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Re-signing DT Ed Johnson makes Indianapolis Colts improving defensive tackle situation even better
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The Indianapolis Colts' improving defensive tackle position got a whole lot better Tuesday evening with the re-signing of DT Ed Johnson.
This is a low-risk, high-reward move and I had two reactions when I heard it.
1) Great move.
2) What took so long?
And once I thought for a while, there was a third reaction -- and that was that whatever problems the Colts may have had at the defensive tackle position they have gone a long way toward solving in the last 10 days.
First, the team drafted Southern Cal DT Fili Moala in Round 2 of the recent 2009 NFL Draft.
Then, the Colts took Michigan DT Terrance Taylor in Round 4.
It remains to be seen how effective those two players will be, because as rookies, it always remains to be seen, but there's little doubt what Johnson can do. We've already seen it. As an undrafted rookie in 2007, he started 16 games, and while you can't judge a defense on one player, consider:
When he played 16 games in 2007, the Colts ranked No. 2 in the NFL in total defense and 15th against the run, allowing 106.9 yards per game rushing.
When he played on game in 2008, the Colts ranked No. in the NFL in total defense and 24th against the run, allowing 122.9 yards per game.
Sure, there were other factors, most notably safety Bob Sanders missing much of last season, but as Colts President Bill Polian noted shortly after the NFL Draft late last month the Colts have been much better in recent seasons with a quality 300-pounder in the middle than without. They were a very good defense in 2005 with Corey Simon and a very good defense in the 2006 postseason with Anthony "Booger" McFarland inside. That they were good in 2007 perhaps had something to do with Quinn Pitcock also being in the middle, but remember:
Pitcock, who retired unexpectedly before 2008 Training Camp, played at times in 2007, but he was a developing player. Johnson started all 16 games as an undrafted rookie, played like a highly-drafted player some times and a veteran at others and showed what I thought was Pro Bowl potential at times.
When I think of Johnson, one play comes to mind. I don't remember the opponent, but it was sometime in 2007 in the old RCA Dome. A running back was on right side of the field and had gotten there quickly, either by screen or by pitchout. Johnson chased the play down and caught the running back from behind. I imagined then that may have been something like Warren Sapp was as a young player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- a player with size to play the run and speed to do things players of his size shouldn't.
I had half-thought all offseason that re-signing Johnson might be a possibility. He was released in September of this past season following an arrest for marijuana possession, with the Colts making the move after one offense because Johnson was on a zero-tolerance deal with the Colts. He had had off-field troubles at Penn State, troubles that cost him being a first-day selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. Those problems cost him millions on draft day, and his problems in September cost him last season. Who knows if Johnson has learned his his lesson. Here's hoping he had, because from my dealings with him he wasn't a bad guy as much as a poor decision-maker and obviously a bit immature.
Having your livelihood taken away can make you grow up quick, and if that's the case with Johnson, they may have just gotten the same low-risk steal they got on draft day.
And throughout the offseason I kept thinking, "Why not?" There was little financial risk. The players in the locker room liked Johnson and from all indications, the coaches and personnel officials thought fondly of him as well. He paid his price, and the Colts certainly showed they were serious by sacrificing a huge part of last year's defensive front. There was little wrong with bringing him back for another chance.
The only thing that bit the Colts the last time Johnson burned them was because Pitcock had retired, they had no real backup plan. They were left without a big-time, 300-pound tackle in the middle and scrambled with varying degrees of effectiveness throughout last season for a way to stop the run.
Now, the Colts have more than a backup plan. They have two drafted tackles who figure to form the core of the line for several years. That makes Johnson a piece of the puzzle rather than the cornerstone, but there's every chance it's a piece that will make them a much better defense than they were a year ago.
OTHER EXAMINER COLTS TOPICS . . .
- Top Five Nonissues facing Indianapolis Colts in 2009
- A Look at the Numbers of the Colts 2009 Draft Class
- Peyton Manning Top 10 underrated moments.
- Breaking Down the 2009 Colts Schedule
- Colts Rookie Minicamp
- Top 10 rookie free agents in the Polian era
- On the re-signing of LB Freddy Keiaho
- Too early to quit on Addai
- A recap of the Colts' 2009 NFL Draft
- Colts had to do what they did with RB Dominic Rhodes
- Signing of S Matt Giordano solidifies position
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