According to reports, defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr., formerly of the New Orleans Saints, is getting back together with the Houston Texans.
Johnson played his final season in New Orleans after beginning his career in Houston, where he played for the Texans for three of those seasons. He now intends to rejoin the team where he began his NFL career.
The Saints are impacted because Lonnie Johnson Jr. was a reliable player who added depth to the secondary. Johnson continued to receive more snaps at the end of the previous season because of his strong play. During his few snaps as a Saint, he caught an interception in 12 games.
Johnson used social media to tell Saints fans that he will always love them and that he tried to work on a contract to return but was eventually unable to complete it after it was rumored that he would be joining the Texans.
After Lonnie Johnson Jr.’s departure, the Saints require secondary depth.
Although it wouldn’t have been a spectacular move, Johnson Jr.’s return would have allowed for the retention of some much-needed depth. Without it, players like Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor, and Jordan Howden will need to step up. They will have more chances to establish themselves as valuable members of the squad.
The Saints are finding that they need the secondary more and more. Veteran safety Marcus Maye was just released by New Orleans, Lonnie Johnson Jr. is currently unrestricted in free agency, and trade speculations have been circulating about Marshon Lattimore during the offseason. In order to make sure that the defensive back room is as powerful as it has been in past years, the Saints must add a few players. It’s also reasonable to predict that New Orleans will select players in the secondary in the NFL Draft of 2024.