stock of the New Orleans Saints’ roster, with minicamp behind us and a monthlong wait until training camp kicks off in late July. We’ve seen all of the big moves in free agency and the 2022 NFL draft. Anything else is going to be minor tweaks and touchups. We have a good idea of what the starting lineup will look like. We explored it all in our 53-man roster projection, which you can find here broken down by position groups.

There were other tough decisions that ultimately didn’t materialize into anything — is Zack Baun finally ready to get on the field with the rest of the defense? — but for the most part we got down to the final ten or twelve roster cuts without much debate. In the end, though, we put together a squad that looks formidable. Here are the seven toughest cuts from that process:

Juwan Johnson hoping to stand out in second year at tight end

Juwan Johnson picked up a first down on 12 of 13 catches last year. Now 15 pounds heavier, he’s hoping to stand out in his second year at tight end:

Juwan Johnson was a surprise breakout for the New Orleans Saints in 2021, converting a first down on 12 of his 13 receptions and ranking third on the team with 4 touchdown catches. He didn’t get a lot of targets (the ball went his way just 22 times in 14 games), but Johnson did enough to warrant a longer look at tight end. The 6-foot-4 pass-catcher played receiver as a rookie in 2020 and in college at Oregon and Penn State, opting to convert to tight end last summer. Now he’s looking to build on that momentum with more experience behind him.

He’s certainly put in the work, telling WWL’s Jeff Nowak that he’s gotten his weight up to 250 pounds in preparation for a second year at tight end (Johnson added that he played at 235 pounds last season; the Saints’ online roster still lists him at 231). That puts Johnson closer to the position’s prototype, compared to teammates like Nick Vannett (listed at 261 pounds), undrafted rookie Lucas Krull (260), Adam Trautman (253), and Kahale Warring (250). It’s unclear what Taysom Hill’s goal weight is after shifting focus to tight end from quarterback given he’s still recovering from an injury-plagued 2021 season.

So let’s focus on Johnson. He was a healthy scratch at times last season because he didn’t offer much beyond his pass-catching ability in some specific situations and personnel groupings. He’s bulked up to help assert himself as a blocker on running plays, but he may need to look for a role on special teams, too. Vannett and Hill’s contracts ensure they’ll have roster spots — cutting Vannett specifically would save just $1.1 million while leaving $2.2 million behind in dead money. Trautman is a safe bet despite his early-career struggles. That means Johnson needs to show he offers more upside in more areas of the game than Krull and Warring.

Fortunately he’ll have a long summer to do so. There’s still time now as Saints minicamp practices continue, and the daily grind in training camp will bring ample opportunities. We’ll just have to wait and see if Johnson can take another step forward.

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8 Saints whose roster spots are in jeopardy in 2022

8 Saints whose roster spots are in jeopardy in 2022, via @DillySanders, @MaddyHudak_94, @RossJacksonNOLA, and @john_siglerr:

The New Orleans Saints have built a strong roster ahead of the 2022 season, but competition to make the team might end up leaving some familiar names on the outside looking in — with roster cuts on the still-distant horizon, even veteran players have some things to prove once the Saints gather for training camp. Everyone knows that the NFL stands for “Not For Long,” and that these opportunities aren’t guaranteed. Here are eight players we’ll be watching closely over the summer:

Saints re-sign exclusive rights free agent Juwan Johnson

The Saints re-signed tight end Juwan Johnson, another one of their exclusive rights free agents:

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Here’s a good move: the New Orleans Saints have re-signed backup tight end Juwan Johnson, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Johnson, 25, broke out for the Saints last year with 13 receptions for 159 yards and 4 touchdown catches. Not bad production for someone who worked as a wide receiver the year before, and who got on the field for just 21.7% of the team’s offensive snaps. Johnson found ways to make plays whenever he was in the game.

And bringing him back wasn’t a surprise — as an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA), the Saints could sign him to a one-year deal at a minimum salary, with rival teams barred from making him an offer. That won’t be the case next offseason, when Johnson becomes a restricted free agent, but that’s something to worry about on another day. For now, Johnson’s salary cap hit should clock in at around $895,000.

New Orleans previously re-signed another ERFA in defensive tackle Albert Huggins, and they have one more player with that designation to consider in Jalen Dalton, another defensive tackle, who missed the season with an injury.

As for the tight ends: the Saints have nearly kept their depth chart from 2021 intact, with Johnson backing up Adam Trautman and Nick Vannett while reserves Ethan Wolf and Dylan Soehner return for another shot. Another backup, Garrett Griffin, is a restricted free agent who could return at a minimum salary. Adding Johnson back to the mix helps, but he’s not goign to solve all of New Orleans’ problems at tight end. It makes sense for the Saints to consider veteran free agents like Kyle Rudolph.

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Malcolm Jenkins and Juwan Johnson cleared from COVID-19 protocols

Some reinforcements are on the way: Malcolm Jenkins and Juwan Johnson have been cleared from COVID-19 protocols

Some reinforcements are on the way for the New Orleans Saints: starting safety Malcolm Jenkins and backup tight end Juwan Johnson have both been cleared from the COVID-19 reserve list, per Tuesday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire.

And more help could be on the way ahead of Sunday’s Week 17 game with the Carolina Panthers after the NFL and NFLPA adjusted their protocols to reflect the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Asymptomatic individuals may now return to work after five days, not ten, regardless of vaccination status.

That’s big news for a Saints team that lost to the Miami Dolphins on Monday night in part because of an outbreak that sidelined nearly two dozen players, including their top two quarterbacks and all three starting linebackers, plus an important on-field leader in Jenkins.

It’s frustrating that this change was initiated after the Saints-Dolphins game, but it honestly wouldn’t have made much of a difference for New Orleans. Only two players entered COVID protocols prior to that five-day window which would have allowed them to play, in Johnson and tight end Adam Trautman. All of the other Saints players on the list missed the cut and wouldn’t have cleared protocol in enough time to play on Dec. 27, including Jenkins.

Fortunately they should have ample time to get right in time for Jan. 2’s matchup with Carolina. And with a playoffs berth still within reach, New Orleans needs all the help it can get.

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Adam Trautman joins Juwan Johnson on Saints COVID-19 reserve list

Adam Trautman joins Juwan Johnson on COVID-19 reserve list, leaving Saints dangerously thin at tight end

That’s not ideal. The New Orleans Saints lost another tight end to the league’s COVID-19 reserve list on Wednesday, sidelining tight end Adam Trautman just days after Juwan Johnson entered COVID-19 protocols. And that’s on top of the previous loss of Garrett Griffin, who was designated to injured reserve for three weeks with a hamstring injury.

It leaves just one healthy tight end on the Saints’ 53-man roster: Nick Vannett. Expect Ethan Wolf to be elevated from the practice squad for Monday night’s game with the Miami Dolphins if neither Trautman nor Johnson receive the green light to play.

If he weren’t starting at quarterback these days, it would make sense for Taysom Hill to spent more minutes lining up at tight end, running routes and throwing blocks. But with Jameis Winston out for the season and Trevor Siemian’s limitations pretty clearly exposed (and the Saints hesitant to even dress Ian Book on game days), Hill will remain under center.

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Saints add TE Juwan Johnson to COVID-19 reserve list

Saints add TE Juwan Johnson to the COVID-19 reserve list, re-sign CB Dylan Mabin to the practice squad

The wave of COVID-19 outbreaks across the NFL may have reached the New Orleans Saints. Second-year tight end Juwan Johnson was added to the COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday after Week 15’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but so far he’s the only new addition from either team. Hopefully he returns to good health soon and no other players are sidelined due to the coronavirus.

Two weeks ago the Saints were without three of their own against the New York Jets, including defensive end Cameron Jordan, running back Mark Ingram II, and wide receiver Ty Montgomery. All three of them cleared protocol to return in time for Sunday’s kickoff at Tampa Bay.

Dozens of players across the NFL have been placed on COVID-19 reserve in recent days as teams work to contain the spread. Several Week 15 games were rescheduled to accommodate teams managing widespread absences. It’s a real problem, but let’s hope the Saints are on top of it.

Additionally, the Saints re-signed cornerback Dylan Mabin to their practice squad after waiving him a few weeks back. They still have young defensive backs on the practice squad in Jordan Miller, KeiVarae Russell, and Bryce Thompson, so he’ll have his work cut out for him in pushing for looks on the 53-man roster.

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Adam Trautman diagnosed with MCL sprain, expected to miss 4-6 weeks

Adam Trautman diagnosed with MCL sprain, expected to miss 4-6 weeks

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That bites. Adam Trautman finally turned in a couple of solid games and now he’s going to miss a month or more with a knee injury; ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday that Trautman sprained his MCL and is facing a four- to six-week recovery. It could have been worse given how he fell on his leg and needed help leaving the field, looking more like a possibly broken bone. He’ll be back later this season.

Trautman caught five receptions for 58 receiving yards (a new personal best) in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, which put his season total at 25 receptions for 241 yards — a rate of 2.5 catches and 24.1 yards per game.

So that leaves Garrett Griffin, Juwan Johnson, and the recently-activated Nick Vannett as healthy options on the 53-man roster. Ethan Wolf is also on the practice squad. The Saints have made Johnson a healthy scratch in recent weeks but he should see a heightened workload with Trautman down. They don’t have any other tight ends with much receiving ability.

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TE Juwan Johnson officially active for Saints vs. Titans

TE Juwan Johnson officially active, but TE Nick Vannett inactive for Saints vs. Titans

Well this is perplexing. The New Orleans Saints activated tight end Nick Vannett from injured reserve this week, but he won’t be dressing out for Sunday’s game with the Tennessee Titans. Vannett was one of several healthy players deactivated for Week 10 — along with defensive end Jalyn Holmes and wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Instead, the Saints are dressing out tight end Juwan Johnson after he was benched last week. They’re also activating wide receiver Kevin White, cornerback Ken Crawley (who also returned from injured reserve recently), and two players who were questionable to suit up due to injuries in wide receiver/running back Ty Montgomery and defensive end Carl Granderson.

Here is the full inactive list from both teams, and you can find our breakdown of the final injury report here: