No longer a Texan, Andre Johnson and Andrew Luck will be a deadly combination (AJ Guel/Wikimedia Commons).

And this is why, after being able to determine his own team for the first time in his career, Johnson chose to play with Andrew Luck in Indianapolis. Sidenote: This is the worst-case scenario for Texans fans. Johnson is the best player in Texans' history -- this would be like Tom Brady choosing to play for the Jets.

Anyway, it's time to see what Johnson can still bring to the table at age 33. He caught 85 passes last year, but averaged only 11 yards per reception (most seasons of his career he's averaged above 14). In his prime, he combined his size (6'3", listed at 230 pounds), speed, and catch radius to simply dominate anyone across from him. 

But at 33 years old now, expect some things to be different about his game. To be quite honest, it was weird watching six of his games from last season. First of all, he wasn't even the number one receiver on his own team -- the Texans' offense was clearly designed to get DeAndre Hopkins the ball moreso than Johnson, and Johnson often played the decoy to this end. Hopkins is clearly more athletic and dangerous in space than Johnson is at this point, but it did seem like one-on-one opportunities to Johnson were left on the field. 

Johnson will help the Colts tremendously next year as a possession-type receiver first and foremost. He knows how to use his big frame to shield off defenders and gain positioning, and he runs great slant routes.

Check out his inside moves here:

Something to notice about Johnson's slant routes is that he has the rhythm down so perfectly every time -- three steps, break. Even here, when he is disrupted by the corner, he still gets back on track and breaks inside by planting his outside foot on that third step:

Something Andrew Luck valued with Reggie Wayne and missed during Wayne's recent decline is simply the element of trust. Wayne is a true pro, and was always where Luck thought he was going to be. T.Y. Hilton is a monster, but he isn't really that type of player. Hilton rather thrives on deep shots or in yards-after-catch situations where he gets the ball in his hands with room to run -- he doesn't necessarily thrive on route precision.

Johnson, however, brings some of this precision back to Indy.

Watch him totally turn the DB around on this route:

And a nice cut here beats Joe Haden:

Good footwork against DeAngelo Hall here:

An expertly-timed comeback route:

Simply put, Johnson is very good at creating separation at the tops of his routes in spite of the fact that he clearly isn't as fast as he used to be. That's where his greatest value will be with the Colts.

But while Johnson is still 6-foot-3 and can surely still win a few jump balls, he won't torch many DBs with speed anymore. Even after planting a foot in the ground and taking off on a double move here, Cary Williams stays with him relatively easily by playing disciplined:

And here's a poorly-run in-breaking route (notice how Johnson leaves his feet right before he cuts, which takes his momentum away, slowing him down, and makes him easier to cover) that he probably would have gotten away with in his earlier days, but can't now:

And a yards-after-catch opportunity that DeAndre Hopkins could turn into a bigger gain, Johnson doesn't quite seem to have that extra gear:

Basically, Johnson won't be the instant-offense he has been in the past, but the Colts don't need him to be. 

However, it will be intriguing to see what Luck can do with a receiver that affords him a bigger margin for error. Johnson's catch radius is pretty nice:

Backshoulder throws from Luck to Johnson should be fun to watch, and it's something that Luck has never really had consistently in his NFL career.

And here are some shots of Johnson taking advantage of some crappy DB play, showing he can still get downfield a little bit.

Jump that route, Joe Haden:

Oh definitely, Bradley Fletcher:

Sorry, that was a bit mean. Those are well-respected defensive backs, and that just shows how good Johnson's routes can be.

Johnson's size and route precision should net him a very good season of production in the Colts' offense. Maybe he'll even be motivated this offseason by the fact that he's going to be playing for a Super Bowl contender, and he'll come back faster than expected. 

I'd be surprised if Johnson didn't crack 80 catches and 1,100 yards this year. He and Hilton complement each other very well, and are each good enough in their own right to keep defenses honest. 

I don't think Johnson will have a career year, since that would mean at least 115 catches for over 1,600 yards, but efficiency and timeliness could make him even more valuable than the numbers suggest. 

Reach Staff Writer Andrew McKagan here or follow him here.