Remember when the Bengals drafted West Virginia defensive end Will Clarke in the third round in 2014, barely a month after they had lost Michael Johnson to free agency? Clarke was promptly christened “a Michael Johnson Clone,” and even given his number at right end on the defensive front.
Now that Johnson is back after a year exile in Tampa with his new No. 90, he can see the comparisons with the new No. 93.
“He definitely works hard,” Johnson says. “He’s versatile. He can play more inside than I did. He’s very coachable and he fits in with the culture of our locker room, which I think is very important.