Pepper Johnson continues divisional merry-go-round

Pepper Johnson is pretty close to completing his around-the-division journey. 

A season after helping the Buffalo Bills defense post the league's fourth-overall defense, the 50-year-old former Jet linebacker returns to Jersey as the team's defensive line coach, according to the Jets' website. Johnson also spent a number of years as a coach with Patriots, splitting time between linebacker and D-line coach. 

Johnson's acquisition by Gang Green's front office is a strong one, as he joins an impressive group that includes another former Bills coach -- Chan Gailey-- as offensive coordinator and Kacy Rogers as the defensive coordinator. Head coach Todd Bowles also recently added Bobby April, Jr. as his special teams coordinator.

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Pepper learned simple, valuable lesson from Parcells

BY LANDON RODY

New Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson played a dozen seasons in the NFL and under some of the best coaches of this generation, namely Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.

He learned a little something along the way.

"When I first came into the league I had a little idea of who coach Parcells was, and Parcells made it totally clear in his first rookie meeting that he didn’t need any one of us," Johnson said last week, via BuffaloBills.com. “He said they were a locomotive that was moving and you need to run and sprint and jump on the back of it because they were already moving."

Bills' new defensive assistants have ample credentials

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Pepper Johnson was a big part of the New England Patriots' coaching purge. He's now a part of the Buffalo Bills', too.

Johnson, who spent 14 seasons as a defensive assistant in New England, signed on with the Bills this week to serve as Buffalo's defensive line coach. He held the same post with the Patriots from 2004-11.

The Bills are getting a bonafide defender in Johnson, from both a playing and coaching aspect. Johnson won two Super Bowls as a linebacker for the New York Giants and three more as a coach in New England.

Patriots' Johnson latest LBs coach to leave division

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The New York Jets' linebackers coach left for Notre Dame. The Miami Dolphins' linebackers coach left for the Minnesota Vikings. One of the Buffalo Bills' linebackers coaches was fired.

Now, it's the New England Patriots' turn.

Patriots linebackers coach Pepper Johnson will be leaving the team he spent more than a dozen years with, as first reported by ESPN Boston Tuesday and confirmed by Johnson.