Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Nico Johnson says that he feels great.
How great?
Well great enough that his preexisting issues won't hold him back anymore. Not since the start of his senior season at Alabama has he felt this good. In the past two years, he's undergone multiple surgeries to correct a sports hernia. During his rookie season in Kansas City, he battled a high-ankle sprain that impacted most of his rookie season -- he played six games that year.
In addition to those injuries, Johnson was having a difficult time adjusting.
"From then on, it just seemed like it was uphill," Johnson said via AL.com. "After Pro Day, I got drafted, and I tried to get caught up to speed when I was at Kansas City, and it just seemed like I could never get caught up. Then, as far as my body, I was feeling good about my performance throughout camp and the preseason, and I end up getting hurt again."
Cincinnati swooped in and signed Johnson off of Kansas City's practice squad in mid-October (2014). By this point, Johnson told AL.com that he was "miserable." Now with the Bengals, Johnson is recommitting himself to his craft:
"That was probably the most miserable, difficult time of my career as far as football," Johnson said. "I didn't know what to do. I was frustrated with myself. I was frustrated with my teammates. I was frustrated with my coaches. I was just frustrated all the way around. But then it came to the last two weeks I was there, and I self-evaluated. I sat down and watched film from my rookie year. I watched film from camp that year, and I wasn't playing like I was capable of.
"So I went back and watched film from when I was at Alabama, and it looked like two totally different players, and I couldn't help to blame myself. I've got to take responsibility because I wasn't making the plays that they're putting me out there to make. Pretty much, when that came to, I just let all of that anger and frustration go and just said that I'm going to get better."
Johnson played 11 games with the Bengals this season, mostly on special teams, though he did register two starts for an injured Rey Maualuga and played 95 snaps on defense, of which 61 were against the Browns in Cincinnati. Of his 15 tackles in 2014, seven were identified as "run stops" (plays that prevent an offensive player's success). Pro Football Focus gave him an overall score of -1.6, including a his -1.7 against the Browns where he also posted a career-high 10 tackles.
The question today:
Is Nico Johnson a realistic candidate to replace Rey Maualuga, if Maualuga isn't re-signed by the Bengals? These guys are essentially the same player -- two down backers with a specialty of defending the run. Is Johnson enough an upgrade and thus reason not to re-sign Maualuga? Could Johnson be a long-term solution with a bit more development or is he a band aid/stopgap solution, freeing up an obvious need to rebuild the position via the NFL draft or free agency?
Johnson, a former fourth-round draft pick in the 2013 NFL draft is signed through 2015 and scheduled to earn $585,000 this season. He's also slated to become a restricted free agent next year.
A few points on his pre-draft reviews (it's only been two years since then):
- Usually responsible for taking on fullback and lineman blocks in the middle to free up teammates, but can use his hands to hold them off (when not sliding under) and shed to make plays.
- Good hustle, will chase running backs to the sideline and plays 10-15 yards down-field after coming on a blitz.
- Rob Rang of CBS Sports and NFL Draft Scout wrote in 2013: "On tape, Alabama's Nico Johnson is one of this year's stoutest run defenders. The 6-2, 249 pound sledge hammer seems to enjoy taking on and shedding blocks and is an aggressive, drag-down tackler. He's also a player who scouts expect to work out well, though this athleticism doesn't always translate onto the field in coverage."
- Lacks straight-line speed to recover once behind a step in coverage or juked at the line of scrimmage, will also struggle to get angle on backs before they turn upfield at the next level.