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<\/a><\/p>\nJoe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonally,\u201d Johnson explained, \u201cI feel like last year was just a baseline. Granted, it was my first year ever playing corner in the NFL \u2014 or even in the game. Then, coming off the ACL as well, there was a lot of stuff going on. [So] I like to look at it as a baseline. I can only get better from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his position coaches offered Johnson some encouragement after his first season back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just challenged me,\u201d Johnson recalled. \u201cThey were like, \u2018We need that dog back. Stop worrying about messing up. Be bold, and be great.\u2019 So I just took that in the offseason and just challenged myself. Why not me?\u201d<\/p>\n
With a strong group competing to fill Kansas City\u2019s secondary, Johnson knows that versatility will play a major role in his playing time \u2014 because in team meetings, Spagnuolo has focused on having cornerbacks who can line up at multiple positions.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to interchange us depending on personnel packages and stuff like that,\u201d said Johnson, \u201cso all of us [need to know] the different roles \u2014 from nickel to left [and] right corner. Everything changes, but Spags is a mastermind at that; it\u2019s hard for teams to really get a gauge on who is going to be playing where.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Johnson prepares for his fourth season, he and his fellow corners have had the unenviable responsibility of covering Kansas City\u2019s wide receivers, who seem to be making big plays in every video clip coming out of St. Joseph. He\u2019ll be happy to pass the responsibility of covering speedsters like Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown \u2014 and camp darling Tyquan Thornton \u2014 to opposing teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re fast,\u201d he confirmed. \u201cEvery time you see somebody going deep, we\u2019re always in somewhat [of] a trail position because they\u2019re just so fast to get off the line. [There\u2019s] one thing about our receivers: they catch those deep balls down the field. They\u2019re going to give a lot of people headaches, because they\u2019ve just got speed all over the place. [There\u2019s] Worthy [and] Hollywood. And then you\u2019ve got Thornton, who\u2019s going crazy right now. It\u2019s just speed, so I say, \u2018Everybody just warm up your hammies,\u2019 because it\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n