The Juwan Johnson hype train has been going strong this past month. Even after a career year, Tyler Shough is predicting we haven't seen nothing yet from the tight end. Bleacher Report's Moe Moton is here to put an end to all of the hype.
Moton predicted Johnson will be the Saints' biggest bust in the upcoming season. Johnson has built himself some lofty expectations after a career season. Moton doesn't believe he'll live up to them again or even "come close to matching those numbers this year."
It's a stance that is largely based on stats over overall impact, but when you call a player a potential bust, both aspects have to play a part in that label. Moton points to the additions of Jordyn Tyson and Bryce Lance as potential deterrents to Johnson reaching nearly 900 yards again.
Juwan Johnson is still the Saints unquestioned TE1
Johnson competing with Tyson, and possibly even Lance, for receptions and yards is acceptable, but the other side of Moton’s criticism feels a bit of a far fetched. Johnson battling for snaps within his own room is unlikely.
The Saints did sign Noah Fant and draft Oscar Delp this offseason, but they’re additives to Johnson more than replacements. Moton is giving Delp a year to develop, he sees a chance of Fant eating into Johnson’s role in the passing game.Â
That’s where it gets a bit shaky. Fant and Delp are additives because they should see most of their snaps come in multiple tight end formations. When the Saints are operating with a singular tight end on the field, that should be Johnson pretty much every time.Â
Fant will see some targets, but that’s in competition with Johnson in the same way that Jordyn Tyson would be. The Saints are deeper at pass catcher, so the ball will naturally be spread around more.Â
The argument Moton is making is more than statistical. He put the argument up that Fant could take snaps away from Johnson, and that just doesn’t seem likely at the moment.Â
Add us as a preferred source on Google