The Dallas Cowboys were forced to cut running back Gus Johnson Saturday as part of the final cuts to get down to the 53-man roster mandated by the NFL.
For Johnson, being a member of the Cowboys’ practice squad, the question with the undrafted rookie is can he develop into an NFL running back?
I believe so, but some seasoning on a practice squad will be better for his career than sitting on the backend of an NFL roster and possibly being forgotten about.
Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com wrote in his Scout’s Eye column about Johnson and how he had practice squad potential:
"“Really steady in the way he plays. Tough runner with the ball in his hands along with the vision to see holes and make cuts. Not going to run away from tacklers but will finish runs. Had some nice blitz pickup opportunities in the Texans game where he gave you some hope that he can develop.”"
While at the collegiate level with Stephen F. Austin (44 games), the running back totaled 3,892 yards on 631 rushes in his career. Johnson averaged 6.2 yards per carry and rushed for 51 touchdowns in his four-year career.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote this of Johnson in his redraft profile:
"“Compact running back with power in his lower body to break tackles and extend runs, but he’s not a chain-moving power runner with a desire to punish tacklers. Tape shows borderline athletic ability as a pro with little to no value as a third-down back.”"
During the preseason, I really enjoyed watching Johnson play in games, even though his numbers weren’t off the charts. This preseason, Johnson finished with 139 yards on 37 carries (3.8 yards per carry) with two touchdowns in four games.
Aug 13, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Gus Johnson (37) runs for a touchdown during the second quarter in a preseason NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
In the final preseason game, Johnson ran for 68 yards on 16 carries (4.3 yards per carry) with one touchdown. Johnson’s first touchdown of the preseason was the first week against the San Diego Chargers. He finished that game with 13 carries for 35 yards.
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Of all the players who were cut, Johnson was the one I thought had a chance to make the roster. But it is very understandable as to why he didn’t make the final cut, especially now with the Cowboys trading for Christine Michael in a deal with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Don’t expect to see Johnson on the field with the Cowboys this season, but since McFadden isn’t on a long-term deal with the Cowboys and none of us are truly sure how long-term any of the running backs on the roster are with this franchise, maybe a full season on the practice squad will make Johnson a better candidate to make the roster in ’16.
Like I’ve said before, Johnson could end up being a nice running back addition with the Cowboys if he can fine-tune some of his skills. Most likely we won’t hear much of Johnson this season with him on the practice squad, but it would be nice to see if he can develop into a better player by the end of the season.
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