Johnson Learning New Role

Jarret Johnson knows he has big shoes to fill with the departure of Adalius Thomas this offseason. For that matter, so do his teammates and coaches. After all, Thomas was regarded as the top linebacker prospect in free agency this year when he signed with the New England Patriots.

"[Johnson] has got to replace a great football player, there is no doubt about it," defensive coordinator Rex Ryan stated. "[Thomas] was a tremendous player for us; we don't hide that fact.

But Johnson, who inked a five-year deal with Baltimore in March, is confident he'll be able to aptly step in.

"I know it's a challenge, but I'm up for it and I'm excited about the opportunity," he said with a smile amid the Ravens' first team camp.

It might be the new fully-shaved, military haircut Johnson is now sporting, which he laughed off while adjusting his hat to face reporters Thursday afternoon, but the sentiment came from the heart. It's evident on the field, where the 6-3, 270-pounder has been learning on the first team alongside fellow linebacker Bart Scott during the Ravens' initial camps.

And, according to many of the veterans that joined the team this week, he's going to do just fine.

"He's going to be a major contributor," Pro Bowl cornerback Chris McAlister explained. "He'll probably get a little more time with the absence of some players that we had last year, so it's going to be a good thing for him and the defense."

That's not to say that Johnson isn't facing an uphill battle. Drafted in the fourth round in 2003 out of Alabama, he was cultivated as a defensive end for most of his career. Making the switch from having his hand in the dirt to playing upright was a challenge.

To supplant Thomas, who did everything from playing on the line to covering wide receivers downfield, Johnson has had to take on an entirely new mentality.

"When you are on the defensive line you are more worried about their interior and basically their fullback," he said. "You are not really concerned with the receivers that much. As a linebacker, you have to understand what they do as an entire offense. Probably the biggest part of dropping back is seeing everything."

Johnson admitted that feels light years more comfortable now compared to his rookie campaign.

"A couple years ago, I had very little knowledge," said the linebacker. "I knew where to be, but I didn't know exactly what I was doing. Today, I know where to go and why I'm there."

Johnson has certainly seen a lot, starting 15 games in his career. He has eased into the Ravens' signature hybrid linebacker/defensive end position over the past few years, and, in playing all 16 games last season, posting 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2006, he is nearly as experienced as anyone on the defense.

"You could consider him a starter last year as well because there were several packages that we built in for him, so we expect the same out of him this year," McAlister stated.

But, Thomas' versatility can't be denied. Over his seven years in purple and black, Thomas played - and excelled at - eight different defensive positions, as well as being a special teams standout. While Johnson certainly has shown some of that multi-tasking ability, Ryan explained that the Ravens will do some different things to bolster the defense.

Already in the first team camp, safety Gerome Sapp has seen time at a hybrid linebacker position, and Ryan said he is looking into relying on Ed Reed more.

"It is not all going to fall on Jarret Johnson, even though we are comfortable with that," said Ryan. "Jarret is a smart guy, tough, dependable, durable and mean. He plays to our mentality.

"But, it is going to fall on a lot of guys," he continued. "Gerome Sapp is going to get more opportunities; Ed Reed is going to get more coverage responsibilities. So, it's just not going to be all on one guy's shoulders."

With the unit working together, the Ravens fully expect a return to form as NFL's top-ranked defense in 2006. The loss of Thomas was hard, in the locker room and on the field, but the reality of free agency has every team patching holes year-round.

"A loss like ‘AD' is huge to the defense, but we always find a way to replace that loss," Johnson noted. "We have done it time and time again and always have been successful. So, to second guess us just because we lost ‘AD' is just not an educated thing. We have proven that we can lose guys and still be successful on defense."