Here's hoping I cover Bryant Johnson like Brian Fantana covers pandas.
"Bryant Watch!" Anchorman is a pretty polarizing movie - some love it, some hate it - but my daily updates on Bryant Johnson have me feeling a bit like Brian Fantana himself. What's happening with Johnson today? Well, he's still not signed with the Buffalo Bills.
Yesterday, the Nashville Tennessean reported that Johnson's agent was speaking with the Titans. No visit has yet been planned to Nashville (as far as we can tell), so Buffalo remains the only destination that the free agent wideout has traveled to in person. Johnson may have been proving that there was a market for his services outside of Buffalo; that's fine, considering the Bills were proving that there are other options for themselves as well.
Johnson is turning into the 2008 version of Donte' Stallworth circa 2007. Last off-season, Stallworth was considered to be the top free agent wideouot on the market after a solid season with Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia. Stallworth then sat on the market for a couple of weeks with barely a sniff of interest before signing what was essentially a one-year "prove it" (as it's been called) with the Patriots. Johnson's in the same boat - unproven wideout with lots of potential, but nobody wants him to start yet, other than the Bills and perhaps two to three other teams. Whether Johnson gambles himself on a "prove it" contract like Stallworth's Patriots deal remains to be seen.
The Bills aren't sitting idle any longer on the free agent front. They're set to host free agent cornerback William James today at One Bills Drive. James, once named Will Peterson, was a star rookie for the New York Giants before injuries derailed his career a bit. He left New York, changed his name to William James and signed with the Eagles, where he spent two years working nickel and dime packages for Jim Johnson. He's still only 28, and would provide good competition for Buffalo's young cornerbacks, specifically Ashton Youboty.
It's also possible that the team is looking at James as a safety. At 6'0" and 200 pounds, James h as the size to play any position in the secondary, and his legs may not be what they once were. By all accounts he's a strong tackler, and he has six career interceptions playing corner. It's just a thought, but James could play the "swing" position in this defensive backfield.
One final note: reserve linebacker and unrestricted free agent Josh Stamer met with the Titans yesterday. The chances of Stamer returning to Buffalo are remote, and it's nice to see a hard-working guy like Stamer - who was an excellent special teams player in Buffalo - get a shot to continue his career. The Titans will have found themselves a solid addition if he signs there.