Saints to ramp up Juwan Johnson 'slowly but surely'

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson returned to practice on Tuesday. It was the team’s first open practice at Yulman Stadium, and fans were treated to something special. Publicly, Johnson’s path to return took expedited turn north when he was removed from the physically unable to perform list.

Now that Johnson has returned, Saints head coach Dennis Allen says the plan is to “slowly but surely start to ramp him up.” They’re excited to have him back. Johnson’s return comes at a good time for the team.

“We need him, we need (Rashid) Shaheed, we need some of these players that we’re counting on in the passing game, so we can get the timing and the rhythm in the passing game,” Allen said after practice.

Johnson has missed the entirety of camp while recovering from offseason foot surgery. These two weeks before the season opener will be vital for him actually getting reps in the new offense. He’s surely continued to study and learn the playbook, but there’s no replacement for actually running the plays.