NFL Free Agency: Tennessee Titans are adding former Cleveland cornerback Kevin Johnson
The Tennessee Titans gutted their secondary earlier this offseason, while the Cleveland Browns signed slot corner Troy Hill. This has now led to a new union: cornerback Kevin Johnson signing a one-year deal with the Titans.
The 2021 NFL season with the Tenessee Titans will be Johnson's second stint in the AFC South after he started his career with the Houston Texans.
NFL Free Agency: Following Kevin Johnson's path to the Tennessee Titans
Kevin Johnson signed a fairly fruitful one-year deal with the Browns in 2020 worth $3.5 million with incentives that could reach $6 million. But he suffered a severe injury during training camp and missed a few games at the start of the season.
The 28-year-old spent last season with the Browns, appearing in 13 games and starting six. Kevin Johnson recorded 35 tackles, three passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 2020.
The 16th overall pick of the 2015 Draft began his NFL career with the Houston Texans. After starting ten games as a rookie, Kevin Johnson settled into a backup role during his final three seasons with the team, appearing in 35 games.
Johnson also played for the Buffalo Bills in 2019, appearing in 16 games with five passes defended. However, he grappled with staying on the field following that 16-game rookie campaign. He missed ten games in 2016, four games in 2017, and 15 games in 2018.
When Kevin Johnson was healthy, he did a substantial job in coverage, both in the slot and the boundary, when Denzel Ward was injured. The cornerback's problems were in tackles, which is partially why the Browns moved towards Troy Hill.
The first-round pick has not lived up to expectations. Kevin Johnson allowed a 61.4 percent completion rate and a QB rating of 92.0. Those numbers are not as bad as 2019 when he allowed a success rate of 59.1 percent and a QB rating of 79.8.
Johnson has secured another one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans to assist after losing multiple defensive backs from last season's team, including Adoree Jackson, Malcolm Butler, and Desmond King (who just announced he's signing with the Houston Texans.)
The Tennessee Titans are working on improving their secondary after suffering a league-worst 52 percent conversion rate on third down last year. They have already begun repairing its cornerback squad this offseason after adding Janoris Jenkins (who was signed after the New Orleans Saints released him). The Tennessee Titans also have their 2020 second-round pick, Kristian Fulton, who is the only one retained from last year's crew.
Kevin Johnson played most of his snaps in the slot last season and could pan out well for the Tennessee Titans in the upcoming 2021 season.