New England Patriots: How would Stevie Johnson fit?

The New England Patriots seem to be busy adding former Buffalo Bills pass-catchers who used to haunt them, since, after signing noted Patriots-killer and red zone TE Scott Chandler, the Patriots have been in hot pursuit of Stevie Johnson. According to NBC’s Dianna Marie Russini, it is “very likely” that Johnson will be a member of the Patriots, and a contract could be finalized as soon as today.

Johnson spent the 2014 season with the San Francisco 49ers, and he was quietly their most efficient pass-catcher. Per Advanced Football Analytics, he led the team with a 70% catch rate and an average of 8.7 yards per target, proving to be a quiet bright spot on an incredibly disappointing offense. Fellow free agent Michael Crabtree and current 49ers TE Vernon Davis both had big down years in 2014, but Johnson did a nice job of moving the chains in his lone season with Colin Kaepernick.

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Although he had just 35 receptions for 435 yards and three touchdowns, Johnson’s box score stats don’t do justice to his quality season. Per Pro Football Focus, the former Bills star and Darrelle Revis foil dropped just two passes, was tied for 16th among 90 qualifiers in yards per route run, and gave Kaep a 102.0 QB Rating when he was targeted.

Those are solid numbers across the board, and they reflect the consistently high level of play that Johnson showcased while he was the Bills clear-cut No. 1 receiver. A noted sufferer of poor quarterback play, Johnson still managed to turn in three straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2010-2012, proving to be a valuable possession guy every season since the Bills first found him. His final season in Buffalo was a down year solely due to injury, and he was traded to the 49ers due to his high salary and injury woes in 2013.

Had the 49ers thrown it to him more often, maybe Johnson would have received more praise as a successful acquisition. Instead, the 49ers offense struggled despite Johnson’s best efforts, and any deal with the Patriots would likely be of the cheap, prove-it type in the hopes of securing a significant payday in 2016.

Johnson will be 29 when the season opens up, so he’s still clearly in the prime of his career and has the type of skill-set that would make him a valuable player well into his 30’s. He isn’t a slot receiver by any means, but the Bills once made him an underrated mis-match maker by putting his 6’2″ body and smooth route-running in the slot. Johnson has proven that he has the versatility to make an impact on the inside and outside, and he’s excellent at working the intermediate regions of the field as a “Z” receiver.

With Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Rob Gronkowski, Tim Wright, Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson, Brian Tyms, Brandon Gibson, and Chandler, the Patriots would have plenty of potential mouths to feed and huge competitions and WR and TE in training camp if they were to sign Johnson. You could criticize the Patriots for taking quantity over quality too often, but it makes sense for them to stock up on as many quality, unique pass-catchers as possible in order to build a more versatile, horizontally-spaced offense that plays into Tom Brady‘s ability to find the open man in all cases.

See, Johnson is the kind of reliable receiver who can move the chains and be a real asset to the New England Patriots on the outside, even if he was once a real nuisance to them back when he was in Buffalo. If signed, Johnson would be Bill Belichick’s devilish counter to Revis…just kidding, but he would give Brady a target who was a sure bet to catch 70 passes for 1,000 yards and five touchdowns when healthy.

Sep 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers receiver Steve Johnson (13) makes a catch against Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne (24) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

In New England, Stevie Johnson wouldn’t be the team’s top option in the passing game by any means, but, if signed, we could conceivably expect him to become the team’s main “Z” receiver and third option in the passing game as a whole behind Gronk and Edelman.

There are other receivers who can provide the production Johnson does, but he is a unique, reliable player in his own right and would take pressure off of the middle of the field for the Pats.

I’m not completely sold on the idea of Johnson joining a crowded mix of wide receivers in Foxboro, but I can see how he would help the team, especially since the Patriots wouldn’t have to spend much to bring him in.

This is a guy capable of functioning as a No. 2 receiver in this league, and he could give the Pats a lot of options in the passing game with the likes of LaFell. And if Dobson can rehab his value as a big-bodied deep threat in his third season, then the Patriots could really be in business- and in for plenty of tough August cuts- at the wide receiver position.

Of course, with all the talk about Johnson’s ability to run clean routes and move the chains as a “Z”, it does overlook his ability to stretch the field. He isn’t fast and isn’t anything resembling a true deep threat, but he is useful at going deep, as evidenced by his consistent 13.0-ish yards per reception averages as a member of the Bills.

Johnson isn’t a declining player, as some might have you think, and he could be a real asset for the Patriots. That said, expect this deal to be of the low-key variety, since Johnson won’t be guaranteed a spot on the roster if he signs with the Pats; their depth means that it’s all wide open.

Next: Can the Patriots survive without Revis and Browner?

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