Is Andre Johnson A Viable Option For Ravens?
One of the most exciting receiver of our time is Andre Johnson. Johnson’s best football seems to be behind him and he has been released by the Colts. Should the Ravens be interested in bringing in the former superstar?
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Last season did not go as planned for Johnson. Johnson had just 41 receptions for 503 yards and four touchdowns. These numbers aren’t very shiny and are by far the worst in his 14 year career. Things did not go his way but fate was pretty cold to the Colts as well. The Colts finished 8-8 after starting the season 1-5. Their prolific Andrew Luck got hurt and the Colts struggled.
It would be fair to question if Johnson was really washed up. Could it be possible that the in the middle of all the adversity the Colts faced, Johnson just had a bad year? In 2014, with the Texans, Johnson had 83 receptions and over 900 receiving yards. This may not have been the amazing rate of production that Johnson was used to having but it was still pretty solid.
Everybody thinks father time has caught up with Johnson. Everyone thinks he is washed up. The question is what if he isn’t. The Carolina Panthers didn’t hesitate to get rid of Steve Smith when his production dropped in the 2013, and that worked out pretty good for the Ravens. Smith had 79 receptions, 1,065 yards and six touchdowns in the 2014 season. What if Johnson has another good year of football left in him.
The Ravens would be getting Johnson at an extreme bargain. The wide receiver still wants to play football and he wants to win it all. The Ravens have a franchise quarterback and a proven history despite having a bad 2015 season. They could turn it around. If the Ravens called, Johnson would be interested. The Ravens don’t have a ton of cap space. This may not be their favorite option, but it is one they might consider.
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The Ravens have a history of signing veteran free agent wide receivers. They signed Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin and Steve Smith all as aging receivers. This is a move that has precedent in Baltimore. Maybe Johnson is washed up. Maybe he isn’t the superstar he was before. But maybe he has some production yet to leave on the football field. One thing is for sure, there won’t be a bidding war so the Ravens could get it done.