Marquez Callaway was upset when he heard the news Juwan Johnson would be leaving the wide receiver room, but he sounded equally displeased about the fate of one of his waffles.
The new Saints tight end loves to eat. He'll put down two or three plates of food at the team facility, Callaway shared Wednesday. After one of those recent meals he made off with even more food -- from his teammate's plate.
"He sat down and he was like, ‘man, them waffles look good, dog. You mind if I get one?’ I looked at him and I said, ‘you just ate. … Go ahead.’ Then he took the chicken, too," Callaway said.
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That love of eating is a big part of why Johnson was ready for the shift to tight end this offseason. He spent his first season as a wide receiver after signing a UDFA deal with the Saints, seeing action in multiple games while catching 4 passes for 39 yards.
Johnson, who played his senior season at Oregon, had seen interest from a few teams as a tight end. He joined the Saints weighing 230 pounds with that position in mind.
"Coming to the Saints they were kinda wide-eyed when they see me at 230," he said earlier this week. "I love to eat, so it didn’t matter to me."
Johnson joins a depth chart that will feature a new starter, with Adam Trautman the most likely candidate after the departure of Jared Cook. The Saints also signed Nick Vannett, who appears the likely pick to fill the blocking roles of now-retired Josh Hill.
But Johnson sees a role for himself, having spent ample time watching film of former Saints tight ends like Ben Watson and Jimmy Graham for things he can add to his "toolbox." He's shown off that athletic frame thus far in camp, hauling in multiple touchdown passes in team drills.
“Just watching those guys, you know, run seams and run outs and things like that," Johnson said. "It’s kind of amazing because this is the same exact offense that they were in.”
Johnson and Callaway will be getting their first preseason opportunity to be showcased at their positions, with no such games a season ago, as the Saints face the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.
Callaway looks to be the unquestioned top option at wide receiver for the Saints as Michael Thomas recovers from surgery and with Tre'Quan Smith missing an entire week of practice. The pair of undrafted receivers in Callaway and Deonte Harris have stood out as popular targets, with the team also signing veteran Chris Hogan earlier in camp. The Saints also feature veteran Tommylee Lewis and another 6-foot-4 wide receiver in Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who went the opposite route of Johnson and opted to slim down.
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Johnson's role could still be evolving, with the Saints likely needing to get a good look at Trautman. The former Dayton Flyer is also beginning his second season. He caught 15 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown while also contributing as a blocker throughout the year.
Johnson's role as a blocker will also be important, something he feels well equipped to do at his new weight of 240 pounds. He'll have to keep that bulk throughout the season for battles against pass-rushers. But, as has been established, that shouldn't be a problem.
“I’m in New Orleans now," he said, "so eating is kind of the big thing.”
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