2:00pm: Washington has officially signed Johnson, the team announced today (via Twitter).
11:54am: Washington continues to bolster its defense through free agency, with safety Jeron Johnson announcing today (via Twitter) that he reached an agreement to join the team. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Johnson’s new deal with Washington will be for two years and is worth $4MM.
Johnson, a Boise State product, never saw any real significant playing time on defense for a Seahawks team that featured Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, but he was a solid backup and excelled on special teams. The 26-year-old recorded eight tackles on kick and punt coverage during the 2014 season.
For Washington, Johnson represents the latest free agent addition in an offseason that has featured several defensive signings so far. Washington has bolstered its defensive line by bringing aboard Terrance Knighton, Stephen Paea, and Ricky Jean-Francois, and also signed cornerback Chris Culliver to a four-year contract.
Johnson will likely get the opportunity to compete for the strong safety spot that was manned primarily by Brandon Meriweather and Phillip Thomas in 2014. Meriweather is a free agent and won’t be back in D.C., but Thomas is still around, and Duke Ihenacho, who missed most of last season with a broken heel, is also due back.