Lovie Smith has made it clear he wants to change things in Tampa Bay, and that he has done. Since Smith has taken over in Tampa, he has cut Darrelle Revis, signed Josh McCown, and what may be the biggest move for the Bucs in signing Michael Johnson.
Johnson signed a five-year, $43 million deal to become one of the highest paid players on the team. He will be an instant contributor to an already talented Bucs defense. Leo Howell, editor of PewterPlank.com says this about Johnson:
"He brings a right defensive end who can win inside and outside against tackles, something that Adrian Clayborn didn't prove he could do on a regular basis. Johnson isn't a lock to get a ton of sacks, but he'll be in a good environment to get them at least. Just as he thrived with a healthy Geno Atkins with the Bengals, he'll have a similarly dominant 3-technique in Gerald McCoy to help him get after quarterbacks. He's also a very sound run defender, meaning he'll be on the field as often as possible, and racking up tackles for loss with his quickness from the edge. He's not really gaining or losing much value with a move to Tampa, but he may get more opportunities considering that he's not competing for sacks with Carlos Dunlap anymore." Find Leo's work on The Pewter Plank and numberFire.
As Leo said, Johnson will be an instant contributor and he will bring the Bucs a good pass rusher, something they haven't had for a few seasons. In terms of fantasy value, it definitely increases the Bucs defense as a whole. But, without Revis, the Bucs defense may have taken a step back in a cumulative view.
In terms of IDP, Johnson will continue to do the things he did in Cincinnati, but remember he is in a different system. Look for him to be used in a similar way that Julius Peppers was used when Lovie Smith was in Chicago. Last year, Johnson had three and a half sacks, one interception, and 35 tackles. Expect all of those numbers to go up in Tampa, and be sure to get him on your IDP radar for later in the draft. Remember what Leo said, "...he may get more opportunities considering that he's not competing for sacks with Carlos Dunlap anymore." That's a big part of IDP, and Johnson is poised for a good season.