The Washington Redskins announced the signing of linebacker Gary Johnson, a Texas product who went undrafted this year.
In a corresponding move, the Redskins waived Myles Humphrey with an injury.
But Johnson could end up being more than injury depth while guys like Shaun Dion Hamilton work their way back. He had latched on with the Kansas City Chiefs before getting waived there and had solid reviews during the pre-draft process, such as this one from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
Active inside linebacker with plenty of passion and aggression but a fundamental lack of NFL-caliber movement skills in space. Johnson is capable of handling downhill duties between the tackles but could struggle to match up with today’s space-oriented offensive attacks.
Thanks to injuries, Johnson could actually see more reps in Washington than he might have elsewhere, so the pairing certainly makes sense for both parties.
While Johnson might not end up making the final 53 when everyone else gets healthy, he’s an intriguing practice squad candidate. And knowing the injury bug lately in Washington, he could always end up getting called up to the roster next season from the practice squad, provided the Redskins manage to slip him on there.
