Veteran LB Brandon Johnson Provides Depth Outside

[stillers4me]

Without the benefit of abundant salary cap space, the Steelers had to take an aim-small-miss-small mentality in free agency this off-season.
After initially kicking the tires of seven-year pro Brandon Johnson, he left Pittsburgh without a contract signed, but that changed Wednesday. Johnson joins a Steelers linebacking corps looking to add depth through experience, and that's what they got in Johnson.
Interestingly, though, he's slated to play on the outside.

Veteran OLB James Harrison is said to have suffered a knee injury, and Jason Worilds has been hampered this off-season with a wrist injury. Johnson, who hasn't played in a pass-rushing role in his previous six NFL seasons, has the body of a 3-4 OLB (6-foot-5, 245 pounds), even without the experience............

read more @ http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com...-james-farrior

[GBMelBlount]

Without the benefit of abundant salary cap space, the Steelers had to take an aim-small-miss-small mentality in free agency this off-season.
After initially kicking the tires of seven-year pro Brandon Johnson, he left Pittsburgh without a contract signed, but that changed Wednesday. Johnson joins a Steelers linebacking corps looking to add depth through experience, and that's what they got in Johnson.
Interestingly, though, he's slated to play on the outside.


Veteran OLB James Harrison is said to have suffered a knee injury, and Jason Worilds has been hampered this off-season with a wrist injury. Johnson, who hasn't played in a pass-rushing role in his previous six NFL seasons, has the body of a 3-4 OLB (6-foot-5, 245 pounds), even without the experience............

read more @ http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com...-james-farrior

I hope this is not another injury plagued season...

[LLT]

I think Johnson played Will Linbacker in the 4-3.

There are certain players that I think never fully reach their potential bacause they are placed into the wrong system or simply play for a bad team. DT Jarron Gilbert comes to mind. Incredible atheticism and the prototypical body of a 3-4 defensive end....he has bounced from team to team, mainly as a DT, without the benefit of learning a system under the tutelage of a good defensive coordinator. I'll always wonder what Lebeau and Mitchell could have done with him.

I think Johnson is one of those players. It would have been interesting to have picked him up earlier in his career....but even now I think he may end up being a very good ST player (He was captain of special teams with the Bengals) and may end up being a serviceable wave player.