Free-agent running back Chris Johnson is visiting the Jets on Tuesday and it is possible the team will sign him to a contract before the day is over. Here is a look at the possible move:
Why it makes sense
1. Home run hitter — Even at 28 (he turns 29 in September), Johnson is fast. He can break a long run at any moment, and that is something the Jets have lacked. He has run for 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons. That counts for something. Chris Ivory is a good between-the-tackles power runner. Johnson would give the Jets a speed element, making the duo a tough tandem.
2. Durability — Johnson has played in 16 games in five of his six seasons and he played in 15 in the other. The Jets need a back they can rely on. The Jets were happy with Ivory (182 rushes, 833 yards, 3 TDs) last season, but a hamstring injury slowed him at the beginning of the year and he missed one game. He has a history of injuries that makes the Jets doubt they can count on him for 16 games. Mike Goodson is coming off ACL surgery and still has gun charges to deal with in court. Bilal Powell did some nice things last year but wore down as the season went on.
3. Ground-and-pound redux — The Jets feel quarterback Geno Smith played his best at the end of the season when the team ran the ball effectively, taking some of the pressure off him. There is no doubt Rex Ryan would like to run the ball more and Johnson would help the Jets do that. The Jets would like to go back to their M.O. in 2009 and ’10, when they had good depth at running back. Johnson would give them a nice rotation with Ivory and Powell and possibly Goodson.
Why it doesn’t make sense
1. Damaged goods — Johnson had knee surgery in January. He played most of last season with a torn meniscus. The Jets surely will give Johnson’s knee a long look, but an X-ray is not going to tell them how he will bounce back from the injury.
2. On the decline — This is not the Chris Johnson of 2009, who rushed for 2,006 yards. His production has slipped since then. His yards-per-attempt average dropped to 3.9 last season. Johnson is known for his breakaway speed, but he only had five rushes of 20 yards or more, according to ESPN. Compare that to the 22 he had in 2009.
3. Role player? — 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 is what he will be asked to do at this point in his career. The last thing they need is an unhappy Johnson grumbling about his role in the middle of the season.