Interestingly enough, the article says that the Lions have $500K in Cap room....
Lions' Johnson signs with Bucs: sources
By Lowell Ullrich, Canwest News ServiceJanuary 7, 2009
Jamall Johnson will try his luck in the National Football League.
The B.C. Lions linebacker has agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sources have confirmed.
The four-year veteran was vacationing in the Dominican Republic and could not be reached Tuesday, but a post by a Tampa magazine which covers the team extensively, Pewter Report, said Johnson has signed a two-year contract. Johnson was listed as a safety, his position in college at Northwestern State.
Lions personnel coordinator Neil McEvoy said Johnson's new contract had not yet been registered with the CFL, likely due to the fact he won't become a free agent until Feb. 15.
However, McEvoy said he was aware of talks between the Buccaneers and the agent for the linebacker.
If cutting Otis Floyd wasn't a sure sign Lions coach Wally Buono is intent on making changes to his linebacking corps this winter, the departure of Johnson will make it mandatory.
Buono has been toying with the idea of filling Floyd's weakside spot with middle linebacker Javy Glatt, which would at least create a home for rookie Terna Nande depending on B.C.'s success in free agency next month.
Losing Johnson, however, almost makes it a certainty the Lions will be a serious free agent player, with close to $500,000 in cap space presently available.
Johnson did not miss a game after the season opener in 2008 but had suffered through a variety of injuries in the past which led the Lions to rely on him less frequently, even though they made him a contract offer after last season.
"He was a good special teams player and added a lot of speed to our defence but he wasn't a starter yet," McEvoy said of Johnson, who had been offered a new contract by the Lions.
Also signed by the Bucs, according to several sources, is standout Edmonton Eskimos wide receiver Kelly Campbell.
