Chris Johnson has been mentioned in trade rumors all offseason and now things appear to be heating up and while the Dallas Cowboys are one team that could get involved, others like the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Jets and Cleveland Browns also could be in the mix for a deal with the Titans over signing free agent Knowshon Moreno.
Johnson and the Titans have been at odds for a while regarding his contract and other issues and now that a new coaching regime has come in, it could be time for things to end and if the Titans can't pull off a deal, they could release Johnson and his $8 million salary for this season. According to ESPN.com, Ed Werder writes that the trade market for Johnson is heating up and that if a deal can't be worked out, the team may decide to cut him, but right now time is on their side. There is not a deadline for a move since Johnson has no bonuses or guarantees coming his way and that puts the Titans in a favorable position.
The team likely would want a draft pick or two in a trade and that could narrow the teams that are interested in a deal. The Browns and the Miami Dolphins have the cap space to make a move, while the Jets could get involved if they bypass making a DeSean Jackson deal, which Woody Johnson has already spoken publically about. According to Pro Football Talk, Johnson would be willing to take a slight pay cut to get a deal done and he too has been frustrated by the situation over the past couple years and Johnson has wanted to rework his deal even after signing an extension.
Johnson has been a very consistent and durable back during his career in the NFL and now he is looking to start the next stage of his career and if the team can't find a willing partner to take him on, they could release him and deal with the fallout after that. Johnson has rushed for over 1,000 yards in every season he has been in the NFL and he has only missed one game during that time and that makes him very durable and valuable, but the team feels that his salary doesn't justify keeping him on the roster and that is why they are looking to trade him after paying $30 million over the past three seasons.
Johnson broke out after rushing for 2,006 yards in his second season and he rushed for 14 touchdowns that year and followed it with 11, but he has not been in double digits since that season and he has only scored 12 times over the past two years. Johnson is coming off one of his worst seasons, averaging less than 4.0 yards per carry for the first time in his career. The Dolphins and Cowboys were two of the worst rushing teams in the league last season and the Browns ditched their own former first round back in Trent Richardson and they could all be in the mix for a move. The Dolphins ranked in the bottom part of the league last season and gained only 90 yards per game on the ground with Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller.