Steelers 2-a-days: Fred Johnson an intriguing and giant rookie guard, Tevin Jones in the WR mix
Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2019 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, (at least) two per day, between June 14 and July 26.
G FRED JOHNSON
Experience: Rookie
Contract status: $500,000 cap hit in 2019, signed through 2021
2019 outlook: Standing 6 feet 7 and 326 pounds, Fred Johnson stands large as an interior offensive lineman, even by NFL standards. That’s part of what makes him such an intriguing prospect, one the Steelers made a priority rookie free-agent signing after the draft ended. Johnson moved from tackle to guard over his career at the University of Florida and would seem to be an ideal developmental prospect for the practice squad in 2019. He’s not without competition on the Steelers roster among offensive linemen, though, so Johnson will have to show requisite NFL-caliber athleticism during training camp.
Florida RG Fred Johnson reflects on his football rise: ‘Man, I didn’t even picture this’ https://t.co/T7p1RnUXuu #GatorNation pic.twitter.com/p9rTkXDPKj
— SEC Country Florida (@SECCountryUF) August 31, 2017
WR TEVIN JONES
Experience: Offseason and practice-squad rosters since 2016, past 18 months with Steelers
Contract status: $495,000 cap hit in 2019, under team control for four years
2019 outlook: At 6 feet 2, 225 pounds with good speed,Jones certainly looks the part of an NFL wide receiver. The Steelers have seen enough potential in him to keep him around throughout all of each of the past two offseasons in addition to on the practice squad for the entirety of the 2018 regular season. Can he make the team? As with the other returning practice-squad receiver, Trey Griffey, the numbers game isn’t kind to Jones, who spent time with Houston and Kansas City before signing a futures deal with the Steelers in January 2018. If he sticks again, it will be because of big-play ability: three of his five NFL preseason catches have gone for touchdowns, continuing a trend in college where seven of his 55 catches his final two years at Memphis were for scores.
Just wait til the end ?? pic.twitter.com/4k4MGwyNpq
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 31, 2018
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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