Now that the Tennessee Titans have pulled the plug on the Chris Johnson era, the artist formerly known as CJ2K immediately becomes the most attractive unrestricted free agent on the market.
We already analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of Johnson's game while pointing out potential landing spots. Which of those teams are showing interest in the speedy running back?
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Here is our Chris Johnson tracker:
1. New York Jets: The Jets got the first crack at signing the running back. Johnson met with Gang Green Tuesday and both sides left with a "good feeling," NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports the Jets are one of three teams interested in signing CJ2K.
A source informed of the Titans' thinking told Rapoport that the Jets came closest to pulling off a trade. The team's brass "really likes" the potential of a tandem attack featuring Johnson and Chris Ivory, according to Mehta.
(UPDATE: Johnson agreed to a two-year contract with the Jets on Wednesday, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, citing a source involved in the talks.)
2. Atlanta Falcons: Despite a ProFootballTalk report to the contrary, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean isn't willing to surrender his original contention that the Falcons are a fit. There's reason to trust Wyatt's instincts, as Rapoport reports the Falcons and Bills were among the teams talking trade.
3. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys, Giants and Jets were among the teams that inquired about Johnson prior to his release, according to Fox Sports. As Rapoport points out, the Cowboys were high on CJ2K entering the 2008 NFL Draft. Although team sources tell the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the Cowboyshave no interest in signing Johnson, Rapoport has been told they could be a possibility.
4. Buffalo Bills: The Bills' reported involvement in trade talks was a head-scratcher with C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson entering contract years. To the surprise of no one, their interest was overblown. The Buffalo News reported that the Titans called the Bills to gauge interest in a trade, but Buffalo wasn't interested. Per Rapoport, though, they might be interested now that Johnson is freely available.
Teams not in the hunt
»*Miami Dolphins:* The Dolphins also discussed a trade, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Any interest in Johnson presumably surfaced before they signedKnowshon Moreno. Rapoport confirms Miami is no longer in the mix.
»*New York Giants*: Despite the Giants' reported inquiries, The Record's Art Stapleton suggests Johnson isn't a realistic option for Tom Coughlin's club. Rashad Jennings was signed to start, and there's still hope that David Wilson will bounce back this season.
»*St. Louis Rams*: Johnson has an obvious connection to former Titans coach Jeff Fisher, but there's been nothing but thesound of cricketsemanating from St. Louis on this subject. Citing those familiar with the situation, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports a Johnson signing isn't "impossible," but there doesn't seem to be much interest on the Rams' end.
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