The Tennessee Titans will reportedly sign veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson to their squad for the upcoming NFL season.
Adam Schefter reported this news Friday.
Tennessee Titans are signing WR Andre Johnson, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 29, 2016
On one hand, this could be looked at as a smart move. After all, the Titans feature a relatively young receiving corps that could certainly benefit from having one of the NFL’s most accomplished current pass catchers come into the meeting room. Also, Johnson’s entire career has been played in the AFC South, which means he has plenty of inside knowledge to offer.
On another hand, it’s hard to believe Johnson will add much outside of that room. He was largely ineffective last season playing for the Indianapolis Colts, catching just 41 passes for 503 yards and four touchdowns.
Entering his 14th NFL season, Johnson (35 years old) isn’t exactly a spring chicken any more. While he’s still capable of making tough catches in traffic, he has lost most of his ability to separate from defenders off the line and doesn’t have much downfield value any more, playing on rusty wheels.
Perhaps last year was an aberration. Perhaps he will turn back the clock and help take second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota to the next level. But based on what we saw on tape the past couple of years, it seems clear Johnson isn’t the same guy that routinely torched the NFL’s top defensive backs for most of his career.