Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: WR Cade Johnson - Reliable Slot Insurance?

Looking to keep momentum going after making several key catches down the stretch last season, Cade Johnson will have to fend off new competition to lock up a roster spot with the Seattle Seahawks.

Corbin K. Smith | Jun 22, 2023

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities wrapping up league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Cade Johnson, Receiver

Height/Weight: 5-10, 184 pounds

2022 Stats: Two receptions, 21 yards

Following an outstanding college career at South Dakota State where he nearly produced 3,000 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns as one of the premier wideouts at the FCS level, Johnson shined at the Reese's Senior Bowl and looked destined to be a mid-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, he somehow slipped through the cracks after a somewhat disappointing pro day performance and the Seahawks quickly swooped him up as an undrafted free agent signee.

Despite leading Seattle with nine receptions for 72 yards in the preseason, Johnson was cut, re-signed to the practice squad, and didn't appear in any regular season games as a rookie. Though he once again failed to make the 53-man roster last August, he dressed for three games in the regular season as a practice squad call up, including making two clutch first down grabs from Geno Smith against the Los Angeles Rams in the season finale to help clinch a playoff berth.

Best-Case Scenario: Picking up where he left off after recording three catches in Seattle's final two games last season, Johnson settles in as the team's second primary slot option behind heralded rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba and also emerges as a viable kick return option during training camp, allowing him to secure one of the final roster spots as a sixth receiver.

Worst-Case Scenario: Already behind Smith-Njigba and a resurgent Dee Eskridge on the depth chart, Johnson gets outplayed by undrafted rookies Jake Bobo and Matt Landers during the preseason and isn't able to play his way into a return role on special teams, leading to his release without a return to the practice squad.

What to Expect in 2023: After biding his time waiting for an opportunity in a talented receiving corps, Johnson made the most of his first chance to impress last season, coming through with crucial catches in a de facto playoff game and earning Smith's trust as a reliable target. Only 25 years old, his route running savvy, toughness, and soft hands should give him a fighting chance to beat out Bobo, Landers, Cody Thompson, and other receivers vying for one of Seattle's final roster spots, especially if he shows some juice as a return specialist.

Unfortunately, given the fact he has been at his best working from the slot dating back to college, no player may have been more negatively impacted by Smith-Njigba's arrival than Johnson. If the incoming first-round pick performs as expected out of the gate, Eskridge continues to rebound from two injury-plagued seasons and Dareke Young takes a step forward in his second season, it may be tricky for the former Jackrabbits star to maintain momentum from last season and stay on the roster regardless of his contributions on special teams.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles

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Published Jun 22, 2023

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.