Larry Brown Sports

The Tennessee Titans have decided they are going to stick with Chris Johnson for the immediate future, despite his decrease in production over the last few years. They did, however, bring in a security blanket by signing former New York Jets running back Shonn Greene to a three-year, $10 million contract.

Johnson is pleased that his team has been aggressive in free agency this offseason. But as you might imagine, he sounds a bit flustered by the addition of Greene.

“I have never been a big fan of the two-back system, so I don’t know how we plan on using him,” Johnson said according to The Tennesseean. “I’m not afraid of competition, but I was thinking we’d maybe get a draft pick for the other back. And you don’t give a guy that kind of money to be just a goal-line guy and in tough-yardage situations. So we’ll see what happens.”

Maybe they gave that guy that kind of money because they have no reason to trust Johnson anymore. Or maybe they want to give him some competition so he actually shows up every week. I’m guessing both factored into the decision.

“I’ll just roll with it. Of course I don’t want to carry the ball 30 or 40 times a game,” Johnson continued. “And I don’t mind a guy getting a carry or two. But if I am the main guy and it is supposed to be my team … it shouldn’t be an issue.”

You don’t need to be an NFL scout to know that Greene is nowhere near as talented as Johnson. Rushing for over 2,000 yards is no easy feat, but the Titans running game has not been consistent over the past two seasons. A lot of that has to do with their offensive line (as Johnson has been quick to point out) and scheme, but a lot of it has had to do with Johnson’s lack of effort. If Greene’s presence motivates CJ?K to return to his 2009 form, the Titans will gladly pay him a few million to ride the pine.

H/T Shutdown Corner
Photo credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Chris Johnson seems to never know what to say about the Tennessee Titans offensive line. He has a rocky relationship with the unit, one minute thanking them for their hard work and the next taking a shot at his teammates for not doing their jobs.

Johnson started off incredibly slow last season before picking things up down the stretch and finishing with 1,243 yards. Many people feel that he was dogging it for much of the year. Others have blamed the offensive line and system. We know where CJ?K stands on the subject.

“What a lot of people don’t understand, I was playing with an offensive line that only had one starter,” Johnson told Around The League on Wednesday. “I had four offensive linemen hurt. I felt like I did good with the situation I was dealt.”

In reality, it was probably a combination of poor offensive line play and inconsistent effort from Johnson. Not to mention, the Titans passing offense was hardly a threat to opposing defenses, allowing them to hone in on CJ and the running game. However, Johnson believes he is capable of turning things around and getting back to being one of the league’s most feared rushers.

“Every running back’s goal is to break Eric Dickerson’s record,” he said. “It’s a situation where you’re working hard and you want to break 2,105. I believe I can do it.”

Andrew Siciliano of the NFL Network then asked Johnson if he believes he can break Dickerson’s record in 2013.

“I think I can,” he replied.

If you were to bet on anyone doing it, you’d be best off putting your money on Adrian Peterson. AP won a rushing title while playing through a sports hernia in 2012 and his surgeon believes he could come back even stronger next season. Unlike Johnson, his effort has never been questioned. There’s no reason to believe that Johnson will give it his all over the course of a 16-game season — especially if the Titans struggle as a team once again.

Photo credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Following a disappointing 6-10 season, the Tennessee Titans decided to stick with Mike Munchak as their head coach. Other than the second-year coach, who has led the Titans to a 15-17 record in his first two seasons as the man in charge, it appears that no one on the Tennessee coaching staff is safe.

Since the offseason began for, the team has fired running backs coach Jim Skipper, special teams coach Alan Lowry, linebackers coach Frank Bush and tight ends coach John Zernhelt. It sounds like all of the house-cleaning has frustrated running back Chris Johnson.

All these subtractions and no additions so far. I just don’t get it I want playoff guess I’ll wait in see how free agency and the draft go

— Chris Johnson (@ChrisJohnson28) January 16, 2013

Coincidentally (or not), Johnson’s tweet came just a short time after it was reported that Chip Kelly has agreed to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Perhaps CJBarely1K is jealous that other teams are beginning exciting new eras while the Titans continue to fire their staff members without making any new hirings.

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Chris Johnson was touched by the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., last Friday, and he is doing what he can to remember and honor the victims.

The Tennessee Titans running back wrote the names of the mass shooting victims on his cleats for Monday night’s game against the New York Jets.

“It’s just such a sad, sad situation. I wanted those people to know that we’re thinking about them,” Johnson told ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “I’m a parent, and my heart just goes out to them.”

Johnson is following athletes like Kevin Durant and LeBron James who had similar tributes over the weekend. We admire the gestures by all of them.

In addition to the tributes, it’s just as important for these players and others to advocate for ways to avoid such massacres. We need to be talking about increased gun control and ways to handle mentally ill people who present a danger to society so that this doesn’t happen again.

Photo via Chris Johnson/Twitter

If the Titans are looking for words of encouragement in the wake of their uninspiring 1-4 start, they aren’t going to get them from the highest-paid player on their team. Chris Johnson has contributed more to the problem than the solution this year in Tennessee, and he doesn’t sound like a player who is expecting his team to turn things around any time soon.

“I don’t believe we’re close right now,” Johnson said Monday according to 247 Sports’ Titan Insider. “You look at the games and how we’re playing, we don’t look like a good team. I wouldn’t sit here and say we’re close.”

With the exception of the Titans’ Week 4 loss to the Texans where he racked up a bunch of yards in garbage time, CJNoK has been horrendous. he is averaging less than three yards per carry and has failed to break the 25-yard mark on the ground in four of five games. The offensive line is to blame for much of it — as C.J. has been quick to point out — but Johnson is not running with any type of purpose or determination.

“We need somebody in this locker room to make plays and give us a spark,” he said. “I feel like I’ve made some plays, but the situation of a spark has got to come from somewhere and getting a spark that can be big for this team.”

If by “some plays” he means a play or two that didn’t matter, then I suppose that’s accurate. The Titans have been blown out in their four losses and have looked sad on both sides of the ball. A running back can’t do much without an offensive line, but you would think someone who makes claims like this and who is paid as handsomely as Johnson is would attempt to be a leader.

Helmet knock to Pro Football Talk
Photo credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Chris Johnson has picked up right where he left off this season. Unfortunately for Titans fans and his fantasy owners, that is a very bad thing. Johnson had a down year in 2011 and vowed to bounce back with a vengeance in 2012. Unless carrying the ball 19 times for 21 yards is bouncing back, CJNoK is off to a brutal start.

The main issue has been the Titans offensive line. Johnson is understandably frustrated with the unit for getting pushed around through the first two games, and he decided to air it to the public after Sunday’s loss to the Chargers.

“The run game ain’t working,” Johnson said according to The Tennesseean. “We just aren’t executing the plays. I don’t know why we’re not.

“People need to step up and do their job. They don’t need to let people beat them. It don’t matter who the opposing defense is, you can’t let your guy beat you. You just can’t give up plays. You have to make plays like they make plays. I can’t speak for the defense. I can only speak for the offense.”

If Tennessee can’t get something going on the ground, the situation could turn ugly in a hurry. Titans fans wasted no time turning on Johnson last season when he was struggling, regardless of whether it was his fault or the offensive line’s. C.J. is a back who once ran for 2,000 yards and was paid accordingly after holding out. As the man who is making the most money, he also bears the burden of accountability.

H/T Rotoworld
Photo credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Chris Johnson is not lacking in confidence. The Titans running back has done anything from announce his plans to run for 2,500 yards to say he would beat Usain Bolt in a race.

Now he says he could post a sub-4.00 40-yard dash time in order to dispatch Bolt.

Johnson ran for a record 4.24 40 at the NFL combine, but he says that wasn’t even his best performance. During an interview with “Pro Football Talk” on NBC Sports Tuesday, Johnson was asked how fast he thought he could run the 40.

“I’m not sure, because when I ran my 40 at the combine, I tripped when I came out a little bit. I stumbled,” he explained. “A perfect start out of the blocks in spikes and all those things, I think I’d break 4-flat. I think I’d probably get like a 3.9.”

Johnson also admitted that last year’s holdout hurt his performance during the season.

“It affected me a lot because I came in not in football shape,” said Johnson. “I needed to get in a groove with my offensive line. Looking at my numbers from last year, I feel like I did a good job toward the end of last year. So it can easily turn around.”

Johnson mentioned 1,600 yards as a number he thought he could achieve this year. He cited his five games with less than 30 rushing yards last year as an example of how much growth he can have.

We’ll see if he can get back to his 2009 form when he ran for 2,006 yards and had 503 yards receiving. I think he’ll rebound this year, but I doubt 2,000 yards are in reach, just like I doubt his ability to run a sub-4.00 40.

Photo credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE