Bertrand: Stevie Johnson 'The Perfect Guy' For Patriots
Life without Darrelle Revis has forged ahead in Foxboro, and the Patriots are reportedly setting their sights on a flashy wide receiver.
According to Dianna Russini of NBC in Washington D.C., Stevie Johnson is set to visit with the Patriots on Monday.
UPDATE: Russini reports that the Johnson has left New England without signing.
Per sources Stevie Johnson has left New England WITHOUT signing. #Patriots
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 16, 2015
Johnson, 28, posted three straight seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards from 2010-12 with the Bills. In 2013, his final year in Buffalo, he caught 52 passes for 597 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games.
Last season in San Francisco, Johnson caught 35 passes for 435 yards and three touchdowns.
His single-season career high in touchdowns is 10, which he set in 2010.
He's played nine games against the Patriots in his career, catching 32 passes for 421 yards and four touchdowns.
Marc Bertrand and Mike Flynn discussed the prospect of the Patriots potentially signing Johnson.
"It doesn't excite me. He could be a decent player," said Flynn. "I think he fits into what they like to do -- wide receiver screens, quick throws, yards after catch. ... I think he could fit. I don't think it hurts. I'm guessing they'd get him at a pretty good deal, I mean certainly less than what the Bills paid for Percy Harvin. I think he could fit what they do, but I'm not pounding the table and saying 'You've gotta have this guy in there.' The fact that you redid Amendola's deal says he's going to be here unless he falls off a cliff in camp, and he showed me enough at the end of the season and the playoffs that he could fit that role."
Bertrand pointed out that behind Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola, the Patriots don't have depth at the position, and bringing in Johnson would make a lot of sense.
"If you can add Stevie Johnson, you do it," Bertand said. "That to me is finding value in a guy that had a down year, is looking to get a new home, is looking to get his new contract. This is the perfect guy for them."
Listen to Bertrand and Flynn's full discussion, which includes Johnson's tweet that called for Foxboro to be bombed, below: