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
