The Jets still need playmakers and a big one became available Friday.
The Titans informed running back Chris Johnson, aka CJ2K, he will be released, and the Jets are expected to be a contender to land him. The team has interest in Johnson, according to a source, but there is concern about how much money he will be seeking. Jets general manager John Idzik has shown he is a bargain shopper this offseason.
The Jets tried to trade for Johnson in recent weeks, ESPN reported. The Bills, Dolphins and Falcons also tried to make a deal with Tennessee for the back, according to the report.
Johnson was scheduled to make $8 million in 2014. He won’t get close to that on the open market. The running-back market has been thin during free agency with the top backs getting around $3 million per year. Toby Gerhart received the highest guaranteed money ($4.5 million).
There also is a question of whether he would be willing to accept a complementary role after being the featured back his entire career. Johnson turns 29 in September.
Though Johnson’s speed is still evident, his statistics have dipped. He averaged a career-worst 3.9 yards per carry last season. He had just five rushes of 20 or more yards last season, according to ESPN. He had 22 such runs in 2009 when he rushed for 2,006 yards.
Johnson played with a torn meniscus for much of the season and underwent knee surgery in January. Durability should not be a concern, though. Johnson never has missed a game. He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in all six of his NFL seasons.
The Jets need help at running back and they remain about $26 million under the salary cap.
No Jets running back rushed for 1,000 yards last season. Chris Ivory was their top rusher with 833 yards and three touchdowns on 182 carries. Bilal Powell had 697 yards and a touchdown on 176 carries.
The Jets were happy with Ivory, who they acquired from the Saints in a trade last year, but have concerns about his durability. Powell has performed well, but the Jets don’t consider him a top-tier back and he wore down last season when his workload increased. Mike Goodson is their speed back, but he is coming off ACL surgery and still faces gun charges from his arrest last year.
The Titans gave Johnson a four-year, $53.5 million contract extension in 2011 after he staged a training-camp holdout.
Johnson holds a bunch of Titans records, and he has the most touchdown runs of 80 yards or longer in NFL history with six. He also has 12 career touchdown runs of at least 45 yards — only Barry Sanders (18) and Jim Brown (13) have more.
“I’d like to thank all of my teammates, the fans, the staff and the coaches who have supported me throughout my journey with the Titans,” Johnson said in a statement. “I have grown so much as an individual and as teammate over the past few years, and I am excited about the opportunity to bring my experience and talents to a new organization. I’m looking forward to the next chapter and can’t wait to contribute to my new team.”