WR Stevie Johnson traded to San Francisco 49ers

[bigK14094]

Well, I don't think this was all bad.......Stevie performed well with Fitz at QB, with his Harvard brain.....Stevie was given great flexibility to run his routes as determined by what the defenders left uncovered in the coverage. Fitz and Stevie read this together, and it worked. I remember Revis complaining that Stevie had the most freedom of any receiver in the league after Stevie torched him one game. Now, in comes Manuel.....and he doesn't have the head to operate this way. Manuel can't adapt to an alternate route based on the coverage given by the D...he can barely keep the playbook straight. Mid season Hackett is complaining that Stevie doesn't run his routes exactly as drawn up....Manuel can't adapt......so, my view, we have an incompatibility of Stevie's skill set and the organizational desire for cookie cutter route runners. Hence, Marrone and Hackett get rid of Stevie.......not their kind of guy. To bad, he was skilled. However, he did not fit the speed theme they are trying to build. I wish him well in SF, and hope Kappernick can get on the same page with him. (And that was why Stevie didn't like it when Fitz was dumped)

[KDIGGZ]

 

yep, all signs. And the mafia killed Kennedy and the holocaust didn't happen.

Then why trade away your best WR? Clearly it must be for non football reasons. I wish they would address it

[BringBackFergy]

I can't believe we gave up our 2nd round pick just now and all we got from St. Louis was their 5th round pick. Wtf?? Tuel...help me understand this.

[boyst]

While I respect your thoughts, I whole heartedly disagree with just about everything you wrote.

 

1. This DOES make us a better team. There isn't a GM in football that would choose Stevie over Watkins...not one, and thats with Watkins never playing a down. So take out your biased as a Bills fan, and its clear Watkins is the better choice. Plus, we have THREE young WR's that will only continue to develop with playing time. Stevie, who has peaked (as a guy who couldn't even break 1100 yards ever despite being the number 1 guy on a pass happy team frequently playing from behind) or nearly peaked with what he can do was only going to take snaps and reps away from them.

If he went another season on this roster with Ryan Fitzpatrick he would have had another good year. JMO, of course. Going with a variety of starting QB's and missing time for the first time in his career also made us very frustrated. But, I think many of us here kind of got this in our heads last year and we knew this was coming. When it was so simply excused and Marrone and SJ13 seemed to not want be on the same page it was glaring.

 

We are fans, we are a little close. It's easy for me to take a step back with the Bills because I am more a fan of football, I love the X's and O's and some times Y's. (I seriously almost made a post after Kipers hair had his that said nothing more then "Bills will get Watkins, Steve Johnson will not be a Bill much longer and they will be active up and down all draft" without any source or any knowledge other then common sense.)

 

Anyway, that is how I see it. An effective football player for a team that had little success on offense and definitely needs stability. A team that will face some good DB's and one that SJ13 has been known to give headaches to, as well. He wasn't that expensive and at the least I would have hoped to move him by the deadline.

 

2. We do not need anyone else to be brought in at all at WR. Why would anyone think this? Woods showed he's a player last year and will only improve this year, especially with Watkins opposite him rather than 5 yard route Stevie. Goodwin also showed he's a player and IMO has every bit the ability to be everything Lee Evans was plus the ability to go over the middle. I actually think he has the potential to be as closer to a Steve Smith, but only time will tell. Then you have Mike Williams, who has already had better seasons than Stevies best season who is big, young, and has better hands. Add in Ramses Barden and Marcus Easley and you got our 6 WR's...we need no additional players.

Goodwin: What Lee Evans, though? The Lee Evans who should have never been a solo act and been a package/specialized player on a team with a "true #1?" Or the Lee Evans who was forced to play as a #1 and only lasted so long because _____? When it is 2nd or 3rd and more then 8 - I want to drop Goodwin in, pull someone out a spell, maybe even sub in some fun packages. The best way to use special players is do so sparingly. I'd love to see Goodwin break out to become an all-star, bona fide legit dude. An Antonion Brown or Julio Jones or such. It's probably not in him, and I am cool with that because I still see a lot in him.

 

5 yards is 5 yards. It's better then flash in the pan CJ Spiller or all or nothing _____ (Goodwin, Graham, Chandler). And SJ13 was the biggest target on the team who could make catches in traffic and could get YAC. Sure, he didn't always fight for every inch but he found ways to make big plays when it mattered. Of course, all that sticks out to us is the few big plays he did not make. It's spilled milk now, but we still have...

 

Robert Woods who I hope is our Alvin Harper at the very least.

Mike Williams could be Michael Irvin or Michael Irvin.

Marquise Goodwin could likely be an entirely different kind of player, call him a can opener because he could take the top off.

TJ Graham, yes, TJ Graham is a utility player who is a smart player just not a very good one. Yet. He's a great athlete, he's a fast dude, and he knows all the WR positions and perhaps the most versatile on this team to play in X Z or Y position.

Easley, with all due respect, I am not even going to mention because there is 100% no need to. He must remain a Bill.

Barden, hopes and dreams and fairy tales can let us hope he is our next Justin Armour.

 

3. No way TJ Graham makes the roster (barring injuries) over Barden and Easley...Easley is a lock for his ST play baring injury, and Barden has way more upside than Graham (who was brought in by a regime no longer here).

I just see too much possibility there with speed, ethic, ability, and something else I cannot convey in a message box on my screen. He won't ever be a Pro Bowl player but as the first guy off the bench to replace an injured guy or to pick up slack - I want to look at TJ Graham for that until other, better, options are there.

 

Remember a few years ago when we ran out of WR's? Well, I don't want that to happen again and end up having a Panthers roster of scrubs. I don't want to pull up Kaufman or Jayvee Fodder to give depth at WR. Graham is cheap and depth and doesn't have to take time from anyone.

 

4. No excuse for trading him? How about him not being worth the contract he's being paid. How about how his presence would only stunt the growth of our future. How about if you take away all biased looks on him, he theoretically would be slotted as 5th on the depth chart. Watkins and Woods should start...Goodwin compliments them better as the 3rd because he can take the top off the D like no other. Williams rotates in as 3rd and 4th WR because he brings immense redzone potential, size, and great hands. Stevie and Woods are similar, and would not compliment each other well and Woods has way more upside as he is also a great route runner already with better hands and more play making ability.

Until EJ Manuel finds his way a little bit better I just cannot understand why it makes sense to remove someone who can help him develop. At least now. I don't think Johnson would have been anything less on value later in the season or after this season. A 5, at least, maybe. And that's not much different and you can package that with a 4th to move up or something.

 

So, while I respect your opinion, I can't agree with anything you said about the situation other than that it was not a surprise we wanted Watkins and wasn't a surprise we traded Stevie.

love times like these, we can actually have good conversation going on the board.

I want to bare TJ Grahams babies.

 

 

No worries...and for the record, not trying to be argumentative with your post, I just have exact opposite thoughts on those points.

which is why i am taking the time to respond to it.

 

He faked the crap out of Sherman on that 20 yard TD.

It's going to be great watching the NFL coverage next year when they show the new big rivalry. I hope SJ13 does 1 thing and 1 thing excellently for the next many years: own Richard Sherman.

 

In fact, I would !@#$ing love it if Sherman did one of those things where he sold stock in himself. It would be hilarious because it'd be a Steve Johnson move to buy all of the shares.

[blzrul]

Sorry to lose Stevie but LOVING the thought of him burning Richard Sherman early and often.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Hate This. Revis loves this. Good luck SJ13. Bill forever!

 

Sammy will not be revis's favorite match up

[ExWNYer]

Good luck and have fun playing back home in SF, Stevie. Thanks for your contributions to the Bills and your professed love for Buffalo and its people.

[DDD]

Whaley said traded for Watkins to get into the playoffs this year right? How does trading Stevie Johnson do anything other than hurt the Bills in 2014?

[Kirby Jackson]

 

Then why trade away your best WR? Clearly it must be for non football reasons. I wish they would address it

I think that the answer is that he was 4th on the depth chart now and highly paid. I like Stevie (more than most here) but he was shins Watkins for sure and most likely Williams and Woods.

[thewildrabbit]

Stevie reminded me of Steve Largent, as he was usually always open or found a way to get open.

 

Loved the guy, and he and Fitz clicked together as he was his go to guy on almost every pass play. Which was a good thing because there really was no other decent WR on the roster but that 7th rounder. Remember all those 5 WR sets Gailey ran with only one decent WR, and it didn't fool anyone as the rest of the league knew it. Now the Bills can run, 3-4-5 WR sets, and actually have real multiple options to go to.

 

I can only hope one of the other WR's steps up to be as good at getting open. Anyway, I can see why the Bills traded him. After getting that big contract he came in unprepared, and out of shape. He even stated publicly he didn't do any off season workouts.

[Mango]

So is any 4th round pick gonna put up numbers as good as Stevie is having? This is almost as bad as the Marshawn Lynch trade. We get screwed (again).

marshawn is light years better than any stevie johnson. the marshawn lynch trade was to dodge a future incedent and long term suspension. not because he didnt provide value to the team. SJ13, while I wish guys like this would fplay their whole career in Buffalo, he didn't do a whole lot under the new regime. Not sure if it was a skill or coaching issue, regardless, he is and never will be the the football player that Lynch is. One is one of the best in the league at his job, the other, even his hometown biased fans, think is a solid not great, number 2 or slot.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Hate this.

 

love this

[Marv Levy]

TJ Graham, you better start doing something!!

 

Good luck SJ13 with the Niners.

[Hplarrm]

 

 

While I respect your thoughts, I whole heartedly disagree with just about everything you wrote.

 

1. This DOES make us a better team. There isn't a GM in football that would choose Stevie over Watkins...not one, and thats with Watkins never playing a down. So take out your biased as a Bills fan, and its clear Watkins is the better choice. Plus, we have THREE young WR's that will only continue to develop with playing time. Stevie, who has peaked (as a guy who couldn't even break 1100 yards ever despite being the number 1 guy on a pass happy team frequently playing from behind) or nearly peaked with what he can do was only going to take snaps and reps away from them.

 

2. We do not need anyone else to be brought in at all at WR. Why would anyone think this? Woods showed he's a player last year and will only improve this year, especially with Watkins opposite him rather than 5 yard route Stevie. Goodwin also showed he's a player and IMO has every bit the ability to be everything Lee Evans was plus the ability to go over the middle. I actually think he has the potential to be as closer to a Steve Smith, but only time will tell. Then you have Mike Williams, who has already had better seasons than Stevies best season who is big, young, and has better hands. Add in Ramses Barden and Marcus Easley and you got our 6 WR's...we need no additional players.

 

3. No way TJ Graham makes the roster (barring injuries) over Barden and Easley...Easley is a lock for his ST play baring injury, and Barden has way more upside than Graham (who was brought in by a regime no longer here).

 

4. No excuse for trading him? How about him not being worth the contract he's being paid. How about how his presence would only stunt the growth of our future. How about if you take away all biased looks on him, he theoretically would be slotted as 5th on the depth chart. Watkins and Woods should start...Goodwin compliments them better as the 3rd because he can take the top off the D like no other. Williams rotates in as 3rd and 4th WR because he brings immense redzone potential, size, and great hands. Stevie and Woods are similar, and would not compliment each other well and Woods has way more upside as he is also a great route runner already with better hands and more play making ability.

 

So, while I respect your opinion, I can't agree with anything you said about the situation other than that it was not a surprise we wanted Watkins and wasn't a surprise we traded Stevie.

 

1. Why does one have to choose between Johnson and Watkins? I know there is general acceptance of the Marv bromide that if your team has possible starters at QB then your team has no starter at QB, but this does not apply at all at WR where you are gonna have two starters anyway. Maybe our fan brains are two small to accept having two WRs with the potential to be 2 1000 yd receivers, but I would have much preferred to see them both play for the Bills and let on field production and developed chemistry with EJ decide who is the #1 WR,

[benderbender]

Bills are a CLASS organization!! They could have probably traded SJ13 to a multiple of teams, but let him go back home with family. JMO.

We could traded Fitzpatrick and Byrd for ANYTHING but we're just so dang classy

[billsgpr88]

People can put up all the numbers that stevie had, the fact is he had groin problems every year and that's not gonna change. Add to that the fact that he showed very little, if any, chemistry with EJ. Woods was the go to guy for EJ, and Woods has a very similar skillset. And let's not forget the multiple occasions in which Stevie effed up a crucial play. Considering all this and his big contract, a 4th, conditional 3rd is a blessing.

 

He didn't show the potential to have the chemistry he had with fitzy, and anyone looking beyond his career numbers and focused more on watching the game would realize that... Stevie is talented, but there is no place on this new squad for him. A GREAT move for the Bills.

Edited May 10, 2014 by billsgpr88

[zazie]

Niners fans certainly seem happy to have Stevie:

 

http://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/niners/178427-49ers-traded-stevie-johnson/

 

"the next Jerry"

[CSBill]

I have always liked Stevie, but the moves make sense: high salary, a lot of talent at his position, got an extra pick, he did have a regular injury problem.

 

But, he was always pro Buffalo and that aspect will be missed.

[mead107]

He did drop a lot of balls. He was never the best set of hands.

 

I do wish him luck.

[eball]

how is Doug Whaley going to sit there and say we need to win NOW and then go and trade Stevie for a pick NEXT year?

 

The only reasonable explanation is that Stevie wasn't expected to be a significant part of the plan this season -- clearly they wanted a different "leader" in the WR room.

 

Reading through this thread, it's clear that 14 years of losing have really damaged a lot of our psyches. As a fan base, we've become "ok" with embracing "good stories" rather than insisting on getting better. I've been guilty of it with different players, and I think I've finally learned my lesson. This was a logical and understandable move by a couple of guys (Whaley, Marrone) who want this team to be better, now.

 

Best of luck to Stevie in SF. I will not trash him, but I also won't lament his exit.