The change in his playing style is definitely noticeable. Last year, Johnson wasn't much of a pass rusher. In camp, he has been relentless trying to get to the quarterback and has a spin move that has worked extremely well.
Johnson has dropped from 270 pounds to 255 pounds. During his previous five years with the Ravens, he has worked extensively with Ryan on learning how to use his hands. Very few Ravens offensive linemen have been able to get into his body on running plays or get their hands on him while he's rushing the passer.
But Johnson refuses to take credit for his developments.
"We have a great front seven, and our defensive line dominates," he said. "Without them, our linebacking corps wouldn't be as good. They allow us to be patient, sit back and make good reads. Overall, if we stay healthy, I think Rex wants us to be more aggressive than a year ago."
Johnson certainly has confidence in his teammates, and himself. He is walking with a swagger compared with a year ago when he was considered the weak link of the defense.
Johnson has been pulling a lot of pranks in training camp and participating in a lot of fights, some real and some not.
A week ago, he faked a fight with good friend and tight end Todd Heap. The only problem is that no one told defensive tackle Haloti Ngata.
Ngata shoved Heap, and Heap started punching Ngata.
"We have this unwritten rule on defense that if you see someone throw a punch at one of us, we're going to pin our ears back and come at you," said Johnson, a nose guard at Alabama drafted in the fourth round by the Ravens in 2003. "Todd has a lot of guts, and he is a lot scrappier than a lot of people think. I felt bad for him messing with Haloti. But that's our style; we always want to be aggressive."
And the Ravens always want to make plays. This year, Johnson wants to be one of the playmakers.
mike.preston@baltsun.com
