The Los Angeles Rams are near the halfway point of their voluntary workouts (or OTAs). But they’re adding to the wide receiver room — and someone who comes with his own Super Bowl experience.
Announced by the franchise on Tuesday, May 30, the Rams are adding former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tyler Johnson — who sparked a good mix of strong reactions following his newest NFL chance.
‘Another Shot’ Says 1 Insider
Greg Auman once covered Johnson’s early part of his career with The Athletic, which includes the past $2 million wide receiver becoming a part of the Bucs’ last Super Bowl run.
“Another shot for former Bucs receiver Tyler Johnson, now with Rams,” Auman said on Twitter, who’s now with Fox Sports covering the entire NFC South.
There were plenty other strong reactions for the latest Rams addition.
“Now this is a fascinating signing. Tyler Johnson is a Ram,” said Jake Ellenbogen of Downtown Rams.
Turns out Johnson had one fan during his career before catching passes from Tom Brady.
“LOVED Tyler Johnson at U of Minnesota,” said Ryan Dyrud of the LA Football Network.
Johnson Ran Into Stacked WR Room in Tampa
Johnson may not have been a household name on the Bucs. However, he did enough to convince the seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady to give him the football.
While in Tampa, Johnson managed to squeeze in three starts during their championship run of ’22. The former Golden Gopher responded with 12 catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns while also seeing playing time in 14 games. But in the postseason, he kept drives alive with these crucial grabs — the first one against the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round:
UNREAL catch by Tyler Johnson 😲 @Buccaneers
📺 #TBvsNO on FOX
And in the NFC Championship game in Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers:
A reminder that Tyler Johnson is a rookie 👀👀 @T_muhneyy10 @Buccaneers
📺 #TBvsGB on FOX
The following year, Johnson earned more targets and action — playing in all 17 regular season games with three starts. He went on to catch 36 passes for 360 yards. He ended his regular season catching four and five passes in back-to-back games. However, his last official game as a Buc was the 30-27 road win by the Rams which saw Matt Gay nail the walk-off field in the final seconds.
Ultimately, the Bucs’ WR room became overcrowded — as the room featured savvy veteran Mike Evans, speedy Scotty Miller and a healthier Chris Godwin. The Bucs also momentarily had Antonio Brown before his falling out with the team during the late portion of the ’21 season.
The 6-foot-1, 206-pound Johnson had a brief stop with the Houston Texans in 2022. But only saw time in two games. He now arrives to the Rams as a late, inexpensive addition.
What Johnson is Walking Into
From what it appears, the addition of Johnson could give the Rams an additional perimeter receiving target.
This bodes well for a healthier Van Jefferson as he handles a lot of outside WR work while the Rams move around Cooper Kupp at each wideout spot. Rookie Puka Nacua and third-year pro Tutu Atwell figure to be in the fold at one of the other slot spots or pursue the title of the third receiving option.
But with Johnson on board, it gives the Rams a WR whose strength is contested grabs. That element gives Sean McVay and company a new, potential possession target that Allen Robinson could have been, plus what Robert Woods was in the past for L.A.
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‘Another Shot:’ Reactions Surface for Rams Adding Ex-$2 Million WR