Last year, New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson impressed with his performance. Johnson reeled in 42 receptions for 508 yards and 7 touchdowns. Looking ahead to 2023 the restricted free agent may be get a big boost in his production if the Saints land their target at tight ends coach, Clancy Barone.
Barone has been working with various teams with the tight end and offensive line groups since 2004. His biggest achievement? He’s the only tight ends coach in NFL history to coach up four different Pro Bowler at the position with four separate teams. Those tight ends; Alge Crumpler of the Atlanta Falcons, Antonio Gates of the then San Diego Chargers, Julius Thomas of the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings pass-catcher Kyle Rudolph, are all some of the best to play their positions. Barbie showed quickly his ability to maximize that talent.
For New Orleans, this hire would be a huge bargaining chip in keeping Johnson in the Big Easy. As a restricted free agent, they have a lot of leverage anyway. The team gets right of first refusal one they place a qualifying tender on Johnson. This effectively acts as a one-year deal but isn’t exclusive. On the tender, Johnson would be able to receive offers from other teams, but New Orleans would get a chance to match that deal to keep the converted wideout in town. Depending on the tender level, they would be able to also recoup a second- or even first-round pick if they did not match the offer.
But keeping Johnson in New Orleans should be a priority for the Saints. Especially if they wrap up the deal with Barone. In addition to his Pro Bowl-making track record, Gates and Crumpler also led their teams in receptions their first years with Barone. Perhaps another jump in production for Johnson awaits in 2023.
