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Charles Johnson - WR Grand Valley State (1 Viewer)

werdnoynek

Footballguy
Saw this pop up on twitter.... :popcorn:

http://rotoviz.com/index.php/2013/03/is-this-man-the-next-miles-austin-or-marques-colston/ (link for pretty pictures and easier to reach charts of breakdown with other players)

IS THIS MAN THE NEXT MILES AUSTIN OR MARQUES COLSTON? By: Jon Moore Follow Jon Moore on Twitter

Every few years a player comes out of nowhere to take the NFL by storm. It’s become a fact of NFL life. Consider Kurt Warner, Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, Victor Cruz, Miles Austin, and Marques Colston; one minute they’re as anonymous as the clerk at your local grocery store, the next minute they are plastered on TVs across the country. The question isn’t whether or not it will happen again. The question is, “where will the next guy come from?”


Here’s a guess: Elsmere, Kentucky.

That is the hometown of 2013 wide receiver prospect Charles Johnson. Over the last few years, Johnson has been difficult to track, both on the field and off. After his high school playing days in Elsmere, he spent a year at Eastern Kentucky before getting suspended and transferring to Antelope Valley Community College in California. He ended up at Grand Valley State in Michigan and has done nothing but dominate for the last two seasons. (GVSU was the proving grounds for Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly and Tennessee’s Butch Jones).

We’ll get to the production in a second. The real reason Johnson landed on anyone’s radar was his pro-day where he skyrocketed (literally) into elite company. If you combine his Vertical Jump and his Broad Jump numbers, you get 172.5”. Fewer than 8% of wide receivers eclipse the 170” figure and even fewer do it at 6’2’’ and in the 215-225lb range. Consider this rarified class of historical freaks:

Player Name - Ht - Wt - 40 - Bench - Vjump - Bjump - Explosion - Shuttle - 3cone - Agility

Julio Jones - 74.8 - 220 - 4.34 - 17 - 38.5 - 135 - 173.5 - 4.25 - 6.66 - 10.91

Charles Johnson - 74 - 215 - 4.38 - 14 - 39.5 - 133 - 172.5 - 4.31 - 6.96 - 11.27

Stephen Hill - 76 -215 - 4.28 - 14 - 134 - 39.5 - 133 - 172.5 - 4.48 - 6.88 - 11.36

You don’t need me to tell you how good Julio or Dez are. They’ll probably be among the first five wide receivers drafted in your fantasy football league. In case you’re curious about Stephen Hill, I’ll point you to this article about his likelihood of following in the footsteps of fellow Georgia Tech wide receivers Calvin Johnson and Demaryius Thomas. But back to Johnson—HOLY COW! What an impressive workout! But what if I told you that his production was equally amazing? Consider how he stacks up to other wide receivers that came from similarly obscure college teams:

Player - College - selection - team - Ht - Wt - MS Yards - MS TD - Rec TD - ypc

VJackson - N.CO - 61 - SD - 76.8 - 241 - 56.1% - 84.6% - 11 - 17.3

CJohnson - GVSt - ?? - tba - 74 - 215 - 42.5% - 57.1% - 16 - 16.7

Miles Austin - Monm - UND - 74.1 - 215 - 41.7% - 52.4% - 11 - 13.9

*MS= Market Share of teams total yards or touchdowns

V-Jax, Miles Austin, and Marques Colston have all posted elite seasons in the NFL. As you can read here, I think Brian Quick will soon join that class of premium receivers. So the only riddle left to solve is Grand Valley State WR Charles Johnson.

I was so intrigued by his workout that I actually visited the GVSU website to watch game recap highlights. On at least two occassions he showed ball skills that left my jaw on the floor, in addition to the many other ‘good’ catches. He certainly passes the eye test.

Johnson is a physical freak and a dominant producer. The third, and maybe most critical, piece of the equation is where he will get drafted. Yes, it would seem that a troubled past landed him in Allendale, Michigan rather than SEC country, but given his measurables, don’t you think somebody will take a chance on him? If and when that happens, Johnson will move near the top of my rookies-to-watch list. The ingredients are there. All he needs is a chance. See and believe…



 
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i liked seeing a packer scout front and center at that workout!!

with those measurables and production to back it up this kid could be a steal later in the draft for a lucky team... NFL and fantasy.

 
This is one of my favorite sites right now. They are a little to hypothetical but I like how they look at things analytically.

 
Found a highlight clip of Grand Valley's 2012 season.

I'm not a scout nor a great identifier of offensive systems, so does anyone have any thoughts about whether he comes a gimmicky offensive system where it might take longer than the normal rookie curve in adjusting to the NFL? I did see some drop-back passing and vertical throws, and some nice over the shoulder TD receptions.

 
packers to host him for a private workout - http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/202357801.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

also mentions other workouts/visits... :popcorn:

Charles Johnson, WR, Grand Valley State

The 6-2, 215-pound Johnson is built like Julio Jones and Dez Bryant and had an outstanding pro day in which he reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. His numbers have lifted him up the draft board after two seasons at GVSU in which he caught 128 passes and scored 31 touchdowns. He a 39 1/2-inch vertical leap, a 4.31-second short shuttle and benched 225 pounds 14 times. His numbers compared favorably with the best performers at the combine. which he did not attend.

Teams will be asking him why as a freshman he was suspended from the team at Eastern Kentucky before transferring to Antelope Valley Community College in California. He sat out a year of football in 2009 but there have been no reports of Johnson having any problems at GVSU. Teams will have to decide if he's more than just an athlete and can become a polished receiver.

He will have at least six visits and several private workouts.
 
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Any estimates on where he might be drafted, or if he might be undrafted?

I don't think the Saints are done at WR. Small school finds on offense are their specialty, but even so I'm not sure Colston or Moore or Morgan or Evans etc. ever jumped out as workout legends either.

 
Jones is a FA next year and Nelson in 2015.

IF Johnson sticks he could be in line for a role on a top passing offense in the league. Big IF, but still.

 
Have a look at this one min video of his pro day. Look at the scout that is in the front row timing his 4.37 forty time and how big his smile is as he turns around. Looks like he went to the team with the scout with the biggest smile lol

 
Awesome workout numbers. In the very limited amount of highlights that I've seen, he doesn't look like a fluid or natural mover though.

Reminds me of Jerome Simpson. Worth a shot really late, but he's gone higher than what I'd pay in most of my drafts.

 
The problem here is his measurables and time don't add up to where he was drafted. I'm not sure if its because of his competition or if there is just a flaw in his game. My guess is the Packers feel they can fix the issue but I don't think we will know for a couple years. Definitely a project imo. I hope he is a steal. The highlights available show pretty clearly that he should have been playing division 1 but since we didn't its just a big question mark.

 
There are some potential problems with Johnson (especially that he's 24 already), but draft position isn't one of them. Draft position is pretty much irrelevant for small school prospects.

Looking only at the small school players who had good pre-draft profiles from 2005-2013:

Charles Johnson 216 Cecil Shorts 114 Tyler Beiler UDFA Pierre Garcon 205 Jerome Simpson 46 Marques Colston? 252 Miles Austin UDFAVincent Jackson 61 That's four solid WRs drafted outside the top 100 picks -- which is as many good late-drafted receivers as have come from the big BCS schools in the same time period (despite the fact that there are far more BCS conference prospects).

I'll have a separate post up on Johnson next week.

 
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He has a NFL body. Deep balls he's like 5 yards open. Not touched on screen passes. Dominated like you would expect at that level. Would love to see what he would have done vs CB's who could jam him and run stride for stride. He has small hands and short arms. Nick Toon and Tony Clemons come to mind as the latest comparable "sleeper." Maybe even Michael Floyd. The chance he gets to work with a QB who make James Jones a star is what's really intriguing. I can see GB not paying Jones if he looks good early.

I was taking cheap shots on Dale Moss last year after watching him in te preseason. GB tried to stash him on the practice but I think the bears snached him up immediately. They'll probably try and do the same with Johnson.

 
He has a NFL body. Deep balls he's like 5 yards open. Not touched on screen passes. Dominated like you would expect at that level. Would love to see what he would have done vs CB's who could jam him and run stride for stride. He has small hands and short arms. Nick Toon and Tony Clemons come to mind as the latest comparable "sleeper." Maybe even Michael Floyd. The chance he gets to work with a QB who make James Jones a star is what's really intriguing. I can see GB not paying Jones if he looks good early.I was taking cheap shots on Dale Moss last year after watching him in te preseason. GB tried to stash him on the practice but I think the bears snached him up immediately. They'll probably try and do the same with Johnson.
Johnson looks to be a better prospect than Moss was.

 
He has a NFL body. Deep balls he's like 5 yards open. Not touched on screen passes. Dominated like you would expect at that level. Would love to see what he would have done vs CB's who could jam him and run stride for stride. He has small hands and short arms. Nick Toon and Tony Clemons come to mind as the latest comparable "sleeper." Maybe even Michael Floyd. The chance he gets to work with a QB who make James Jones a star is what's really intriguing. I can see GB not paying Jones if he looks good early.I was taking cheap shots on Dale Moss last year after watching him in the preseason. GB tried to stash him on the practice but I think the bears snached him up immediately. They'll probably try and do the same with Johnson.
Johnson looks to be a better prospect than Moss was.
Moss was a better athlete and only played one year of football. He was catching bad balls from Graham Harrell all preseason. I mentioned Moss because like Johnson you could say he was one of the most phsically gifted WR's on the team.
 
Johnson’s journey far from ‘typical’

By ALEX PETAKAS
apetakas@espnmilwaukee.com
GREEN BAY – Charles Johnson’s ticket to the National Football League may have been punched at Grand Valley State University’s pro day, where he wowed scouts by running a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and jumping 39 1/2 inches in the vertical leap.

For a 6-foot-2, 215-pound wide receiver, those numbers are impressive.

“I think it turned a lot of people’s heads and it drew a lot of attention,” Johnson, the first of the Green Bay Packers’ three rookie seventh-round picks, said during the team’s recent rookie orientation camp. “I’m sure it shocked a lot of people like, ‘Dang, this guy can play.’”

While he was certainly productive in his two seasons of Division II football (128 receptions, 2,229 yards and 31 touchdowns), his work in shorts and a t-shirt may have been what put made front-office personnel across the league. Even Packers general manager Ted Thompson noted Johnson’s workout after selecting him.

But Johnson wasn’t always a workout warrior. In fact, his approach to the game following his junior year wasn’t exactly impressive, according to Jack Ginn, the associate head coach and wide receivers coach at Grand Valley State.

“[Johnson] was a hard worker, but he was also your typical wideout,” Ginn said in a recent phone intereview. “You know, he doesn’t mind lifting, but it’s not like he’s dying to get in the weight room normally. And he would condition well, but he was never the first one across the line every time.”

That was the case until February of 2012, when Johnson was preparing for his senior season, and Ginn knew he had a player with NFL potential on his hands. It was up to Ginn to figure out how to get the big, talented receiver with exceptional speed to go from a “typical wideout” to the leader who would finish first in sprints and be banging down to door to get into the weight room.

That’s when Ginn decided to take action with a more personal approach.

“It was an offseason winter workout and I knew he had a chance,” Ginn explained. “It was a night in early February after his junior year, the winter workout, and I was on him pretty hard and he and I kind of had a heart to heart after that workout.

“I told him, ‘You can be the best receiver on our team and quite possibly the best player on the field without me doing anything, or you and I can bust our butts and try to see how good you can be.’”

Fifteen months later, Johnson stood in the Packers locker room preparing for his first professional practice, reflecting on the moment that may have put him on his path to the NFL.

“We were running this drill where we had to run across the football field looking back, basically. Just to work on looking back over our shoulder,” Johnson explained. “And we had to run full speed and everybody went and [Ginn] kept calling me back like, 11, 12 times in a row to redo it. So, I

was getting a little frustrated like, ‘Why is he doing this?’ I didn’t understand.”

Then came the heart to heart.

“He pulled me aside like, ‘Man, I think you’re a great player, I’m going to be on you the hardest. You can be the best player out here easily. You can be the best player in the nation easily. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you be. I’m going to harp you like you’re the worst player and I’m going to keep working you and keep making you grind,’” Johnson said. “He was doing it because he wanted to see me succeed.”

It worked.

“From that point forward, he won conditioning at the end of practice. He didn’t miss a single workout. He didn’t miss anything and he was a great example of what you ought to be doing if you’re trying to get better,” Ginn said. “Ever since that moment, he became a kid that was talented and was outworking everyone else at the same time.”

All of Johnson’s hard work resulted in a senior season that saw him improve in every major statistical category. In 11 games, he caught 72 passes for 1,199 yards and 16 touchdowns.

That was the final chapter in an unusual collegiate career, which took Johnson from Antelope Valley (Calif.) Community College, to his home state of Kentucky, where he took a full year away from football to be with his father Fred, who was battling cancer.

Determined to battle on the field with the same ferocity in which his father would battle the disease, Johnson got back to football with his father’s fight serving as his inspiration.

From there, Johnson would stay closer to home and attend Eastern Kentucky for a year in 2009. After one short stint there, it was back on the move. This time, Johnson would go out of state to Grand Valley in Allendale, Mich. – with an assist from the Internet.

“He basically Googled D-II national championships and Grand Valley State popped up and he e-mailed us. That’s how we found him,” said Ginn, who is also in charge of recruiting for the GVSU.

While bouncing around from school to school may turn some programs off to a player, Ginn did his due diligence on Johnson.

“You get a situation like that at a school like ours, you got to do a lot of background, a lot of homework,” Ginn explained. “We were convinced he was a good person. No one anywhere had anything bad to say about him.”

Perhaps tending to his father who had fallen ill, playing at two schools just two years into his collegiate career and having to do a Google search to find a football home had helped Johnson prepare for the trials and tribulations that he’d face the rest of the way on his path that led to 1265 Lombardi Avenue.

“It was something that really grew me up. There were things that happened in my life that a lot of people didn't have to go through,” Johnson said. “Some of the things I had to go through got me to where I am today so it was basically building blocks and it was the concrete steps you had to take to get to success.”

Success on the NFL level will now require Johnson to work even harder and grasp a playbook far more intricate than the one he played in at Grand Valley State.

“We either threw screens or down the field to C.J.,” Ginn said. “There was not a lot of in between.”

Ginn admitted that there was not much of a need to have Johnson do much else, being that he was much more physically gifted than the competition he had faced in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Going deep almost every play was commonplace for Johnson both in real and virtual football, as his play selection in the John Madden football video game was somewhat similar to that of GVSU when throwing to him.

“When I do play Madden, I actually play with Green bay because of Aaron Rodgers,” Johnson said when asked what he knows about the Packers. “I just like to run four verticals and throw it deep pretty much every play.”

Now, Johnson will aim to be on the receiving end of the deep passes thrown by Aaron Rodgers, the man he called one of his favorite quarterbacks.

In the meantime, he’s put his Madden game on pause.

“I haven’t,” Johnson said with a smile, “really had time to play the game lately.”

Alex Petakas is the host of “The Saturday Ticket” on 540 ESPN and covers the Packers for ESPNWisconsin.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/AlexPetakas.
http://www.espnmilwaukee.com/common/page.php?feed=2&id=7811&is_corp=1

 
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Rotoworld:

Packers seventh-round WR Charles Johnson participated in just one spring practice due to an undisclosed injury.
An intriguing prospect with Dez Bryant/Julio Jones-type measurables, Johnson needs all the reps he can get as a raw prospect out of Grand Valley State. He's a name to keep filed away in dynasty leagues. The Packers have an opening at No. 4 receiver behind Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, and James Jones.


Source: Packer Report
 
Johnson does have a red flag, having bounced around between different schools. He initially went to Eastern Kentucky, where he was suspended. He then attended Antelope Valley Community College (Calif.) in 2008, took a season off in 2009, and was at Grand Valley State starting in 2010.
I can't remember where I read it, but it was an article outlining some interesting aspects of Johnson's personal background that leads me to believe this kid can actually be something in the NFL. In a nutshell, it went into how Johnson ran with a rough crowd and often wasn't motivated during football activities when he did participate, despite showing talents superior to his classmates.

In 2009 he took off school due to his father being very ill, if I remember correctly. Upon his arrival in Grand Valley he continued to show a lack of motivation along with a superior talent, and it was there that his coach took on a drill sergeant approach with him, coming down hard on him, picking him out, making him run harder, longer...more drills. Eventually the coach told Johnson he was doing all of that because he believed Johnson could be great. He pointed to all of the other players and said you're better than all of them. Gave Johnson the something special speech and all of that. Yada yada yada...

Johnson bought into it and began practicing and playing with a high motivation level. For the first time he actually began to take football seriously. And that's when scouts started to take notice...

Although I'm writing all of this based on a spotty memory, one very sharp, clear impression I recall having after reading the article was that Johnson isn't the dumb, often trouble-making headcase kind of prospect Dez and other WRs are/were (which along with a pretty late start and his age is probably a big reason why he fell in the draft). I don't think Johnson is at all the type of player you're going to find to be the subject of drunk driving, domestic violence and gun charge headlines like an idiot.

The only question in my mind is how well Green Bay can fire Johnson up and keep him going while they develop him into a more polished player. If they can keep him focused and working hard, I see very little reason why he can't make a big impact in GB come 2014 or 2015. No doubt I've got a dedicated spot for him on every one of my dynasty rosters.

 
Rotoworld:

Packers rookie WR Charles Johnson's Saturday MRI revealed only an "IT band strain" on his knee, and he's expected to be "fine."
There's a "good chance" he'll resume practicing tomorrow. A height-weight-speed freak out of Grand Valley State, Johnson needs a healthy camp and all the reps he can get to make the roster. He's also a strong practice squad candidate.

Source: Tom Silverstein on Twitter
 
Rotoworld:

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel thinks it "may be too late" for Packers seventh-round WR Charles Johnson to compete for a roster spot.
Johnson suffered a sprained MCL on June 27 and missed roughly four weeks before returning to practice Wednesday. He's been bypassed on the depth chart by undrafted rookies Tyrone Walker and Myles White. Johnson is a strong practice squad candidate, but his height-weight-speed blend may intrigue a receiver-needy team if the Packers try to pass him through waivers.

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
 
I'm going to be surprised if they let him go to waivers and I'd be even more surprised if he makes it the practice squad. A WR needy team is monitoring this situation drooling IMO.

 
Seems like a prime practice squad candidate. I'm not so sure there would be a big rush for his signature if he hit waivers. He was a very late pick and he hasn't done anything. The Packers are in a tough spot though. If he was a 2nd-3rd round pick you could justify keeping him on the basis of your evaluation, but a 7th rounder really needs to show something in camp to stick usually.

 
I'd be surprised if he made it through waivers to the PS.

I could foresee a team like the Raiders or Chargers claiming him if the Packers try and do that.

 
I'd be surprised if he made it through waivers to the PS.

I could foresee a team like the Raiders or Chargers claiming him if the Packers try and do that.
Lions are desperate for WR help. He went to school locally. Wouldn't be surprised if they picked him up.

 
I'd be surprised if he made it through waivers to the PS.

I could foresee a team like the Raiders or Chargers claiming him if the Packers try and do that.
Lions are desperate for WR help. He went to school locally. Wouldn't be surprised if they picked him up.
Don't think he'd make it past the Chiefs. But Panthers, Lions, 49ers, and Raiders could all use him.

 
He will make the team as WR6 IMO. They know what they have in the other guys at the bottom of the depth chart.
I agree with this. High upside makes him stick. They won't take a chance of another team snatching him up on the way to the practice squad.
Not sure I agree with this. His measurables were great, but he's had all of a handful of practices since the draft and no game tape. They might be able to sneak him through on the PS. Teams with an immediate need at WR probably won't be looking for an inexperienced raw talent. Will be interesting to see how the Packers deal with CJ.

 
I think we'll see exactly what GB thinks of him, since they have had time to evaluate him even though it had been truncated. GB would not be at all out of character to carry him on their regular roster and use him in spots during the regular season - it's happened before.

If GB exposes him to waivers, even if no other team makes a play for him and he ends up on the practice squad, they will be saying he's nothing better than an interesting flyer right now. If there's some "there" there, you'll see him either contract a convenient injury and be IR'ed or he'll make the regular roster. Then he becomes really intriguing.

Ted Thompson loves to develop younger rawer players and won't expose one he considers promising to potential loss.

 
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He will make the team as WR6 IMO. They know what they have in the other guys at the bottom of the depth chart.
I agree with this. High upside makes him stick. They won't take a chance of another team snatching him up on the way to the practice squad.
Not sure I agree with this. His measurables were great, but he's had all of a handful of practices since the draft and no game tape. They might be able to sneak him through on the PS. Teams with an immediate need at WR probably won't be looking for an inexperienced raw talent. Will be interesting to see how the Packers deal with CJ.
It would be interesting to see. I think teams would take a chance, but every team had (roughly) six chances to draft him, so maybe he would make it through as not much has changed.

 
Charles Johnson is not making the team. The kid has done nothing impressive in camp beyond run a fast 40, even before his injury. He's an ideal candidate for the practice squad.

Most of the reports from the beat writers were that he looked soft when he did play, comparing him to guys like Heyward-Bey. Sure, they got the physical tools, but you don't do very well in this league unless your effort is 100% every play and you fight for balls, and you run routes well. Heyward-Bey wouldn't even make the roster for the Packers and neither will Charles Johnson. I'd take Boykin and Tyrone Walker over either of them.

If someone else grabs him off waivers, then chalk it up to TT being an awesome drafter and consider our fortunes for the players we do have. Funny how teams fight over TT's cut scraps every year.

 
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Charles Johnson is not making the team. The kid has done nothing impressive in camp beyond run a fast 40, even before his injury. He's an ideal candidate for the practice squad.

Most of the reports from the beat writers were that he looked soft when he did play, comparing him to guys like Heyward-Bey. Sure, they got the physical tools, but you don't do very well in this league unless your effort is 100% every play and you fight for balls, and you run routes well. Heyward-Bey wouldn't even make the roster for the Packers and neither will Charles Johnson. I'd take Boykin and Tyrone Walker over either of them.

If someone else grabs him off waivers, then chalk it up to TT being an awesome drafter and consider our fortunes for the players we do have. Funny how teams fight over TT's cut scraps every year.
DHB wouldn't make the roster over Boykin and Walker? That's completely nonsensical. While it seems you feel you're the Packer Authority around here, who you would take has nothing to do with what the Packers are planning to do here. Every Packer related thread that's started in the Pool has you throwing around certainties like you're Ted Thompson or something... we could do without that. The line between your opinion and fact isn't as fine as you make it out to be in your posts.

 
This year's Dale Moss.
This may end up being accurate but for different reasons. This could be a very different conversation if he had been healthy, but instead he has only had a couple practices and even if he plays tonight, not likely he can do enough with the twos and threes to make the final 53. He will probably end up on the practice squad unless another team had interest in him and snags him before he makes it.

 
Word is he will not play tonight. I think that says at least something about them liking him--not wanting to risk him so soon after a return to practice.

 
I'm going to be surprised if they let him go to waivers and I'd be even more surprised if he makes it the practice squad. A WR needy team is monitoring this situation drooling IMO.
I'm going to be surprised if they let him go to waivers and I'd be even more surprised if he makes it the practice squad. A WR needy team is monitoring this situation drooling IMO.
I doubt he'd clear waivers too, but stranger things have happened. I hope he makes the team.

 
Word is he will not play tonight. I think that says at least something about them liking him--not wanting to risk him so soon after a return to practice.
If true, and he makes it through the first cuts, he'll have week 4 to try and impress... otherwise by not participating I think it would leave IR open as an option. If he makes it to the practice squad, I'd be happy. Would love for him to stay with the Pack... I just think he has too much talent to make it there.

 

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