The New York Jets declined RB Chris Johnson‘s option a few days ago, which means he’ll be free to test the open market for the second time in as many years.
We’re still a few weeks away from the start of free agency, but there has been a lot talk that the Ravens could have interest in the veteran running back.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens had interest in Johnson last year, but he was reluctant to give them strong consideration with Ray Rice still on their roster.
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News agrees that the Ravens are a team to keep an eye in regards to Johnson this offseason.
Of course, things have changed since then and there is a decent enough chance that free agent RB Justin Forsett could be playing elsewhere at the start of the 2015 season.
Clifton Brown of CSN Baltimore doesn’t think this is the best move for the Ravens, but he admits that it remains a possibility.
“Johnson is going to draw interest in free agency, and if the Ravens lose Forsett, they are going to need a Plan B,” Brown writes. “However, with other options available, both in the draft and in free agency, I think the Ravens should pass on Johnson.
Brown points that Forsett is not only a month younger than Johnson, but he has 1,315 fewer carries over the course of his career than Johnson.
Many consider this year’s draft class to be very deep at running back, which the Ravens could wait until rounds two or three and grab a decent player to develop in the coming years.
Johnson, 29, ran for 663 yards on 155 carries (4.3 YPC) to go along with 24 receptions for 151 yards receiving and two total touchdowns. Pro Football Focus rated him as the No. 46 running back out of 57 qualifying players last season.
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