This off-season, fans were sharply divided on Michael Johnson. Some thought he'd hang around as a backup guard, others thought he would be on the chopping block.

What few of us expected was that Johnson would punch his ticket for the final roster by becoming one of the most versatile players on the roster.

Nobody's saying that Johnson is an elite backup option; he hasn't played exceptionally well in pre-season thus far, and he didn't knock anyone's socks off in practice. But on a team now down it's top backup tackle with Will Svitek out and seemingly little depth at the guard spots, Johnson's cross-training between tackle and guard makes him infinitely more valuable.

At this point, it would take some truly poor play for Johnson to be left off the roster. He can be the second option at right tackle, at least, and the second or third option at guard, if he can play well enough. That versatility is going to win the day, as is so often the case with these Atlanta Falcons.

Your thoughts on Johnson in 2012?