Giants' Theo Johnson: Dominates tight-end reps Week 1
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Johnson caught one of four targets for 18 yards against Minnesota in Sunday's Week 1 loss.
It was a rough game for New York's offense as a whole, and Johnson played a part in that, as he dropped two potential catches in the first half and was missed by QB Daniel Jones on another play despite getting open. The pair did connect on an 18-yard pass in the fourth quarter, and the positive news for Johnson's outlook moving forward is that he logged 61 offensive snaps (86 percent of the team's total). That seems to put him ahead of Daniel Bellinger (16 offensive snaps) and Chris Manhertz (20, primarily in two tight-end sets) in the pecking order at the position, though Johnson will likely need to do a better job of helping the offense in order to maintain that status.
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Giants' Theo Johnson: Continues getting first-team reps
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Johnson is listed as a fourth-stringer on the Giants' initial preseason depth chart, but Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News notes that the depth chart at tight end doesn't reflect what reporters have seen during practices.
In other words, Johnson is still in the mix to start, despite being a rookie fourth-round pick who opened training camp on the PUP list with a hip injury. He took a lot of first-team reps his second day after being activated, and subsequent reports suggest that's continued into the second week of training camp, albeit with Daniel Bellinger also involved in the first-team offense. Lawrence Cager (hamstring) and Chris Manhertz also are listed ahead of Johnson on the depth chart, but they're specialized players that would be unlikely to play a lot of snaps even if they technically ended up starting. Johnson is the upside play of the bunch, having run a 4.57 40-yard dash at 6-foot-6, 259 pounds. His impressive showing at the NFL Combine led to a selection early in the fourth round, 107th overall, following a college career at Penn State with no more than 34 receptions or 341 yards in any one season (although he did score seven TDs his final year).
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Giants' Theo Johnson: Earning first-team reps
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Johnson took a majority of first-team reps at Monday's practice, Gabriel Trevino of NJ.com reports.
It's a bit surprising given that Johnson is a rookie fourth-round pick and was just activated from the active/PUP list a day earlier after missing the first few days of training camp with a hip injury. On the other hand, there's not much reason to slow-play his development when the likely alternative at tight end is third-year pro Daniel Bellinger, who struggled with blocking the past two seasons while getting just 63 targets on 512 routes (12.3 percent). Johnson never reached even 350 receiving yards in a season at Penn State, but he has prototypical speed (4.57 combine 40) and size (6-foot-6, 259 pounds) for an NFL tight end.
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Giants' Theo Johnson: Expected to practice soon
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Giants general manager Joe Schoen said Wednesday that Johnson (hip) should return to practice soon, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.
The rookie fourth-round pick is on the PUP list for the start of training camp, slightly delaying what looks to be a fantastic opportunity. The Giants have one of the weakest tight end groups in the league after Darren Waller's retirement this summer, potentially giving Johnson a chance to compete with third-year pro Daniel Bellinger for a starting job. Those two may be the only tight ends on the roster with every-down potential, as Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz are veteran blocking specialists, while Lawrence Cager and Tyree Jackson profile as oversized slot receivers. None of the bunch has ever caught more than 34 passes in a season at the NFL or college levels.
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Giants' Theo Johnson: Dealing with hip injury
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The Giants are hopeful that Johnson (hip), who was placed on the PUP list Tuesday, isn't dealing with a long-term injury, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Johnson will be eligible to come off the PUP list as soon as he's able to practice, so if his hip issue is indeed minor, he may not have to miss much of training camp. The rookie fourth-round pick has just over three weeks to recover prior to New York's preseason opener against the Lions on Aug. 8. When healthy, Johnson should compete with Daniel Bellinger (undisclosed) for the No. 1 tight end role.
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Giants' Theo Johnson: Hits PUP list
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The Giants placed Johnson (undisclosed) on the PUP list Tuesday with an undisclosed injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Johnson will be eligible to come off the PUP list any time during training camp or the preseason, but his expected recovery timetable remains unclear, as does the nature of his injury. The rookie fourth-round pick could have an opportunity to compete with Daniel Bellinger (undisclosed) for the starting tight end job, which is wide open in the wake of Darren Waller's retirement. It would be a notable blow to Johnson's outlook if he's forced to miss a substantial portion of camp.
