Johnson, who had been an exclusive rights free agent, has signed a one-year deal with the Saints, Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Analysis: Johnson, who joined the Saints as a UDFA in 2020, switched from wideout to tight end last season and ended up logging 13 catches (on 22 targets) for 159 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. Now that he's back in the fold, the 25-year-old will continue to work in a New Orleans TE corps that also includes Adam Trautman, Nick Vannett, Ethan Wolf and Dylan Soehner, with Garrett Griffin slated to become a restricted free agent. As long as Trautman remains healthy and available, however, Johnson is off the fantasy radar in most formats.
Juwan Johnson Four touchdowns at tight end
Johnson caught 13 of 21 targets for 159 yards and four touchdowns over 14 games in 2021.
Analysis: After converting from wide receiver during the offseason, Johnson was one of three New Orleans tight ends to have a sizable role in 2021. However, Johnson ran a route on over 52 percent of his offensive snaps while Adam Trautman (33.8) and Vannett (36.3) hovered around one third. Moreover, Johnson's four touchdowns were more than Trautman (two) and Vannett (one) combined. While his overall stat line still wasn't very useful for fantasy purposes, Johnson had impressive moments for an undrafted player who changed positions ahead of his second season in the pros. As an exclusive-rights free agent, Johnson should be back in New Orleans in 2022, when he'll again look to push Trautman and Vannett for receiving reps at tight end.
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