NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah listed Chris Johnson as one of his bounce-back candidates for 2012, and we've heard from the player himself that a better season -- LeBron James-like, he claims -- is on the horizon.
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Here's a positive signal: The Tennessee Titans running back is "running harder" than he did before his 2,000-yard campaign in 2009, a team source told Pro Football Weekly.
That doesn't mean a whole lot before the pads go on, but a few notes: CJ2K stayed away from the Titans' facility in past offseasons, but language in his contract required his attendance this spring and summer, according to PFW. He's now described as a hungrier running back -- bulked up, too -- and a more vocal leader inside the locker room.
Johnson was a disappointment last season, mainly because he wasn't in top shape after his holdout. He ripped off 486 yards over a four-game stretch in the second half of 2011 (mainly against weak-sister teams), but conditioning was an issue down the stretch. His attitude and a full offseason point to an improved performance in 2012, but this remains talk until we see it on the field.