Al Johnson will not get any stronger

[burmafrd]

Wisconsin had one of the top Weight Training programs around. He has had 3 years in the NFL. He is as strong and as big as he can get NOW. I keep reading posts saying he needs to get stronger and bigger- and IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

 

[sago1]

Agree he can't get any bigger, but certainly he can get stronger. Get him into serious weight lifting like Larry Allen did for so many years; he could bench press 700#. Don't know what Johnson bench presses now, but certainly efforts should be made to help him reach 400-500#. If he already doing that, then move the goal even higher. Certainly helped Larry to get to the top; don't see why Johnson can't.

 

[Ashwynn]

This was his 2nd season with the boys, the first he was injured, then he came back. 2 seasons and 1 upcoming offseason and next season will be his 3rd.

Thats beside that point. I do agree with you however.

 

[burmafrd]

He started all of 2004 and most of 2005. He was out all of 2003 with the microfracture.
So it has been 3 full years with the team. this is his 4th offseason. If you try and bulk up beyond a certain point you start to lose flexibility and agility. That is where Johnson is now.

 

[JackMagist]

Parcells himself said that Johnson had maxed out. He spent the entire season and offseason in 2003 and 04 in the weight room with Joe Jurasic (sp) lifting weights while rehabbing his knee. He spent so much time there that he became so close with the coach that he was the only player allowed into the coach’s personal locker. He is Maxed Out and that is the end of the story.

Pettiti on the other hand will take a quantum step this year in the weight room. He came in soft from being overweight and most likely weakened by the rapid weight loss. A year in Parcells offseason program will make a huge difference in this guy and I expect a marked improvement from him. For this reason I don't expect to see us bring in a big name FA to take over for him. Next year he will be solid and the year after that we will see what he can become.

If we can keep Flo healthy we will not need to help out the blocking on that side (or not often anyway) and Pettiti will not need as much help next year as he did this year. If we can get another year or two out of Allen and Rivera comes around the only position I see in need of outright replacement is Center. Gurode obviously ain't getting it and neither it seems is Johnson.

BTW I'm not sure why Johnson is not working out. A player does not have to be huge to play Center well. Stepnoski was Way smaller that Johnson and and I dare say not as strong yet he was a Pro Bowler. Maybe there is one more position in need of change...the OL Coach.

 

[conner01]

he can certainly get stronger in his lower body. he has has the knee styuff thus not able to work his lower bidy. no reason in the woprld to think he can't strengthen his lower body. he may not be able to bench anymre than he does now but to strngthen his lower body would make a world of difference

 

[JackMagist]

he can certainly get stronger in his lower body. he has has the knee styuff thus not able to work his lower bidy. no reason in the woprld to think he can't strengthen his lower body. he may not be able to bench anymre than he does now but to strngthen his lower body would make a world of difference

He has had two offseasons in the weight program since the Knee thing, That Dog Don't Hunt.

 

[neosapien23]

he can certainly get stronger in his lower body. he has has the knee styuff thus not able to work his lower bidy. no reason in the woprld to think he can't strengthen his lower body. he may not be able to bench anymre than he does now but to strngthen his lower body would make a world of difference

Thats true. A good foundation all starts with the base.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I don't know when 6'5" 295 lbs. became small for a center. He's the same size as D'Brickshaw Fergesuon, who's going to be an Top 5 pick left tackle. I also don't think Parcells necessarily likes big center. Parcells signed Kevin Mawae who is about 6'4" 285 with the Jets and he drafted Dave Wohlabaugh at about 6'2" 290 with the Patriots. He likes his centers mobile and able to pull and trap. Al Johnson isn't too small to play with any coach. He needs to get more technically precise.

 

[W Coyote]

My votes for a new O-Line coach... perfect world .. Mike Tice ,, but he probably will get a Head coaching job somewhere .. maybe JETS

 

[Nors]

I'm more worried at about Tackles and LG

Oline coach is key too

 

[Hiero]

I don't know when 6'5" 295 lbs. became small for a center. He's the same size as D'Brickshaw Fergesuon, who's going to be an Top 5 pick left tackle. I also don't think Parcells necessarily likes big center. Parcells signed Kevin Mawae who is about 6'4" 285 with the Jets and he drafted Dave Wohlabaugh at about 6'2" 290 with the Patriots. He likes his centers mobile and able to pull and trap. Al Johnson isn't too small to play with any coach. He needs to get more technically precise.

Other guys his size are usually either stronger and get a better burst off the line, or they are in a different scheme that fits them better. Al isnt gonna pull as much imo, because he needs to protect the gut up the middle because Bledsoe cant handle that pressure most of the time.

 

[burmafrd]

With our line, size and strength is more important then speed and quickness. Unfortunately AL is not that strong and not that big. Like BP said, the guy has maxed out.

 

[Kilyin]

Maybe Al needs to borrow some 'roids from Merriman.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

He has had two offseasons in the weight program since the Knee thing, That Dog Don't Hunt.

Although I agree that he is very close to maxed out size and strength-wise, he's really only had one, I think... Blew his knee out in training camp 2003 and took a full year to recover... I remember Parcells saying that he first had to lose a lot of weight to take the pressure off his knee, and so Al spent most of that offseason jogging on the treadmill. (Remember the "trained pig" comment?) I don't think it was until very late in that offseason that he got to squat and clean heavy and start bulking back up.

Now he did have last offseason, so the point is still the same, probably. I'd estimate that a mature adult who really works hard under professional supervision like these guys do can probably get to 90-95% of their strength back in just one offseason... Just wanted to point that out.

 

[Chuck 54]

I don't care how big and strong a person is...some people just naturally get leverage...others never get it. It's the same reason some boxers are knock out guys and others, no matter how big they are, can only punish a guy for 12 rounds.

 

[Zaxor]

Wisconsin had one of the top Weight Training programs around. He has had 3 years in the NFL. He is as strong and as big as he can get NOW. I keep reading posts saying he needs to get stronger and bigger- and IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

I don't think it is strength so much as it is having the butt and the thighs to hold ground

 

[burmafrd]

If there was ANY way to improve him in the weight room they would have found it by now.

 

[AbeBeta]

Can anyone intelligently (so that rules out a bunch of you) explain how Johnson went from folks shouting "future pro-bowler" to "bust" over the course of a single season?

 

[playit12]

I don't think it's so much size at this point. For me, I'd let my center be my weakest player on the line. What I want is a guy that has excellent footwork. So much of blocking is being well positioned at all times. I think in pass blocking he does ok, but not great against much stronger NTs. (However we don't play too many of those).

Where Al really seems to lag is when he pulls. I just don't feel like he can clear space. Really I think he is lacking in speed and agility. Some of this might come back to him as his lower body improves, but mostly I think physically he's tapped out.

As for some centers being smaller than others across the league, that is entirely a function of scheme, in my opionion. We mostly use man to man schemes which require the center to be mobilie to assist block a large interior lineman, and then proceed to the second level before our RB. I don't think Al has done well in this regard, but it will help when we surround him with better gaurds.