Are the Jets ready to say OK to CJ2K?
The team played host to free agent running back Chris Johnson on Tuesday but he left without a deal, according to multiple sources. Sources said the meeting went well, but it’s never a good sign when a player leaves a visit without a contract.
Johnson, who sat behind the baseline of Tuesday night’s Knicks-Nets game, spoke cautiously, saying: “I’m not ready to talk yet.”
When asked how his visit with the Jets went, Johnson said: “Everything went well.”
“It’s a fun city,” he said. “[The Jets] are always an attractive [team]. I’m taking it one day at a time. I don’t have a time frame. That’s all I’m saying.”
The running back said he had a couple of more visits, but did not specify with which teams.
The biggest question about Johnson is what he is looking for in a contract. The Titans released Johnson on April 7 because they were unwilling to pay his $8 million salary in 2014. Johnson is going to have a much lower figure as a free agent. The Jets have about $26 million in salary cap space, but general manager John Idzik has proven to be a tough negotiator during free agency and is not one to overspend.
Johnson, who turns 29 in September, would provide an element the Jets were missing in 2013: speed. The Jets were 25th in total offense last season. Though their running game excelled at times, they lacked a back with breakaway speed after Mike Goodson was lost for the year to an ACL injury.
The three-time Pro Bowler is no longer the same player who rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009 and was nicknamed “CJ2K,” but he still is fast. He has run for 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons. The only other backs to do accomplish that feat are Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson and Corey Dillon.
The Jets would like to pair Johnson with Chris Ivory, who is a bruising, between-the-tackles runner. They feel the two would complement each other nicely. There is also concern about Ivory’s ability to stay healthy. He was slowed by a hamstring injury early last season and has battled injuries throughout his career.
Johnson is a workhorse. He has missed just one game in his career, and that was the final week of his rookie season when Tennessee rested him for the playoffs.
If the Jets added Johnson, they would have a nice rotation with him, Ivory and Bilal Powell. The Jets felt quarterback Geno Smith played his best last year when the running game was working and there was not as much pressure on him. Ideally, they would like to run the ball more effectively and reduce their reliance on the passing game.
Johnson is also a skilled pass catcher out of the backfield, something that is key in Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast system. He had 42 catches last year, which would have been second on the Jets entire team behind Jeremy Kerley, who had 43.
Goodson remains on the roster, but his days could be numbered if the Jets add Johnson, who would take over the speed back role. Goodson is coming off ACL surgery and still faces gun charges.
Johnson does come with some question marks. He had knee surgery in January. He played most of last season with a torn meniscus. The Jets gave Johnson a physical as part of his visit, but an X-ray is not going to tell them how he will bounce back from the injury.
Then, there is the slip in Johnson’s production. He failed to register a gain of more than 30 yards in 2013 and his yards per attempt average dropped to a career-low 3.9.
The Jets also must make sure Johnson is ready to accept a role as part of a running back committee. Johnson was the man in Tennessee. Will he accept a complementary role in New York? He had more than 250 carries in every season with the Titans. With the Jets, that number probably would drop below 200. The Jets need to figure out whether he understands that at this point in his career that is what he will be asked to do. The last thing they need is an unhappy Johnson grumbling about his role in the middle of the season.