Michael Johnson Being Released by Buccaneers

Oct 5, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Michael Johnson (90) walks off the field after the New Orleans Saints scored a touchdown in overtime at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to win 37-31. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Buccaneers will release Michael Johnson imminently.

The #Bucs will release DE Michael Johnson by 4 pm today.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 11, 2015

This is undoubtedly big news for Bengals‘ fans. Michael Johnson struggled in his lone year with the Buccaneers while also struggling to stay healthy. The team decided to move on rather than give him a year to recover and see if he could regain form.

As for Cincinnati, reports say that the Bengals will be interested in bringing back their former defensive end, which will certainly help them deal with their deficiency at right defensive end. While in Cincinnati, Johnson played an overwhelming majority of snaps and anchored the teams run defense from the blind side. He also allowed a player like Carlos Dunlap to flourish, staying at his more auspicious position on the left side of the line.

We’ll have to see in the coming days what the market says about Michael Johnson and his own interest in returning to Cincinnati: He certainly won’t be short of suitors. That said, when looking to revive one’s career, what better place is there than Cincinnati?

Next: Poll: Should Bengals Bring Back Michael Johnson?

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