Cincinnati Bengals Sign Nico Johnson Off Chiefs Practice Squad
By Ben Nielsen
Nico Johnson is a Cincinnati Bengal.
The Bengals announced the signing of Johnson off the Chiefs practice squad this afternoon. Johnson was a fourth-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 2013 and failed to make the 53-man roster out of training camp this past August.
The Chiefs signed linebacker Orie Lemon to replace Johnson on the practice squad. Lemon, an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State in 2011, spent some time with the Chiefs last season after spending his first two years with the Dallas Cowboys.
Johnson joins Braden Wilson as two 2013 draft picks who are no longer with the Chiefs. Sanders Commings and Mike Catapano have barely seen the field due to injury — both are on the injured reserve list this season.
Still, the Chiefs have found value in John Dorsey’s first draft. Eric Fisher is developing into a solid left tackle, Travis Kelce looks like a future star, and Knile Davis may start for at least 10 other teams in the NFL. But even with that success the Chiefs could still use one more contributor from that draft.
Unfortunately it won’t be Johnson.