Maualuga's injury may give Nico Johnson a chance

[fredtoast]

I don't think Ray's injury is very bad. And I don't think NIco will take his job. But even if the injury just limits Maualuga's playing time in training camp it will give Nico a chance to show what he has

http://www.al.com/sp....77fe9875cd7435


Lengthy article, but here are the highlights.

. . . Johnson picked up a ball, jumped up without taking any steps and dunked the ball with two hands.

"That was my first time dunking in a long time, and I was thinking like, 'Dang, my legs haven't felt this good in awhile," said Johnson, a significant contributor at Alabama from 2009-12 who now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals.

To Johnson, this is the best he has felt physically since he was a senior at Alabama as he prepares to compete for a roster spot and a role with the Bengals,

Johnson drafted in the 4th round in 2013, but he was recovering from surgery for a sports hernia before his rookie season. Last off season he was recovering from an ankle injury.

Johnson played in all 12 of the Bengals' remaining games after being signed off the Kansas City practice squad. Johnson started twice in place of injured middle linebacker Rey Maualuga and had 10 tackles during a November game against the Cleveland Browns.

But not all of Nico's problems were physical. Here is what he said about his own self-evaluation of his play for the Bengals

"That was probably the most miserable, difficult time of my career as far as football," Johnson said. "I didn't know what to do. I was frustrated with myself. I was frustrated with my teammates. I was frustrated with my coaches. I was just frustrated all the way around. But then it came to the last two weeks I was there, and I self-evaluated. I sat down and watched film from my rookie year. I watched film from camp that year, and I wasn't playing like I was capable of.

"So I went back and watched film from when I was at Alabama, and it looked like two totally different players, and I couldn't help to blame myself. I've got to take responsibility because I wasn't making the plays that they're putting me out there to make. Pretty much, when that came to, I just let all of that anger and frustration go and just said that I'm going to get better."


Who thinks he might make the final 53 man roster?

[PApinhead]

I think he might make it and I hope he does.  I've made no bones about not being a fan of Rey's and would love to see Nico step up and take the spot from Rey.  If he does because of his play and not an injury to Rey, it can only help the team.  Rey did play better last year, so I will give him that, but I would love to see someone play good enough to relegate Rey to a back-up role.

[kevin]

I hate to hear of such early injuries......We had way too many injuries in training camp 2014.......I want a good hard camp and good preseason games, but no injuries.....we don't need a flood of preseason injuries with such a tough schedule to be played.....We need to be healthy going into the Black Pit of Oakland to start the season. We haven't won there very much in Bengals history.

[whodey4life84]

(08-02-2015, 01:09 PM)kevin Wrote: I hate to hear of such early injuries......We had way too many injuries in training camp 2014.......I want a good hard camp and good preseason games, but no injuries.....we don't need a flood of preseason injuries with such a tough schedule to be played.....We need to be healthy going into the Black Pit of Oakland to start the season.  We haven't won there very much in Bengals history.

If I were hoping to get anyone some snaps it would be Paul Dawson.

[Yojimbo]

(08-02-2015, 11:09 PM)whodey4life84 Wrote: If I were hoping to get anyone some snaps it would be Paul Dawson.

He is, at WLB while Burfict is out.

[wolfkaosaun]

(08-02-2015, 11:09 PM)whodey4life84 Wrote: If I were hoping to get anyone some snaps it would be Paul Dawson.

He is. And according to Coley Harvey he is standing out. Apparently looks stout and in position against the run, he also recovered a fumble by Tyler Eifert.

[SFmajor]

If Dawson stays at WLB, plays to his strengths and within his limitations as a rookie, he'll be fine. I'm not willing to make a comparison between Dawson and Burfict at this point. Remember, Nico Johnson was also a 99th pick in the 2013 Draft. There was a lot of expectation and high hopes for him in all the Post 2013 Draft Chatter. With Maualuga working out on the sidelines, Rey, Johnson and Roach are getting some good reps in at MLB. Roach looked solid in coverage at his position during the Bengals NFL Network special last night. When he was in at LB, he was also the one calling the plays in the defensive huddle. With three LB's who can play at MLB right now, I think that Roach is going to land on the PS and continue to develop as a MLB for this team.

[M.W.]

(08-03-2015, 05:38 AM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: He is. And according to Coley Harvey he is standing out. Apparently looks stout and in position against the run, he also recovered a fumble by Tyler Eifert.

This is great news! I think Dawson will be an asset sooner rather than later.

[jowczarski]

Dawson is exclusively at WILL right now, and will be for the foreseeable future. I'll have something on him in the coming week, but he had a really hard time today - got trucked many times in the 1-on-1's with the tight ends.

Maualuga isn't going anywhere, not after being re-signed. But until he's back, Vinny Rey is in the middle with Nico running with the twos. He's told me he feels so much more comfortable in the defense than last year when he was tossed in after literally coming off the Chiefs practice squad, and he's physically feeling better than while in KC. Now that we're in pads, and things ramp up a bit, it's a real chance for him to shine.

[*michaelsean*]

Proof is on the field, but you have to like a guy who self-evaluates like that and determines it's on him to be better.

[*SHRacerX*]

(08-02-2015, 11:09 PM)whodey4life84 Wrote: If I were hoping to get anyone some snaps it would be Paul Dawson.

This.  We need to remember that the majority of snaps will be played in nickel.  Nico and Rey M, for that matter, are not very versatile in terms of covering out of the backfield.  To be fair, when Rey has kept his weight down, he has shown improvements here.

I would be surprised if Nico could break through to knock off one of the following:

Burfict
Lamur
Hawk
Vinny Rey
Dawson
Rey M.


And he would also be competing with Flowers and DiManche, who play special teams very well. 

I don't have anything against Nico and I would love to see him become a nice find for the Bengals, but I don't see him as solid in coverage or special teams.