Would newly released Tank be worth Buffalo’s trouble?

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, June 26, 2007  |  Comments( 50 )

Buffalo Bills
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It took a while, but the Chicago Bears finally released troubled defensive tackle Tank Johnson on Monday. A few weeks ago, the 26-year-old was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for the first eight games of the 2007 season because of past issues with the law, including gun charges and resisting arrest. To add to those problems, on June 22 Johnson was pulled over for going 40 in a 25-mph zone in Arizona (whether Johnson was drunk is unknown; the results of his blood test are pending).

Because he had no more second chances in the Windy City, Chicago's brain trust -- General Manager Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith -- decided to cut a player it had used a second-round pick on in the 2004 draft.

The thing about Johnson is, he has immense talent as a D-tackle. For that reason, the release of the 6-foot-3, 300-pounder may at least slightly pique the interest of the Buffalo Bills, whose Tampa 2 scheme is the same the Bears run. It just so happens that the Bills' run stopping is likely going to be the defense's biggest weakness in '07, and adding a player like Johnson would certainly upgrade the middle of the team's 'D'.

Since March, Buffalo has been at a contractual standstill with tackle Darwin Walker, a seven-year veteran acquired from Philadelphia who will likely never play a down for the Bills. Even with Walker in the fold, the Bills' DT group -- which currently consists of Larry Tripplett, John McCargo, Kyle Williams, Tim Anderson and Jason Jefferson -- is less than average and has no feared run-stuffers.

In terms of on-field play, Johnson would certainly help the Bills' 28th-ranked run defense of 2006. However, the former University of Washington star hasn't been enough of a model citizen off the field. Even though Johnson is likely better than any DT on Buffalo's current roster, Bills G.M. Marv Levy is averse to bringing in players who have shown questionable character in the past.

Therefore, if Levy and head coach Dick Jauron do decide to bring in Johnson, it would indeed be a shock. The two would totally be going against their grain and -- perhaps in some fans' minds -- trying to win at the expense of honor.

Still, though, many view Johnson as a good person who has simply made poor decisions in the past; regardless, the inability he's shown to learn from those crucial errors has been the three-year veteran's downfall in the pros thus far.

At the same time, the nose tackle's 26 tackles and four sacks from last season would be more than welcome on the Bills' defense. As stated before, though, the odds of the integrity-obsessed Levy (a good trait for a front-office executive to possess, for sure) bringing in whom many consider to be a common thug -- one who would miss the first half of the year's 16-game schedule -- even for an incentive-laden contract are just about slim to none.

Hence, Bills fans, don't expect to see Tank roll through Buffalo anytime soon. That's not for the best when it comes to on-field performance, but it might be for locker-room serenity and team-wide likability.

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