Bengals waive Fred Johnson

[Trademark]

A unique one: Bengals now waiving OL Fred Johnson, per source. Johnson recently signed his restricted free agent tender, but after signing OT La’el Collins, the Bengals have decided to waive Johnson, who can be claimed on waivers. So teams and players can, and do, change minds. https://t.co/BHOA9Gd8zp

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 22, 2022

[jj22]

This is an interesting move.

[Nicomo Cosca]

Bet Pittsburgh scoops him up (if anyone).

[Luvnit2]

I just read that one. Isn't he a former Steeler? If so, I can see him going back to them. In our case it makes sense, we have some guys who got experience last year and we drafted 3 OL in 2021. I hope Pollack can improve all 3, they are all just 2nd years guys so hopefully upside in the future.

Carmen
Smith
Hill

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

Not that surprising since giving $2.43m for a guy who was a healthy scratch most of the year was actually the more confusing move. Might be able to get Riley Reiff backing up both your T spots for just about $1.57m more.

[masonbengals fan]

Rather see that money spent on Spain or Reiff.

[CJD]

He wasn't going to make the roster over Carman, Smith, Prince (due to cost), Williams and Collins. We currently have 8 Olinemen signed on the roster:
Williams, Smith, Carman, Hill, Prince, Cappa, Karras and Collins. Collins replaced Reiff, Karras replaced Hopkins, Cappa replaces XSF, so the voids remaining are Spain's roster spot and now Johnson's roster spot.

Despite needing to fill Johnson's role on the roster now, I still think waiving him is the right move. That tells me they are planning on signing someone else because, if they were done, they could just keep him on the roster until training camp with no consequence. Cutting him is a clear indicator that they need cap space for someone to sign. Perhaps Spain?

[TecmoBengals]

No Waynes and no Johnson. Does this signal more FA signings for us or is the money allocated elsewhere?

[*Go Cards*]

Choices have to be made when upgrading and cap involved.

Not a huge surprise.

[CJD]

(03-22-2022, 11:28 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: No Waynes and no Johnson. Does this signal more FA signings for us or is the money allocated elsewhere?

Assuming a cap hit of the rookie pool of about 2.7 million, a cap hit of 8 million for Collins and assuming the Bengals hold 6 million dollars to roll into 2023, as we tend to do, our cap space prior to the Johnson waiving was approximately 6 million dollars. So now we have something like 8.5 million.

They could use that money on a free agent or two. They could give Ogunjobi a call and see if he wants to sign another 1 year 6M deal. Or maybe they can tap into that 6M in roll over to sign Gilmore, but that's a super long shot at this point.

Alternatively, they could use that money to re-sign Bell, Bates or Pratt.

[leonardfan40]

Not surprising, think they only kept him around as worst case insurance if we couldn’t come to terms with a good OT and went to the draft with what we already had.

Definitely needed to be moved at that salary once we got Collins locked up. Much rather spend that $2.4 mil on a CB for depth or on Spain.

Think we’ll see one or two more outside FA in that $2-3 mil range over the next few weeks and then onto the draft.

[CloeHokie]

Good. He sucks

[jj22]

(03-22-2022, 11:28 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: That tells me they are planning on signing someone else because, if they were done, they could just keep him on the roster until training camp with no consequence. Cutting him is a clear indicator that they need cap space for someone to sign. Perhaps Spain?

That's what I think too. He wasn't guaranteed a spot on the roster, but this is interesting timing. 

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

This was an obvious move.

Johnson was behind Jonah, Reiff, Prince, and Smith on the depth chart last year. And Carman can also play some OT. We signed him to keep our options open in case we whiffed on OT in FA/draft. That did not happen. We could use that money better for value depth or a larger FA signing at CB, DT, DE, LG, WR, or OT.

Spain? Reif? Ogunjobi? Gilmore? Reed?

I expect us to have 2-3 more FA signings. CB, DT, OL. Maybe WR is the $$ is right.

[bk42]

Not a surprise to see this - hoping the timing of this corresponds to another signing / addition to the team. Could be LG or could be another position where they see value in a FA. An exciting time for the Bengals!

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

FWIW, this does not mean some of the guys we are signing now make the team. Especially the guys with zero dead cap (or very little).

We have 7 WR signed. I doubt we carry 7 on the 53. One of Thomas, Morgan, Taylor, or Irwin gets waived. Probably 2 if we take a WR on draft day.

Guys like CB Jalen Davis and S Michael Thomas are also vulnerable.

The only other guy we have where a release would create some space is S Brandon Wilson. About $2 mil. But I doubt that happens until we sign/draft another S.

[007BengalsFan]

(03-22-2022, 11:28 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: ...Cutting him is a clear indicator that they need cap space for someone to sign. Perhaps Spain?

Hopefully it's to sign Tretter so we can move Karras to LG.  That would be much better than signing Spain.

[SunsetBengal]

But, but Fred Johnson was the future..

[ezekiel23]

Signing Ogunjobi and Spain with that freed up cap space would make me happy.We all know what Ogunjobi is capable of,and he knows the defense.Signing Spain eliminates that big fat question mark at LG.I like the way they have re-built this OL so far,but to spend all that money building this OL,and then leaving a big potential weakness at LG is concerning.Spain is a proven solid Vet that knows the Offense.Of course he’d have to earn it.If one of the younger prospects do step up next year and earn the LG position,then that’s just all the better.Of course,best case scenario is signing J C Tretter,in which,you would not only improve at the Center position,but it would also solve the issue at LG by moving Karras over to LG.

[grampahol]

(03-22-2022, 12:35 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: But, but Fred Johnson was the future..  

Assuming everyone else just goes to pieces overnight he still may be..