Free agent RB Chris Johnson mentioned during an interview with Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that he’s staying in shape and looking forward to his next opportunity in the NFL.
“Right now is kind of a dead period,” Johnson said, “but things should pick back up when (camps start). I’ve just been working hard, getting back healthy, getting in shape. Now it’s just waiting and working out and seeing what my next situation is going to be.”
NFL executives around the league have told La Canfora that Johnson showed better “burst” on film last year than in previous years, and admitted that the Jets’ offensive didn’t do him any favors.
“He’s an outside-zone runner; you don’t want him slamming between the guards,” an NFL evaluator who is very familiar with Johnson told La Canfora. “And you need to feed him. He still needs 18-25 carries, because you’re going to need some volume to get him going and hit those home runs. It might be 2, 1, 3, 5, but then it might be 71, 19. I actually thought he was the best back on that team last year. He’d be a good fit with some teams that run a lot of outside zone. You have to use him right and give him a chance to break the long ones, and he’s got to be decisive and hit the hole. He can still play. He’s not the guy he was, but he can still play.”
La Canfora “wouldn’t be shocked” if the Cowboys wound up showing some interest in Johnson at some point during training camp or the regular season.
Other potential landing spots for Johnson could include the Ravens and Chiefs, depending if they sustain an injury at running back, as well as the Broncos and Patriots, according to La Canfora.
Despite being a notable free agent, there really hasn’t been any reported interest in Johnson since free agency got underway several months ago.
Johnson was, unfortunately, involved drive by shooting back in March that took the life of a close friend who was sitting next to him in a car.
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 during the 2014 season. Pro Football Focus rated Johnson as the No. 46 running back out of 57 qualifying players
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