Earlier this afternoon, the Eagles announced that they had claimed undrafted rookie free agent Brett Johnson off of waivers from the Bills. The 6'1" 195lb Johnson started at safety for two years at California after spending two seasons contributing on special teams. Despite being snubbed from the Scouting Combine, Johnson put up impressive numbers during Cal's pro day, including a team-best 4.30 40-time, a school record-breaking 42.5 inch vertical leap, and a head-turning 10'9" broad jump. However, his 2009 season with the Golden Bears was less than impressive, with a mere 52 tackles and one INT. His lack of decent game film is likely what caused many teams to shy away from him during the draft, but their loss could be the Eagles' gain.
As for his time on the Bills, Johnson impressed the staff (particularly assistant coach Adrian White), but was simply lost in a numbers game at a very deep and youthful position on the Buffalo roster. Perhaps his experience covering DeSean Jackson in college will help him stand out during the Eagles training camp. As Johnson says:
"I'd cover that guy on a daily basis. So I feel as far as the speed of the game goes, if that's as fast as it gets and they say he's one of the fastest guys in the NFL, I feel pretty confident about that."
Johnson will likely compete with Kurt Coleman, Ryan Hamilton, and Quintin Demps for a backup safety position.