Steve Johnson
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson came into the NFL as an unheralded player until he blew up in 2010 when the Bills finally gave him a chance to start. Johnson went from two catches for 10 yards in 2009 to 82 catches for 1,073 yards, when he finished as the No. 11 wide receiver in the NFL.
Now after 11 weeks of 2011, it seems that Johnson's game has taken a step backwards. One of the strongest parts of his game in 2010 was his ability to gain yards after the catch (YAC), as he picked up 406 YAC yards. This year, that number has plummeted to 160 YAC.
No doubt, opposing secondaries are keying on Johnson. Lee Evans was traded to Baltimore and the other two deep threats, Donald Jones and Marcus Easley are both on IR. So, defenses could shift their attention to Johnson, and it shows. Johnson's average yardage per catch has dropped from 13.1 to 11.9.
If you look at the Bills best wide receivers in history, they were professional types like Andre Reed, James Lofton, Don Beebe, Eric Moulds and Lee Evans. They weren't prima donnas and didn't make waves. Johnson had the dropped-pass episode last year blaming God, and then, he had the "Why So Serious" moment with Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.
Many Bills observers thought Johnson would be the next Bills player to be signed to an extension after they signed Ryan Fitzpatrick, but nothing has been announced and maybe the Bills are dragging their feet. Johnson is only 25 years old and was earning $550,000 this year.
My prediction: Jackson will look to finally get a bigger deal and will be seeking something in the $4 million range. I think he will have to settle for less.