PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

[The Toe Show]

How 'bout the new UFDA Jordan Johnson?

• He's a Buffaloian, played High School at Sweet Home and college at UB.
• Against Akron last year, he busted out 282 yards, the most in UB history
• Averaged 5 yards per carry (aren't the Bulls the worst team ever?) on 200 carries

UB actually has a solid recent history with NFL RB's with Braden Oliver & James Starks

But doesn't he remind you of Freddy?

• Similar build, both are 6'1 220lb
• Deceptive gate, not super fast but sturdy and great vision.
• Both majored in Sociology (I know, but still!)

Serviceable Running Backs can come out of nowhere. The #2 back behind Shady is an open competition. What are the chances a guy born in Buffalo can turn it loose given the opportunity?

I had a vision that Jordan Johnson will be the story of the preseason, will flash in garbage time, and at some point, get some serious work during the season.

Seems like a solid dude too, fits the McDemott mold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVobD9SEo8w

[Guest]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

That would be a great story!

I'm rooting for him.

[Night Train]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

Love guys who are willing to run between the tackles and can cut on a dime. His style sure fits.

Rooting for the local kid.

[TigerJ]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

I'd love to learn more about him, football/athletic kind of stuff. Info is scant on the search engines. Is there any good place to look?

[YardRat]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

Looks like he has good vision. Gotta root for the home town guy.

[Guest]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

He is not small nor runs small.

I can see this happening.

[Thurmal]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

Fred needs his name/number on the Ring of Honor, man. That guy was the silver lining through a lot of cloudy years. He genuinely loved playing for Buffalo too, when a lot of star RBs around his era didn't.

Cutting him was an awful move. Yeah, McCoy and Karlos got it done that year, big time, but those Rex Bills teams were in desperate need of a high-character veteran presence.

[trapezeus]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

In the drought, the bills found good rbs and good cbs. I would trade that for finding good QBs.

So hopefully this kid is the next freddy and last gift from scouts who all got canned last week

[Ingtar33]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

I like his vision. That vision is pretty good. I also like how he doesn't dance, follows his blocks makes a cut and is gone. good running style, that can get him somewhere. I don't like how easy he goes down. he'll have to get stronger, especially in his lower body if he wants to hang in the nfl a long time. He runs a LOT like Terrell Davis, and TD was a 6th rounder, so it's not like the nfl evaluated him highly either. Still TD was harder to bring down, but the running style is pretty similar.

[The Toe Show]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

I'd love to learn more about him, football/athletic kind of stuff. Info is scant on the search engines. Is there any good place to look?

That was pretty much all I could find. No Bulls were invited to the combine, so there's no measurable stuff, or a Mel Kiper write up.

Here's a scouting report:

Bio: One-year starter after splitting time as a junior. Named Third Team All-MAC after rushing for 1,040 yards and six touchdowns on 200 carries. Junior totals were 811 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns.


Pos:
Well-sized interior runner with a limited game. Gives effort, keeps his feet moving and does not go down without a fight. Rarely brought down by the first defender, shows power and moves the pile. Displays vision and quickly finds the open lanes. Possesses initial quickness and some ability to cut back through the openings.


Neg:
Lacks perimeter speed and quickness. Runs with an upright style and makes himself an easy target. Marginal pass catcher out of the backfield.


Analysis:

Johnson possesses the size and ability to line up as a short-yardage runner on Sundays but must round out his game to make it out of camp this summer.

He played QB and DB in high school:

Most fans of Section VI football know of Johnson’s time with Sweet Home. Johnson is the only Sweet Home quarterback to win back-to-back Section VI Class A titles, accomplishing the feat in 2011 and 2012.

Johnson also started at defensive end and running back for the Panthers’ 2009 state championship team. He finished his varsity football career with a 33-2 record.
In his senior year at Sweet Home, Johnson rushed for 1,365 yards — third-best in school history — and 18 touchdowns and passed for 822 yards and nine touchdowns. He also recorded three interceptions on defense, including one he returned for a 77-yard touchdown in the Panthers’ Class A regional loss to Aquinas.

[Guest]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

Sounds like he had a late growth spurt and may not have grown into his bigger body yet.

[The Toe Show]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

Fred needs his name/number on the Ring of Honor, man. That guy was the silver lining through a lot of cloudy years. He genuinely loved playing for Buffalo too, when a lot of star RBs around his era didn't.

Cutting him was an awful move. Yeah, McCoy and Karlos got it done that year, big time, but those Rex Bills teams were in desperate need of a high-character veteran presence.

I gotta speculate that cutting Fred was a total Whaley-move. Fred, at that time, was the captain and heart and soul of the team. I feel like it was a "show who is boss" move by Whaley - who showed both Fred and Rex that it was his show.

And what was the point of Reggie Bush? Who was clearly a step down in talent and ability? It was honestly upsetting to see Reggie wear 22.

I'm drafting a letter to the Pegulas to right this wrong.

[The Toe Show]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

No need to speculate actually...

**** YOU DOUG WHALEY!

"Doug Whaley was behind it, to my knowledge," Jackson told The Buffalo News' Bucky Gleason in a phone conversation Tuesday night. "He wasn't honest with me the entire time that I've known him. I have the utmost respect for the organization. There's only one person in that organization that I haven't gotten honesty from, and that was him."

The general manager was mostly mum when discussing Jackson's release on Monday, but said "everybody is on board" with the decision.
The Buffalo News' Tim Graham, citing two sources, reported that Whaley "went rogue" in cutting Jackson -- who was set to be part of a major ad campaign to launch this week -- and did not approach the running back about restructuring his contract to keep him in Buffalo.

[OpIv37]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

If it's a true Buffalo story, it'll go like this:

McCoy gets injured after the 10th game. Johnson tears it up and propels the Bills to a WC. in the first quarter of the WC game, Johnson's knee gets shattered. The Bills get crushed in the game and he never plays again.

[Historian]

Re: PREDICTION: Jordan Johnson will emerge as Bills best rookie, meet the new Freddy

Comparing anybody to Fred is unfair, as he was a special player and person.