Lionbackers.com

Hambone wrote:

Bobbyp wrote:

JohnHenry wrote:Johnson as a safety is a bit of a laugh. He obviously was signed for special teams, hoping he could become another B. Ayenbedejo. The joke is half the kickoffs and punts in the NFL are never even returned.

The Lions will find a replacement for him, and as a fringe CFL player it is unlikely he will get his spot back with the Lions being an Import special teamer.

Maybe he will be the guy to run down the field and watch the ball roll around for 15 seconds then look at the ref to blow the whistle before he can touch it, then jump around like youve just won the lottery.

Considering he'd be paid a minimum of USD$300,000 to do that instead of CDN$70000 to have to tackle the returner I'd say he'd won a lottery.

I guess he will be jumping around for 2 reasons

Bobbyp wrote:

JohnHenry wrote:Johnson as a safety is a bit of a laugh. He obviously was signed for special teams, hoping he could become another B. Ayenbedejo. The joke is half the kickoffs and punts in the NFL are never even returned.

The Lions will find a replacement for him, and as a fringe CFL player it is unlikely he will get his spot back with the Lions being an Import special teamer.

Maybe he will be the guy to run down the field and watch the ball roll around for 15 seconds then look at the ref to blow the whistle before he can touch it, then jump around like youve just won the lottery.

NFL special teams sure are a pathetic joke all right . That's gotta be the lamest play in all of football . Makes our no-yards idea look stellar .

Blitz wrote:I was a huge Jamal Johnson fan! There were a few reasons why JJ didn't start until thi season. He began his career behind Carl Kidd. Otis Floyd was a fixture at the other outside linebacker. We decided to use Glatt at middle linebacker in 2006 rather than Jamal Johnson. Injuries were also a factor. Our leos did not use Jamal Johnson as a starter this season until halfway though the season...a mistake.

However, no one can doubt Jamal's athletic abiliity or pure linebacking natural instincts. He can scrape and explode,he's a great hitter and excellent tackler, he has great speed, and outstanding lateral pursuit.

I'm disappointed that he's left us....there were times that we really didn't utilize him and we didn't....and if things don't work out in the NFL..I'd love to see him back.

An NFL team has obviously seen his ability and that doesn't surprise me..even if it has suprised some others!!

Not that I've ever openly disagreed with Blitz before, but for once I am in total agreement. I'm sad to see another misused, valuable player slip through the cracks here, but as a Bucs fan I am excited that I'll still be able to follow the next chapter in his football career. Looking foreword to seeing how he will do down there.

From the Bucccaneers point of view; "The path to the Buccaneers was a bit more interesting for Johnson, who has spent the past four years playing in the Canadian Football League with the British Columbia Lions. The 6-1, 222-pound linebacker actually began his professional career with the Cleveland Browns in 2005 but moved on to Canada after being waived prior to training camp. In four seasons with the Lions, Johnson recorded 66 tackles, one interception (which he returned 59 yards for a touchdown), two fumble recoveries and 56 stops on special teams. Primarily a special-teams standout during his first two seasons, Johnson moved into a starting spot as an outside linebacker in 2007." Link provided below for reference.

http://www.buccaneers.com/news/newsdeta ... ewsid=6903

CartWheelFan wrote:

Blitz wrote:I was a huge Jamal Johnson fan! There were a few reasons why JJ didn't start until thi season. He began his career behind Carl Kidd. Otis Floyd was a fixture at the other outside linebacker. We decided to use Glatt at middle linebacker in 2006 rather than Jamal Johnson. Injuries were also a factor. Our leos did not use Jamal Johnson as a starter this season until halfway though the season...a mistake.

However, no one can doubt Jamal's athletic abiliity or pure linebacking natural instincts. He can scrape and explode,he's a great hitter and excellent tackler, he has great speed, and outstanding lateral pursuit.

I'm disappointed that he's left us....there were times that we really didn't utilize him and we didn't....and if things don't work out in the NFL..I'd love to see him back.

An NFL team has obviously seen his ability and that doesn't surprise me..even if it has suprised some others!!

Not that I've ever openly disagreed with Blitz before, but for once I am in total agreement. I'm sad to see another misused, valuable player slip through the cracks here, but as a Bucs fan I am excited that I'll still be able to follow the next chapter in his football career. Looking foreword to seeing how he will do down there.

From the Bucccaneers point of view; "The path to the Buccaneers was a bit more interesting for Johnson, who has spent the past four years playing in the Canadian Football League with the British Columbia Lions. The 6-1, 222-pound linebacker actually began his professional career with the Cleveland Browns in 2005 but moved on to Canada after being waived prior to training camp. In four seasons with the Lions, Johnson recorded 66 tackles, one interception (which he returned 59 yards for a touchdown), two fumble recoveries and 56 stops on special teams. Primarily a special-teams standout during his first two seasons, Johnson moved into a starting spot as an outside linebacker in 2007." Link provided below for reference.

http://www.buccaneers.com/news/newsdeta ... ewsid=6903

The Bucs ended up employing another ex-BC linebacker - by the name of Shelton Quarles - who played on a SB champ team and was a leading tackler for them - in spite of being labelled "too small" to play at MLB in the all-mighty NFL and also no doubt considered "not good enough" by some wannabes when he joined them from the CFL.

Good luck to JJ there - guy was a quality CFL player - both on defence and special teams.

What I think is being missed is that Jamal has experienc playing safety in college!!

OV - 54:40 wrote:The Bucs ended up employing another ex-BC linebacker - by the name of Shelton Quarles - who played on a SB champ team and was a leading tackler for them - in spite of being labelled "too small" to play at MLB in the all-mighty NFL and also no doubt considered "not good enough" by some wannabes when he joined them from the CFL.

Good luck to JJ there - guy was a quality CFL player - both on defence and special teams.

Quarles was fortunate enough to go to a Tony Dungy defence in TB. Dungy builds his defences on speed thus will sacrifice size for quickness and athleticism. He did it in TB and did it again in Indy. Smallish defensive players have opportunities to contribute in a Dungy style defence. Jon "Chuckie" Gruden didn't change that much when they won the SB the year after Dungy was fired. However it's not a case of a "too small" LB fitting overcoming that in a traditional NFL defence. Quarles and the Bucs were a good match because of the Dungy philosophy. Dungy carried that over in Indy where their whole defence, particularly the front seven, is undersized by NFL standards. It's a overall defensive philosophy and Quarles was a good fit for it in TB. They were interested in him and he was successful because he fit their scheme. That wouldn't necessarily have been the case in other situations.

Blitz wrote:What I think is being missed is that Jamal has experienc playing safety in college!!

I think we'd find a healthy portion of import CFL OLBs were CBs or safeties by trade before they ventured north. Some or those get their CFL feet wet in the secondary before converting to LB.