The Atlanta Falcons are apart of what seems to be a two-horse race for now former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson. The other adversary looks to be the New York Jets would love a Chris Johnson and Chris Ivory duo.
Tennassean writer Jim Wyatt is one of many who think that CJ2K will indeed wind-up playing football next year in Atlanta.
"A lot of running backs starting to find landing places. My bet on where #Titans RB Chris Johnson eventually ends up: #Falcons," Wyatt posted on his Twitter account.
Johnson would most likely take the starting job away from current Falcons running back Steven Jackson, unless it ends up being a circumstance like the one in 2012 where Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers both shared almost half the carries together. Jackson would have a new role in the backfield most likely as a grinder to get a first down in short yardage situations and/or a become redzone back. With the loss of Bradie Ewing, there's even a possiblity the veteran could be blocking for Johnson as a fullback, but that seems the least likely circumstances.
One of Johnson's 'critics' (for lack of a better team), Pete Prisco (who works for CBSSports.com), states that the now-becoming veteran will not have the 'explosiveness' that he once had in his career.
"If a team signs Johnson expecting a lot of that explosion, it is making a mistake," Prisco wrote Monday. "What that team will get is a player like the one we saw in a second-half sequence against the Colts in Week 13. On four consecutive runs, Johnson took the ball from the Titans' 13 to the 41. He gained 28 yards on runs of 9, 3, 7 and 9 yards. It was nothing fancy, but his good feet helped make those runs possible."
"Something else to consider: Johnson still can help a team in the passing game. He had 52 catches, four for touchdowns, and his average of 8.2 yards per catch was second only to the 10.1 he had in that magical 2009 season."
If the Falcons were to sign the seven-year pro, without any other changes made to the running back corps, this would be my prediction of the depth chart:
(Running backs)
Starters:
Chris Johnson
Patrick DiMarco (FB)
Reserves:
Steven Jackson (3RB)
Jacquizz Rodgers
Antone Smith (ST)
Josh Vaughan
A factor in the Falcons' front office's decision whether to sign Johnson or not might be his work eithic.
"Sometimes, however, Johnson rubbed team officials wrong because of what they felt was a questionable work ethic and laid-back approach," Wyatt also wrote.
Here are some of his stats from his rookie year and on:
2008 (15 GP, 251 ATT, 1,228 YDS, 4.9 AVG, 66 LNG, 9 TD, 1 FUM)
2009 (16 GP, 358 ATT, 2,006 YDS, 5.6 AVG, 91 LNG, 14 TD, 3 FUM)
2010 (16 GP, 316 ATT, 1,364 YDS, 4.3 AVG, 76 LNG, 11 TD, 2 FUM)
2011 (16 GP, 262 ATT, 1,047 YDS, 4.0 AVG, 48 LNG, 4 TD, 3 FUM)
2012 (16 GP, 276 ATT, 1,243 YDS, 4.5 AVG, 94 LNG, 6 TD, 3 FUM)
2013 (16 GP, 279 ATT, 1,077 YDS, 3.9 AVG, 30 LNG, 6 TD, 2 FUM)
Career (95 GP, 1,742 ATT, 7,965 YDS, 4.6 AVG, 94 LNG, 50 TD, 14 FUM)
There has been no talk from the Falcons coaching staff, front office or ownership on the possiblity of signing Johnson or not, but regardless...He is their best bet at improving Atlanta's backfield.
Tennassean writer Jim Wyatt is one of many who think that CJ2K will indeed wind-up playing football next year in Atlanta.
"A lot of running backs starting to find landing places. My bet on where #Titans RB Chris Johnson eventually ends up: #Falcons," Wyatt posted on his Twitter account.
Johnson would most likely take the starting job away from current Falcons running back Steven Jackson, unless it ends up being a circumstance like the one in 2012 where Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers both shared almost half the carries together. Jackson would have a new role in the backfield most likely as a grinder to get a first down in short yardage situations and/or a become redzone back. With the loss of Bradie Ewing, there's even a possiblity the veteran could be blocking for Johnson as a fullback, but that seems the least likely circumstances.
One of Johnson's 'critics' (for lack of a better team), Pete Prisco (who works for CBSSports.com), states that the now-becoming veteran will not have the 'explosiveness' that he once had in his career.
"If a team signs Johnson expecting a lot of that explosion, it is making a mistake," Prisco wrote Monday. "What that team will get is a player like the one we saw in a second-half sequence against the Colts in Week 13. On four consecutive runs, Johnson took the ball from the Titans' 13 to the 41. He gained 28 yards on runs of 9, 3, 7 and 9 yards. It was nothing fancy, but his good feet helped make those runs possible."
"Something else to consider: Johnson still can help a team in the passing game. He had 52 catches, four for touchdowns, and his average of 8.2 yards per catch was second only to the 10.1 he had in that magical 2009 season."
If the Falcons were to sign the seven-year pro, without any other changes made to the running back corps, this would be my prediction of the depth chart:
(Running backs)
Starters:
Chris Johnson
Patrick DiMarco (FB)
Reserves:
Steven Jackson (3RB)
Jacquizz Rodgers
Antone Smith (ST)
Josh Vaughan
A factor in the Falcons' front office's decision whether to sign Johnson or not might be his work eithic.
"Sometimes, however, Johnson rubbed team officials wrong because of what they felt was a questionable work ethic and laid-back approach," Wyatt also wrote.
Here are some of his stats from his rookie year and on:
2008 (15 GP, 251 ATT, 1,228 YDS, 4.9 AVG, 66 LNG, 9 TD, 1 FUM)
2009 (16 GP, 358 ATT, 2,006 YDS, 5.6 AVG, 91 LNG, 14 TD, 3 FUM)
2010 (16 GP, 316 ATT, 1,364 YDS, 4.3 AVG, 76 LNG, 11 TD, 2 FUM)
2011 (16 GP, 262 ATT, 1,047 YDS, 4.0 AVG, 48 LNG, 4 TD, 3 FUM)
2012 (16 GP, 276 ATT, 1,243 YDS, 4.5 AVG, 94 LNG, 6 TD, 3 FUM)
2013 (16 GP, 279 ATT, 1,077 YDS, 3.9 AVG, 30 LNG, 6 TD, 2 FUM)
Career (95 GP, 1,742 ATT, 7,965 YDS, 4.6 AVG, 94 LNG, 50 TD, 14 FUM)
There has been no talk from the Falcons coaching staff, front office or ownership on the possiblity of signing Johnson or not, but regardless...He is their best bet at improving Atlanta's backfield.