Patriots kickoff 2016: A look at Anthony Johnson
Journeyman defensive lineman Anthony Johnson wears the No. 65 jersey, so we’re profiling him today with kickoff looming just 65 days away.
There’s another owner of the No. 65 jersey, Jonathan Cooper, so be sure to check out his profile today as well.
Size: 6-foot-2, 317 pounds
College: LSU
2015 stats: None
NFL experience: Two seasons
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
The Patriots signed Johnson in May a week after he was cut loose by the Washington Redskins. Previously, Johnson had been with the Miami Dolphins, the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and with whom the LSU product appeared in seven games as a rookie.The additions of Ndamukong Suh and C.J. Mosley in the 2015 offseason spelled the end of Johnson’s short stay with the Dolphins.
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Johnson notched two tackles and managed to recover a fumble in limited action with the Dolphins in 2014, but he has yet to touch an NFL field since that season.
It was probably premature of Johnson to declare for the 2014 NFL Draft as a junior, because another double-digit sack season at LSU as a senior would have landed him at least in the middle rounds. But what really hurt Johnson’s draft stock in the winter and spring of 2014 was a failed drug test at the combine.
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Before the pros, however, Johnson was anything but a couched defensive lineman. In high school, he broke the Louisiana state record with 67.5 sacks. Johnson chose in-state LSU over elite programs at Alabama, Oklahoma and USC, and it proved to be a good decision as he started every game his junior year and produced well enough to herald consideration as a draft pick.
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In New England, Johnson will look to reboot his career. After the departures of Akiem Hicks and Dominique Easley, the Patriots’ interior defensive line is undergoing a transformation, and while it’s hard to see Johnson uprooting Malcom Brown, Alan Branch and Terrance Knighton, we could see Johnson contend with Vincent Valentine, Markus Kuhn, Joe Vellano and Woodrow Hamilton for a depth spot on the final roster.
Next: 10 most promising sophomore pros on Pats’ roster
Be sure to stop by Musket Fire tomorrow as we profile the owner of the No. 64 jersey, guard Chris Barker.