Full Name: Eric Maxwell Johnson Born: September 15, 1979 Needham, MA Height: 6-3 Weight: 252 lbs. Age: 27 Pos: TE Experience: 6 years College: Yale Drafted: Year:2001 Round:7 Pick:24, 49ers Insider Analysis Grade 67 Expert's Take Johnson is a very athletic tight end who shows very good utility in his ability to block and catch the tough passes in traffic. He has been hampered by injuries and is set to be the backup tight end for the 49ers due to the selection of tight end Vernon Davis with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. Johnson does a more than adequate job in his run blocking, but his strength is in his ability to make plays in the passing game by understanding coverages and knowing how to get open. He should be a quality addition for a team in need a very good pass-catching tight end. He has good quickness and accelerates out of his breaks. Johnson catches the ball well in traffic, has soft hands and is reliable in his pass catching. He is a smart player who understands routes and angles. Johnson has good speed to stretch the defense and cause match-up problems for the linebackers. He is not a great player in his run after catch, but can get downfield. He is a good possession receiver and does a decent job in the run game, but could be stronger at the point of attack. He does not always bend at the knees, which causes him to lose the leverage battle. Johnson needs to be more physical at the linebacker level, but he lacks the strength to be a dominant blocker. Johnson is more of a fluid athlete than fast or quick, who is a little slow in and out of his breaks. He Is not going to separate from anyone in man-to-man coverage and is a better player in zone coverage. Johnson is a solid player who can help in upgrading the tight end position for a young team looking for veteran experience at the position. He is not a dominant player, but solid, reliable and dependable. His only negative is that he has had injury problems. He is an above average blocker and a great receiver. He and Baker would make for some sick 2 TE sets. Thoughts?
Eric Johnson would be nice but hes too injury prone and is barely an upgrade over Baker. There was a reason SF got Vernon Davis to replace him...
i mentioned him about a month or two ago as a FA signing for my offseason plans but no one really seemed too interested. i didn't know enough about him besides that he was doing pretty well for my fantasy team haha but he seemed like a solid receiver.
Isn't he white? I don't know how well that works. J/K LOL!11!! Seriously, he'd be a kickass signing to pair with Baker.
SF drafted Vernon Davis because he is a stud. drafting him in now way reflects on Eric Johnson except that Johnson isn't a great player, which no one is accusing him of being anyways.
If he is not an upgrade I dont want him. I know depth is important, but how much depth do you really need at TE?
Hehe, i saw that Dolphins dropped Mc Michael. I wouldn't mind having him just to stick it to Miami. I just think if he came here though, he would suck.
im not a big believer that since a guy can run around cones well that that translates into playing well on the field. ive watched the guy play for the past couple of years, and hes good. hes got soft hands, hes durable, and hes an adequate blocker. late first day or early day 2 pick would be a great value pick up. especially if his stocks dropped due to the combine. more than anything i want to see brian leonard drafted though. hes a sold FB. can run, catch and block. aside from his on the field qualities hes an exceptional off the field/locker room guy. harris is also in that mold. hes pretty solid all around, and his character is impeccable.
johnson played well replacing davis when he was hurt....and he had a great 04 season 825 yds for a TE is ridiculous, but worst possible scenario he would be great depth to the TE position his injury problems wont kill us since we have baker...and he managed to stay healthy last season so... basically he is well worth a chance
I think guys like Johnson and Mcmichael are going to wait until the Daniel Graham signing possibly enhances the tight end market. Or at least sets a market range for where players of their calibur should be signed at.
