The Baltimore Ravens are, once again, in a ‘Super Bowl or bust‘ season. Hence, they are giving Lamar Jackson all the toys to produce the goods in the upcoming NFL season. To prove that, they went and sign a former Trevor Lawrence weapon.
After playing for Cleveland and Jacksonville, running back D’Ernest Johnson is coming to a stacked team. Not only is it a big-time roster, but it’s a loaded running back room as well. The signing was reported by NBC Sports.
Johnson might be a veteran in the NFL but snaps aren’t guaranteed. The starting job belongs, undoubtedly, to Derrick Henry, arguably a top 3 running back in the league. However, Johnson will fight against Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell for the backup slot.
What does D’Ernest Johnson brings to the table?
After going undrafted in 2019, Johnson played four seasons with Cleveland, where he spent much of the time being the third option as he was behind Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Then, he played two years with Trevor Lawrence, where he was relegated to third option again, below Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby.
However, Johnson has a strong running style and possess the ability to catch passes out of the backfield. The second one is where he can thrive in Baltimore. Most of their backs are not pass-catching backs, so Johnson can open up a new dimension for this offense.
The Ravens need to have success this season
Baltimore is in a tough spot this season, somewhat like Buffalo. They are two teams that have been considered contenders within the NFL, that have MVP-winning quarterbacks but haven’t got the chance to even play at the Super Bowl. Why? There is a certain Patrick Mahomes on the Kansas City Chiefs that has denied them the opportunity.
Both teams want an NFL ring, but first, they have to take out their boogeyman in Mahomes. The Ravens have been particularly aggressive this offseason in looking for weapons to make possible for Lamar Jackson to finally get over the hump.