Chris Johnson to Stick With Titans in 2013?
The Titans are expected to keep Chris Johnson under contract.
I was on the bandwagon, way towards the front too, hyping Chris Johnson’s fantasy value this year. I’m not going to say I was wrong about CJ but I wasn’t exactly right either. The big word surrounding Johnson is “inconsistent.” And, when you think about it, that is exactly what the Titans are. They have a ton of talent but just haven’t brought it all together yet.
Johnson signed a huge extension after holding out for almost all of the preseason in 2011. The Titans were disappointed this year, not about his lack of production, but his lack of consistency. The Titans brass have a decision to make. They can cut him before Feb. 9th and not have to pay him a guaranteed $10 million. That would give the Titans some more cash to replace and start over. Or, they can realize that they do have one of the top backs in the league and realize that he needs more help.
Personally, I am a supporter of plan B to keep him. Questions are starting to rise about his age and wear and tear but I’m not buying it. At age 27, Johnson has still shown the top-tier speed and ability necessary to be a running back in the NFL.
Everyone I can think of has been putting this guy down all year. I get it, he had some bad games but also had some monsters as well. Again, the word is inconsistent. And the inconsistency was not all him. There were plays where Johnson had three guys on him before he got to the line of scrimmage. There were also runs where Johnson just didn’t have the patience and hit a wrong hole.
What’s amazing to me is that we are through week 15 and there are two more games to go. Johnson is 7th in rushing with 1159 yards and 5 TD’s. The TD’s are way down but he has still rushed for over 1,000 yards; on a bad and inconsistent team. This guy still has a lot left in the tank and still has unbelievable talent.
Ian Rapoport, from NFL Network, is reporting that the Titans are heavily leaning towrds keeping Johnson. I think the Titans are making the right decision and that they realize they have an exceptional talent. And they appear to be making a commitment to his ability. The question is, what or who, in terms of type of offense, coaches and teammates, can the Titans get to maximize his potential.
CJ2K will be back in Tennessee next year. I just hope the Titans can make the right adjustments to not waste what this guy has to offer.
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