The Chris Johnson sweepstakes has started up now that the back has been released and teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, NY Jets and Minnesota Vikings all could be options for the former Tennessee Titans star now that he is a free agent on the market.
Johnson was released by the Titans last week after six years with the team and this came after he was set to make $8 million next season and it saw Tennessee try to trade him. The Jets and a number of other teams showed interest in a trade, but no deal went through and now he is on the market and there are a number of teams where he could fit, but only at the right price. Johnson is coming off of some of his worst career numbers and while he has rushed over 1,000 yards in every season with the Titans, he had a career-low 3.9 yards per carry last season.
Johnson was considered one of the best backs in football for a time after rushing for over 2,000 yards when he was in his second season, but he has never been able to live up to that billing. The speedy back set a record at the combine and had been very explosive during his time with the Titans, but last season he had a long run of just 30 yards and the team was getting frustrated with his work ethic and his performance on the field and now they are content with Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster as their main running backs heading into next season.
Johnson held out earlier in his career and signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the Titans, but that didn't even fully please him and when the team wanted him to take a pay cut, he rebuffed that and now he is on the market. According to ESPN.com, Johnson will not work out for teams and a number of clubs are interested, including the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and the NY Jets. Some other teams that could be in the mix includes the Arizona Cardinals and the Oakland Raiders.
The Dolphins signed Knowshon Moreno in the offseason, but they have been a complete mess rushing the ball and last season they ranked 26th in the league in the category. The team did not get enough production out of Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller and now the team could look to add Johnson to the backfield after they gained just 90 yards per game last season on the ground. Ryan Tannehill could benefit from a better rushing attack and while Johnson may cost a bit, the Dolphins have the money to spend and adding to the offense would be a wise move after the team scored just seven points combined over their final two games of the season in 2013.