Is It Time For Buccaneers to Move On From WR Tyler Johnson?
Drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, former Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Tyler Johnson arrived to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a lot of hype surrounding what he could become.
Johnson's production grew in year two up 24 catches and nearly 200 yards from his output his rookie year.
But his catch percentage dropped five percent, yards per reception decreased by four full yards on average, and he failed to find the end zone.
Stack all of that on top of his showing up to training camp out of shape and the clear occasions at times he and quarterback Tom Brady were on completely different pages, and there's a lot of concern surrounding the third-year receiver and whether or not he'll ever reach his full potential.
Sometimes, in these situations, teams decide it's best to part ways with young talent.
READ MORE: Tom Brady Talks Future With Tampa Bay
According to Bleacher Report's Ian Wharton, this may be just what Johnson needs, but also what another young player in the league could use to jumpstart their careers.
"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have assembled a depth chart with eight roster-worthy receivers," Wharton writes. "Swapping one to take a flier at another position only makes sense. The best candidate for an available edge-rusher is Ben Banogu."
Banogu was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts and has produced just two and a half sacks earning zero starts in the three seasons since.
Currently, he is projected by some to be the team's sixth defensive end, not where any team wants a second-round pick playing in his fourth NFL season.
Wharton believes Banogu has been miscast as a defensive end and would be better off playing as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 base defense like Tampa Bay's.
His 2019 NFL Draft profile by Lance Zierlein projected him as a Day 3 talent and certainly reads more like an outside linebacker than defensive end.
There are no guarantees the Bucs would in fact be able to resurrect Banogu's career. But there is some credence to the heavy stack of receivers the team is currently carrying.
Led by star receiver Mike Evans the group is as talented as any in the league, especially with Chris Godwin on his way to ACL recovery, new addition Russell Gage coming over from the Atlanta Falcons, Scotty Miller looking healthy again, Jaelon Darden expected to take a step forward in training camp, and Cyril Grayson and Breshad Perriman having proven capable of contributing in the past.
READ MORE: Could the Baltimore Ravens Propose a Trade for Scotty Miller?
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers' defense is going to lean heavily on second-year outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to partner with Shaquil Barrett on the other side, with Anthony Nelson as the primary guy off the bench.
Behind them, there simply isn't a lot of proven ability, or much potential to get excited about at this stage.
Perhaps Banogu could provide some of that. If Tampa Bay decides it's time to move on from Tyler Johnson.
For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!
