Bengals Earn Bizarre Bonus for Signing Michael Johnson

Last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ acquisition of Cincinnati Bengals’ DE Michael Johnson was supposed to be the low-key signing of the offseason. Twelve months and one injury-laden season later, Johnson made his money and is back to where he made his name.

The Bengals have re-signed Johnson for a second stint in the orange stripes. His four-year, $24 million deal will be worth every penny if he can replicate his 11-sack season in 2013. But it is the terms of Johnson’s reinstatement that have Cincy fans smiling and everyone else scratching their heads.

The Bengals will earn a third-round pick in the upcoming draft as compensation for losing Johnson in 2014. Because that arrangement doesn’t come into play until later this offseason, Cincy’s re-acquisition of Johnson plays no part in the deal.

The deal was made even sweeter by Johnson’s breakout 2013 season. Because of it, the Bengals were not gifted a scrub pick that would struggle to even make the team, but instead a third-rounder; exactly the type of depth pick that could develop into not only a starter, but a superstar in the coming years.

For now, though, Cincinnati will gladly welcome Johnson back onto a defensive line that severely lacked bite in 2014. At 28 years old and primed to turn into a productive lineman against both the pass and the run, Johnson could just be the final piece to help the Bengals finally make a dent in the NFL playoffs.