NFL Rumors: Vikings, Falcons expected to make offers to Michael Johnson
By Josh Hill
One of the more coveted free agent talents hitting the market this upcoming week is defensive end Michael Johnson, who is expected to get plenty of attention from teams other than the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Bengals aren’t out of running for Johnson, it appears they’re not going to be the most attractive team after the defensive end.
According to ESPN.com Bengals blogger Coley Harvey, the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings are expected to make offers to Johnson or at least kick the tires this weekend.
"All parties involved also know that he’s worthy of the numerous offers he’s going to field, and that there was no reason to structure a new deal before he was able to explore other options. Don’t be surprised if you start hearing about talks between Johnson and teams like the Minnesota Vikings (former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is now Minnesota’s head coach) and the Atlanta Falcons (the team is located about two hours from Johnson’s South Alabama home and is in the same city as his college alma mater)."
The Falcons make a ton of sense given their need at defensive end and the fact that they seem to be Super Bowl ready again in 2014. Minnesota has long been rumored to be after Johnson thanks to Jared Allen exiting and Johnson’s former defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer being the new head coach there.