Juwan Johnson will be a free agent this upcoming offseason, and there should be serious conversation on whether or not the New Orleans Saints should look to retain Johnson.
If Johnson looks to go elsewhere in free agency, there is one destination in particular that could feel just like home.
The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke sees Johnson’s “best fit” with the Denver Broncos. This would entail Johnson following the footsteps of former teammates Wil Lutz, Adam Trautman, Tre’Quan Smith, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Lucas Krull and others by joining former head coach Sean Payton.
Familiarity in the system would benefit Johnson by removing the need to learn a new system. Johnson and Payton were paired for two seasons, followed by another two seasons with Pete Carmichael after Payton’s retirement. Until this past year, this was the only professional offense Johnson played in.
Outside of familiarity, Brooke also sees Johnson as the potential middle of the field target Denver is missing. His ability to become the Broncos’ middle of the field target would come down to utilization versus ability.
New Orleans didn’t have a great middle of the field presence in the passing game. Spencer Rattler used the tight ends more than Derek Carr, so maybe Carr’s preference for targeting wide receivers was the biggest reason Johnson was limited over the middle.
Johnson has flashed that ability at times in New Orleans to be a threat on crossing routes and running up the seams. He is a former wide receiver whose skillset would allow him to provide that to Denver. It’s just about the frequency.
