Chris Johnson lands with Jets

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. (+The Associated Press Sports Writer)

AP - Sports

AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Always fast on the field, Chris Johnson is looking to quickly prove his critics wrong.

The +New York Jets signed the former Titans running back Wednesday, a little over a week after he was officially released by Tennessee.

Johnson met with the Jets all day Tuesday - the first team he visited - and stayed in town to watch the Knicks-Nets game in Brooklyn before signing Wednesday. The Jets announced the move, but didn't release terms.

In a text message to The Associated Press, Johnson confirmed it was a two-year deal.

''I have a fresh start,'' Johnson told The Tennessean. ''Now I am going to go out there with a chip on my shoulder. I know a lot of people are doubting me.''

Johnson was told by the Titans of their decision April 4, ending a six-year stint in Tennessee during which he became one of the NFL's most exciting running backs. The former 2,000-yard rusher will team with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell to give coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg a deep and dangerous backfield.

The Jets also have Mike Goodson, who is dealing with legal issues and recovering from torn knee ligaments.

''I've always been a big fan of the Jets,'' Johnson told the team's website. ''There was some thought into this, but just at the end of the day, I was comfortable here. I just felt like it was the right situation.''

While his days as a workhorse running back - he carried the ball over 300 times in each of the 2009 and 2010 seasons - might be over, Johnson could be the perfect complement to the bruising Ivory and versatile Powell. In Mornhinweg's first season as offensive coordinator, the Jets finished sixth in the league in rushing last year with Ivory and Powell sharing the load.

Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson
watches the second half of an NBA basketball game in New York

Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson watches the second half of an NBA basketball game …


Despite the solid production, New York still entered the offseason aiming to improve the position with a big-play runner.


That's exactly what they're hoping to get in the speedy and durable Johnson, who turns 29 in September and is only the sixth player to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons.


''I see this as a team on the rise,'' Johnson told newyorkjets.com. ''This is a winning team.''

But there have been questions about whether he'll ever be the same player who rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009, when he earned his ''CJ2K'' nickname.

Johnson finished with 1,077 yards - the second-lowest total of his career - and a career-worst 3.9-yard average last season. He also rushed for 100 or more yards just twice.

The Jets held Johnson to just 21 yards on 15 carries in their 38-13 loss last season at Tennessee, but Johnson gouged them for 122 yards on 21 carries, including a career-best 94-yard touchdown run, in 2012.

The splashy move is reminiscent of the one the Jets made in 2010, when they signed an aging LaDainian Tomlinson, who turned out to be a useful role player. While being deliberate throughout free agency, general manager John Idzik has now signed arguably the three best players available at their positions in Johnson, quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver Eric Decker.

New York also showed early interest in free agency in running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Donald Brown, but they signed elsewhere.

The +Tennessee Titans cut ties with Johnson, making him a free agent, to avoid paying the $8 million he was due for this season, along with the final three seasons left on the $53.5 million contract he signed in September 2011. Johnson, who set several franchise and +NFL records during his time in Tennessee, repeatedly said he wouldn't take a pay cut this offseason.

That prompted the Titans to unsuccessfully explore trade options this offseason- including with the Jets - before releasing him. Johnson's exit appeared inevitable when Tennessee signed Dexter McCluster to a three-year deal and re-signed Leon Washington to join Shonn Greene in the backfield.

''The Titans were ready to move on,'' Johnson said in his interview with The Tennessean. ''They didn't want me anymore. But everything is going to work out.''

Johnson was the 24th overall pick in the 2008 draft out of East Carolina, and had never missed a game because of injury - despite having surgery after the season to repair a torn meniscus that he played with most of the year.

He has 7,965 career yards on 1,742 carries for a 4.6-yard average, including 50 touchdowns, and ranks third on Tennessee's franchise rushing list behind Eddie George and Earl Campbell. Johnson also has caught 272 passes for 2,003 yards and eight TDs.
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AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville, Tenn., contributed to this report.
AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

Where will former Titan, Chris Johnson land? Jets and Broncos among Candidates

New York Jets, Denver Broncos among possible landing spots for Chris Johnson

BY CHRIS BURKE

Chris Johnson averaged 3.9 yards per carry in 2013, the lowest output of his six-year NFL career. (Al Tielemans/SI)

Chris Johnson’s time with the +Tennessee Titans ended on Friday. What does that mean for the running back formerly known as “CJ2K”?

The 28-year-old Johnson has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in every one of his six NFL seasons, and he had that breakthrough 2,006-yard 2009 season that earned him both his nickname and the AP Offensive Player of the Year honor.

Johnson may be hoping to land another starting job somewhere. His better hope may lie in finding a steady RB-by-committee situation, with the door open for him to take over the No. 1 job if he performs well. Here are a few teams that might be interested:

• +New York Jets: Multiple reports have touched on the Jets’ potential interest in Johnson. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport even surmised that the Jets were passing on DeSean Jackson because “perhaps they’re allotting money for Chris Johnson.”

Here, as with just about every spot on this list, Johnson would have to accept and settle into a tandem role in the backfield. The lead dog for the moment is Chris Ivory, who led the team with 833 yards rushing last season. In theory, Johnson would serve as an upgrade over Bilal Powell (176 carries for 697 yards in 2013) as the speed option alongside Ivory. Powell also served as the Jets’ pass-catching back, with 36 reception to just two for Ivory. Johnson has averaged 45.3 catches over his six +NFL seasons.

• +New York Giants: The Giants are another team that reportedly inquired about Johnson once he hit the trade block. (+Dallas Cowboys, up next on our list of possible destinations, also tested the waters.) The Giants already have signed ex- +Oakland Raiders, Rashad Jennings this offseason, so the addition of another veteran back might indicate that they’re not expecting David Wilson (neck) to be ready for the start of 2014. The balance between Jennings and Johnson would be similar to that of Ivory and Johnson.

• +Dallas Cowboys: Again the question, would Johnson accept a secondary role? With the Cowboys he would be behind DeMarco Murray, who topped 1,100 yards on the ground last season. Of course, Murray only played 14 games and has yet to make it through a full season, a stark contrast from the extremely durable Johnson.

In that context, Johnson would fit as a sturdy safety net plus as an improvement over the Joseph Randle/Lance Dunbar/Phillip Tanner cluster behind Murray. That said, Johnson has never carried the ball fewer than 250 times in a season and has not finished below the 1K-yardage mark. He likely would not challenge either of those numbers running behind Murray on the depth chart.

• +Chicago Bears: Random shot in the dark here, offered up mainly because the Bears have tried mostly in vain to limit Matt Forte’s wear and tear. Michael Bush certainly did not solve the problem, even as a goal-line back, and he’s now off the roster.

Johnson is a completely different runner than Bush, a power back Chicago preferred to turn to on the goal line and in short yardage. Johnson’s more similar to Forte, a shifty, versatile runner/pass-catcher. The need may not be there for the Bears, and Johnson likely wants a more promising situation, but Johnson’s skillset might pair nicely with Marc Trestman’s offense.

• +Arizona Cardinals: Rashard Mendenhall’s retirement stripped the Cardinals of their leading rusher from 2013, though Mendenhall hardly set the world ablaze with his 3.2 yards-per-carry average. Two 2013 draft picks remain: Andre Ellington and Stepfan Taylor. The former has earned the right to be a No. 1 guy, even with head coach Bruce Arians insisting he’ll continue to limit the back’s touches.

The match here is a debatable one, at best. Arizona would love to find someone who can shoulder some carries on early downs or in short-yardage (hence the signing of free agent Jonathan Dwyer). Johnson definitely can pick up some slack, but he has not done much in the way of grinding out yards recently.

• +Denver Broncos: Clearly, the Broncos are all-in for this season. So why not add a potential game-breaker at a relatively thin position? The franchise prepared for Knowshon Moreno’s exit by drafting Montee Ball last year, and he’ll bump up to the top RB spot for 2014.

But while the stable is not exactly bare behind Ball, with Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson on the roster, Johnson would provide a boost. The heavy attention on Peyton Manning and the passing game could provide him the opposite of his situation in Tennessee, where teams stacked the box in hopes of forcing Jake Locker to the air. A spread offense that allows Johnson to work sideline-to-sideline might be just the ticket to revive his game.

• +St. Louis Rams: The Rams already have an overloaded RB group in Zac Stacy, Daryl Richardson, Benny Cunningham and Isaiah Pead. There simply may not be additional room for Johnson. The clear connect-the-dots tie here is that head coach Jeff Fisher drafted Johnson during his time with the Titans.

• +Jacksonville Jaguars: Gus Bradley and Co. seem to have a pretty clear vision for their rebuilding project, and Johnson may not fit it. If he does, though, this stands out as one of the few spots where Johnson could have a legitimate chance at the No. 1 job heading into the season.

Jacksonville signed ex- +Minnesota Vikings RB Toby Gerhart, who has been impressive in spurts during his short career but has been stuck behind Adrian Peterson. In other words, the jury is out on if he can handle the starting job for a full season. Gerhart currently stands as the de facto replacement for Maurice Jones-Drew, who’s now in Oakland. Johnson’s style would complement the hard-nosed Gerhart well.

Week 14 Ripples: Broncos vs. Titans

Broncos put up 51, clinch berth, Titans eliminated from berth

With Sunday’s loss in Denver, the +Tennessee Titans have been eliminated from the AFC South title race. Sitting at 5-8 the Titans have fallen to tenth place in the AFC, diminishing any hope of reaching the playoffs.

Peyton Manning in 7 degree wind chill sliced up a
good Titans secondary for 397 for 4 TDs.
Photo Courtesy: DenverBroncos.com (AP)

Peyton Manning, a familiar foe of the Tennessee Titans as a former member of the +Indianapolis Colts, led the charge drowning Tennessee’s season. The +Denver Broncos offense managed to score an impressive 51 points hosting the Titans in Game 13's matchup.

Despite leading at the half, 21-20, the Titans were unable to control Manning and the Denver offense allowing the Broncos to enter Tennessee territory on every drive of the game. Completing 39 of 59 pass attempts, Manning threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers. Denver’s scoring total was the highest of any team on Sunday, a day that featured 90 touchdowns around the league, which is the most in NFL history while 59 pass attempts is the most ever by Manning in a single game. Adding to Manning’s impressive performance, kicker Matt Prater ended the first half with a 64-yard field goal breaking the previous record for longest field goal in NFL history of 63 yards shifting the momentum in favor of the Broncos.

Clinching a playoff berth, Peyton Manning was able to silence critics who continue to bash Manning for his poor performances in cold weather following a shootout loss to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Knowshon Moreno (27), Denver Broncos RB
vs TEN in Game 13.
Photo Courtesy: DenverBroncos.com (AP)

Granted, Denver has been a one of the top teams all season, Tennessee seemed confident and in great position to challenge the AFC leading Broncos out of the gates. Scoring a touchdown on their first two drives and forcing Denver to go for it on two fourth down situations, it seemed as if “Fitzmagic” and the Titans could pull off the upset. However, the Broncos looked like a totally different team in the second half.

In most of the Tennessee losses this season, one aspect of the Titans game has lacked whether it was special teams, the ground game or poor defensive play. In Sunday’s loss the Titans were unable to find their rhythm in any aspect of the game.

Ryan Fitzpatrick only completed 13 of 24 pass attempts for a mere 172 yards with his lone touchdown coming in the third quarter on a 41 yard bomb to rookie wide out Justin Hunter who continues to be a bright spot for the Titans. Fitzpatrick also threw an interception leading to a Knowshon Moreno touchdown extending Denver’s lead to two scores.

To coincide with the irrelevant passing game, the Titans could not get the ground attack going in the second half. Shonn Greene and Chris Johnson scored a combined three rushing touchdowns in the first half but only managed to gain 46 yards each on the day. Recording 254 total yards, the Denver Broncos were able to more than double this amount recording 551 total yards and doubled the Titans’ time of possession as well.

Though only recording 46 yards rushing, Greene’s performance served as a reemergence for the veteran back after a season tainted by injuries. However, the same cannot be said for Chris Johnson who continues to struggle for Tennessee. Averaging 3.8 yards per carry and recording three touchdowns on the year, Johnson has been on the hot seat for the past several weeks. Sunday’s performance might have been the nail in the coffin for Johnson’s time in Tennessee, fumbling after being hit by Von Miller, which put the game out of reach for Tennessee. Von Miller has started to create havoc for opponents recently and if the Broncos can secure the ball as they did and force turnovers as they did, they are pretty hard to beat even if they lose the turnover edge. Against the usual percentage of winning when the takeaway battle is won or lost.


           CBS Fantasy Football Today Set Recaps the +Denver Broncos hosting the 
                                            +Tennessee Titans for Week 14

Johnson has expressed interest in staying in Tennessee next season, but reports have said otherwise. At least not under he current cap hit and contract. The Tennessee Titans have been reported as saying that they will release Johnson at the conclusion of the season along with firing head coach, Mike Munchak, and declining Jake Locker’s 2015 option. These claims put Tennessee in immediate contention in the quarterback market looking ahead in his year’s draft and free agency. Though Tennessee was forced to work with the cards that were dealt to them this season, it was a tough one for Titans fans to endure. With a fully loaded draft class, this may be the time for Tennessee to revamp. Starting fresh with a new coach and starting quarterback might be the pick-me-up the Titans need. With three games left to play, the Titans return home to face the streaking +Arizona Cardinals and finish up with a pair of divisional matchups with the +Jacksonville Jaguars and +Houston Texans who have both previously beaten Tennessee. Because the playoffs are out of the question, Tennessee is playing for a draft pick to bolster their resurgence in 2014