Markus Wheaton

A glimpse into what could be Diontae Johnson’s future

Steelers Wire takes a look at the second year of current and past Steelers wide receivers to predict Diontae Johnson’s future.

As a rookie, Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson had a great season, especially considering the offense fell apart after its leader was placed on injured reserve. Johnson logged a rookie-high 59 receptions for 680 yards and five touchdowns — all but three of those receptions came from Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges. Just imagine what Johnson will do with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm.

In terms of production, players typically make the most significant leap from their first to second seasons.

Where do you think that will put Johnson? An excellent indicator of the future is the past.

Here is how other receivers in their second-year have performed:

James Washington

44 rec., 735 yards, three touchdowns

JuJu Smith-Schuster

111 rec., 1,426 yards, seven touchdowns

Antonio Brown

69 rec., 1,108 yards, two touchdowns

Martavis Bryant

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

50 rec., 765 yards, six touchdowns

53 rec., 644 yards, two touchdowns

Emmanuel Sanders

Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

22 rec., 288 yards, two touchdowns

Mike Wallace

60 rec., 1,257 yards, 10 touchdowns

Santonio Holmes

Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

52 rec., 942 yards, eight touchdowns

Plaxico Burress

(Photo by: DAVID MAXWELL/AFP via Getty Images)

66 rec., 1,008 yards, six touchdowns

Hines Ward

61 rec., 638 yards, seven touchdowns

I estimate that Johnson will put up 60 receptions, 881 yards, and nine touchdowns based on his eight predecessors and two current teammates’ past production. The potential is there for Johnson’s numbers to be even higher, but there are a lot of cooks in the Steelers kitchen — more than Roethlisberger has ever had it his disposal.

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Ranking each Bears’ free agency class under Ryan Pace

Bears GM Ryan Pace has had major hits and huge misses in free agency. But how does each of his FA classes stack up against one another?

There’s no doubt that NFL free agency is one of the most exciting time of the year for football fans. It’s the first major opportunity for teams to find new talent, shuffle their roster, and make the necessary changes to contend for a playoff spot in the season to come.

However, while a free agency class can take a team to the next level, another can cripple them financially and pull them down to the bottom of the division. When it comes to the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Pace, they’ve experienced both situations.

Pace, now in his sixth season leading the Bears, has had major hits and huge misses in free agency. But how does each of his free agent classes stack up against one another? Below is a ranking from Pace’s worst to best free agent groups between 2015 and 2019.

5) 2017 free agent class

Key hits – CB Prince Amukamara

Key misses – QB Mike Glennon, S Quintin Demps, TE Dion Sims, WR Markus Wheaton

What a group, huh? When free agency officially opened, Pace inked Glennon, Demps and Sims to three-year deals right off the bat, possibly becoming one of the worst “big three” ever assembled in sports. Glennon, signed from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was given the opportunity to start but only lasted four games before rookie quarterback and first-round selection Mitchell Trubisky took the reins.

Demps, meanwhile, truly only had one memorable play as a Bear which took place in week one when Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper stiff-armed the veteran to the ground on his way to an 88-yard score. Demps went on injured reserve just two weeks later. Both only lasted one season in Chicago.

Sims at least made it through two seasons, but was lackluster at best. Other signings such as receiver Markus Wheaton, who caught three more passes than I did for the Bears and cornerback Marcus Cooper, who’s most memorable moment in Chicago was showboating after an interception, turning a pick-six into a pick-three.

The only true standout from the class was cornerback Prince Amukamara, who was a consolation prize for the Bears after other corners such as A.J. Bouye and Stephon Gillmore spurned them for other teams. Amukamara became a solid starter for an eventual playoff team and turned his tryout into a bigger contract. But overall, this class was a colossal failure for Pace.

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