[CBFF] Then there were 5...

[Jerry Madsen]

Friday, August 3, 2007
Rookie Johnson signs with Detroit after week-long holdout

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ESPN.com news services

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Rookie wide receiver Calvin Johnson signed a
six-year deal with the Detroit Lions on Friday, ending the No. 2
overall pick's eight-day holdout.


Terms of the deal are not yet known.

Johnson's signing allowed him to get into camp by 9 a.m. Friday for
workouts Friday. Fellow wideout Roy Williams said a day earlier that
"the rookie needs to get in here."

Johnson was regarded by some as the best player in the draft after
catching 78 passes for 1,202 yards and 15 touchdowns during his
All-America junior season at Georgia Tech. He won the Biletnikoff
Award, given to the nation's top college receiver.

The Lions, 3-13 last season, in April made Johnson the fourth receiver
taken with their first pick in the past five drafts.

"He's going to be a big part of getting us to where we want to go,"
Lions president Matt Millen said after Johnson was drafted.

The Lions are 24-72 and have missed the playoffs every season since
Millen joined the front office in 2001. The soft-spoken Johnson
figures to get ample opportunities in offensive coordinator Mike
Martz's pass-happy scheme.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.