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What a difference a year makes. At this point last summer, the Dallas Cowboys were still believing a no-name wide receiver corps was going to allow them to be competitive on offense. Just 12 months later, that outlook has changed as the team is loading up, looking to insert the right parts around their pass-catching centerpiece Amari Cooper.
It is now a quite congested WR room with free agent Randall Cobb joining incumbents Michael Gallup, Tavon Austin, Allen Hurns, Noah Brown and Cedrick Wilson. And that is not even mentioning additional camp personnel such as Lance Lenoir, Devin Smith and Reggie Davis. Joining them will be undrafted free agent Jon’Vea Johnson, making double-digit contestants jockeying for five or six positions on the 53-man roster.
Beyond the three locks, Johnson will be facing off against the rest of the field, and chief among the things that should help is that he possesses that one unteachable trait coaches crave: blazing speed.
Per times from his Pro Day, 4.38-in-the-40 speed to be exact.
JonVea Johnson went undrafted in the 2019 draft class.
He posted a great #RAS with poor size, elite speed, good explosiveness, great agility at the WR position.#Cowboys pic.twitter.com/1glHqhqzXt
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 20, 2019
Standing out in a collection of talent is nothing new for the former Toledo Rocket. He carved out a role for himself as a collegiate, performing as part of an excellent trio with the likes of Pittsburgh’s 2019 third round pick Dionte Johnson and Chiefs’ rookie Cody Thompson.
Johnson was an X receiver much of the time, but could be found lining up all across the formation. Despite being a third wheel most of his career, he still found ways to make his mark. With his teammates filling the possession roles, Johnson was often the change-up.
Jon'Vea Johnson goes to the end zone with a 57-yard touchdown. The score is now 49-3, Toledo, in the third quarter. #GoRockets #ThisIsToledo pic.twitter.com/SRPz3juYfX
— Toledo Athletics (@ToledoRockets) September 2, 2018
For the past twelve seasons, Dallas has established a clear history of cultivating unheralded talent at the WR position and there is hope Johnson could be the latest to continue the trend. However, Johnson is not the typical unknown as he is a player the Cowboys have been studying for quite some time.
He was clearly a targeted acquisition as he was one of the official-30 group that were brought to The Star prior to the draft and was quickly signed after the conclusion of the weekend. Johnson himself noted that there just seemed to be a natural fit all along for him in Dallas, from the Toledo Blade.
That momentum carried forward to the team’s initial gathering of rookies in May as Johnson made a nice impression on Cowboys’ WR coach Sanjay Lal, per the team’s website.
The rave reviews were only momentary as Johnson had a rougher time of things in OTAs and especially during the Cowboys’ first day of their June mini-camp. The practices were more up-tempo and had more veterans joining him on the field which posed some difficulties. Johnson started off horribly with three successive dropped catches. But he was able to rebound, thanks to some inspiring words from his quarterback.
Cowboys rookie WR Jon’Vea Johnson dropped three consecutive passes during individual drills. Dak Prescott came over to offer some encouragement. Johnson rebounded with a 30-yard reception from Mike White along the right sideline in team drills pic.twitter.com/R5HT6Q0adV
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June 11, 2019
Cooper Rush had a good practice today. Had a nice deep ball down the right sideline, hitting Jon’Vea Johnson in stride. Had another good throw to Johnson in middle of the field for a TD. Later found Witten down the seam in red zone. Finished with precise deep ball to Lance Lenoir
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June 13, 2019
The skill to separate deep has been something missing in Dallas passing targets for quite some time and it would be very welcome as the team adjusts some of its philosophies on offense. Johnson’s task may come down to jousting with fellow speed merchants in Jaylon Guyton and Austin for a specialized role built around their common characteristic of having that scarce extra gear that commands respect from the defense. Johnson may also have to make some quick progression on special teams, particularly punt returns, as that end of his game was under-developed in college and something he only just started showing he could perform in his pre-draft workouts.
The sheer numbers game alone may be enough to shut this youngster out of a very congested wide receiver room, but the more he can showcase his explosiveness and develop his complimentary talents further, he could provide the Cowboys’ staff with a tougher decision to make.
You can chat with or follow C.C. on twitter @boozeman811.
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Cowboys 53-man roster projection
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It is now a quite congested WR room with free agent Randall Cobb joining incumbents Michael Gallup, Tavon Austin, Allen Hurns, Noah Brown and Cedrick Wilson. And that is not even mentioning additional camp personnel such as Lance Lenoir, Devin Smith and Reggie Davis. Joining them will be undrafted free agent Jon’Vea Johnson, making double-digit contestants jockeying for five or six positions on the 53-man roster.
Beyond the three locks, Johnson will be facing off against the rest of the field, and chief among the things that should help is that he possesses that one unteachable trait coaches crave: blazing speed.
Per times from his Pro Day, 4.38-in-the-40 speed to be exact.
JonVea Johnson went undrafted in the 2019 draft class.
He posted a great #RAS with poor size, elite speed, good explosiveness, great agility at the WR position.#Cowboys pic.twitter.com/1glHqhqzXt
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 20, 2019
Standing out in a collection of talent is nothing new for the former Toledo Rocket. He carved out a role for himself as a collegiate, performing as part of an excellent trio with the likes of Pittsburgh’s 2019 third round pick Dionte Johnson and Chiefs’ rookie Cody Thompson.
Johnson was an X receiver much of the time, but could be found lining up all across the formation. Despite being a third wheel most of his career, he still found ways to make his mark. With his teammates filling the possession roles, Johnson was often the change-up.
Jon'Vea Johnson goes to the end zone with a 57-yard touchdown. The score is now 49-3, Toledo, in the third quarter. #GoRockets #ThisIsToledo pic.twitter.com/SRPz3juYfX
— Toledo Athletics (@ToledoRockets) September 2, 2018
For the past twelve seasons, Dallas has established a clear history of cultivating unheralded talent at the WR position and there is hope Johnson could be the latest to continue the trend. However, Johnson is not the typical unknown as he is a player the Cowboys have been studying for quite some time.
He was clearly a targeted acquisition as he was one of the official-30 group that were brought to The Star prior to the draft and was quickly signed after the conclusion of the weekend. Johnson himself noted that there just seemed to be a natural fit all along for him in Dallas, from the Toledo Blade.
“It’s been a really good experience. I got a chance to come here for a pre-draft visit, so I got a real good feel for the staff, the facility, and just the city. I trained out here pre-draft for three months. I was already accustomed to the whole area and the organization, so the experience was exactly what I thought it would be just because I’d been out here so much. Really enjoying it.”
That momentum carried forward to the team’s initial gathering of rookies in May as Johnson made a nice impression on Cowboys’ WR coach Sanjay Lal, per the team’s website.
“It’s not a surprise, because we loved his film, but Jon’Vea the last two days, his speed and athleticism and how smooth he is has shown up here – almost a little bit earlier than we thought it would. He’s done a good job of learning his plays and coming out and showing what he can do. But it’s not a surprise in terms of what we saw on tape, it’s why we brought him in here.”
The rave reviews were only momentary as Johnson had a rougher time of things in OTAs and especially during the Cowboys’ first day of their June mini-camp. The practices were more up-tempo and had more veterans joining him on the field which posed some difficulties. Johnson started off horribly with three successive dropped catches. But he was able to rebound, thanks to some inspiring words from his quarterback.
Cowboys rookie WR Jon’Vea Johnson dropped three consecutive passes during individual drills. Dak Prescott came over to offer some encouragement. Johnson rebounded with a 30-yard reception from Mike White along the right sideline in team drills pic.twitter.com/R5HT6Q0adV
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June 11, 2019
Cooper Rush had a good practice today. Had a nice deep ball down the right sideline, hitting Jon’Vea Johnson in stride. Had another good throw to Johnson in middle of the field for a TD. Later found Witten down the seam in red zone. Finished with precise deep ball to Lance Lenoir
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June 13, 2019
The skill to separate deep has been something missing in Dallas passing targets for quite some time and it would be very welcome as the team adjusts some of its philosophies on offense. Johnson’s task may come down to jousting with fellow speed merchants in Jaylon Guyton and Austin for a specialized role built around their common characteristic of having that scarce extra gear that commands respect from the defense. Johnson may also have to make some quick progression on special teams, particularly punt returns, as that end of his game was under-developed in college and something he only just started showing he could perform in his pre-draft workouts.
The sheer numbers game alone may be enough to shut this youngster out of a very congested wide receiver room, but the more he can showcase his explosiveness and develop his complimentary talents further, he could provide the Cowboys’ staff with a tougher decision to make.
You can chat with or follow C.C. on twitter @boozeman811.
Gallery
Cowboys 53-man roster projection
view 63 imagesContinue reading...
