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The Seattle Seahawks hosted four free agents for tryouts heading into Week 3, per the NFL transaction wire: defensive tackle Andrew Brown (Virginia), receiver Lawrence Cager (Georgia), defensive tackle Brandon Dunn (Louisville) and receiver Anthony Johnson (Buffalo). Dunn is particularly notable as the nose tackle started 13 games for the Texans in 2020 notching 26 tackles, three quarterback hits and a fumble recovery.
The tackle spent the better part of the last four seasons as a starter for the Texans. Dunn appeared to struggle last season earning just a 35.5 grade from Pro Football Focus but scored higher for his pass-rushing ability at 53.4. The defensive tackle had a better overall grade of 56.4 in 2019.
Cager Signed With the Jets as an Undrafted Free Agent
Cager is a physical receiver at 6’4″, 220 pounds but went undrafted coming out of Georgia in 2020. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler provided an overview of Cager’s outlook heading into the 2020 NFL Draft.
“A one-year starter at Georgia, Cager played the ‘X’ receiver in former offensive coordinator James Coley’s pro-style spread, lining up to the left of the formation,” Brugler detailed. “He battled consistency issues at Miami before developing quick chemistry with Jake Fromm at Georgia in 2019 and the offense looked much different when he was on the field. Cager wins in single coverage due to his power forward mentality and fluid ball skills, adjusting and snatching the ball out of the air.
“While drops were uncommon on his tape, so were missed tackles and plays where he easily separated from man coverage. Overall, Cager has average route athleticism and lacks diversity across the formation, which likely limits the way offenses can get him the football, but his impressive size and catch point skills could earn him a specialized role if he stays healthy.”
Cager was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent playing in two games in 2020. The Jets released Cager in August as the team finalized their 53-man roster.
Johnson Earned Comparisons to Cowboys WR Michael Gallup
Johnson was a highly-regarded receiver coming out of the University of Buffalo. The wideout had two years with more than 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns. Johnson’s best season was his junior year where he snagged 76 receptions for 1,356 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, Brugler had Johnson as his No. 21 ranked receiver with a fourth to fifth-round grade. Brugler compared Johnson to Cowboys wideout Michael Gallup.
“A two-year starter at Buffalo, Johnson didn’t start playing football until 2012 and took a winding road to Buffalo before emerging the last two seasons, lining up both outside and in the slot,” Brugler noted. “He leaves the program ranked top five in career catches (133) and touchdown receptions (25). Johnson’s basketball background is evident in his routes with his body control and physicality, finishing strong to the ball.
“He isn’t a bad athlete by any means, but nothing about his athletic profile screams special, and NFL corners will be a much tougher matchup than what he faced on tape. Overall, Johnson is a good example of a wide receiver being quick but not explosive, although his ball skills, toughness and instincts give him NFL starting potential, similar to Michael Gallup.”
Johnson surprisingly went undrafted but has had stints with the Buccaneers, Chargers and Steelers. Most recently, Johnson was waived by the Steelers in August.
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