Kontraband
Practice Squad
WTF
We traded 13th and possibly DJ for him.
IMO
We traded 13th and possibly DJ for him.

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Kontraband said:WTF
We traded 13th and possibly DJ for him.
IMO
Trapped said:Travis Johnson and 3rd round pick for DJ? Gimme a break.
pilottim said:He had 3 whole sacks last year. Oh did you know his junior year he had 3 whole tackles for loss.
According to Johnson's coaches, the outgoing player is finally living up to his press clippings. He shows very active hands and excellent explosion coming off the snap. He is a quick twitch type than gets into the offensive lineman quickly, generating good upper body power behind his hand punch to gain separation. In the past, he showed marginal field instincts, but possibly due to the medication, Travis was able to quickly read and react to the plays, especially showing alertness diagnosing the screen.
He is best when defending vs. the run, as Travis shows a sudden burst off the snap and enough explosion to wrap and secure ball carriers with authority. He uses his hands effectively to split double teams and has the lower body strength to push the pocket. Johnson showed in 2004 that he can play with leverage and does a good job of avoiding being reached. He penetrates or inverts to disrupt and has the hand usage to stack and control.
He has a good anchor to maintain position vs. the larger offensive linemen and uses his hands quickly to shed and disengage. Johnson shows urgency penetrating the gaps, as he learned to use his upper body power when coming off the edge to collapse the blocker's shoulder and get a good push on the bull rush. His hand punch will consistently jar the offensive lineman and in the short area, he shows suddenness to close ground on the quarterback.
Johnson moves well in the short area, but when he gets too high in his stance, he fails to sink his hips properly to gain momentum when changing direction. When he does not play at a low pad level, blockers are able to lock him up and he will struggle to shed. He really applies more pressure when collapsing the pocket than register sacks, but he is an athletic mover with quick spin, club, and swim moves (best when striking low, as he can get better hip snap to invert the pocket).
His timed speed is not that great, but he does show above average quickness in his initial burst. Johnson has developed a very good feel for the play and can be very disruptive when he stays at a low pad level. He worked hard in the 2004 offseason to add strength and did a very good job in 2004 to hold his ground at the point of attack. He is now capable of making plays from the backside and plays flat down the line, showing the acceleration to catch the ball carrier from behind.
While he did not do it in the past, Travis showed marked improvement reading blocks, feeling pressure and redirecting to the play. He has become a force from the offside and became a challenge for offensive linemen as he showed a more physical nature in his play. He won't maul a lineman, but has developed capable hands (wax on, wax off moves) with a quick swim to gain penetration. He does a good job of working the side of an offensive guard to get into the backfield and his improved hand strength is evident in his rip moves.
His versatility (can play zero, two- or three-tech), renewed dedication, sudden explosion and active hands made him the most disruptive force in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004. It is my belief that he will go much higher in the draft than my grade here indicates. Based on 2004 performances, he is well on his way to living up to the potential he showed in high school. Some teams might be concerned about the lack of consistency he showed during his first four years with the FSU program. But, if he can continue to play at the level he displayed as a senior, some organization will benefit greatly if he can stay the course he showed in 2004.