Unhappy with their current running back situation, the Arizona Cardinals are reportedly offering Chris Johnson a one-year deal to see if he can be the spark the team needs.
Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN reported this development, writing the team has already extended the offer.
The Cardinals are pursuing RB Chris Johnson. They have offered him a 1 year deal per sources. Stay tuned to see if he says yes. #Cardinals
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 11, 2015
Johnson last played for the New York Jets last year, but the situation wasn’t ideal. He only rushed for 663 yards (first time in his career that Johnson didn’t crack the 1,000-yard barrier) and one touchdown, though he did manage a 4.3-yard average.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians recently expressed his displeasure at the players on his current roster. He’s long desired to establish a running game with the Cardinals, but it has never materialized due to poor offensive line play and a lack of talent at the running back position. The team has a dynamo offensive line now, but there are still no standouts to report at the critical running back position.
“I am not pleased we are missing so much time with the top two guys and we may be looking to bring somebody in,” Arians said in a radio interview with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Monday. “We will search and see what is available, I am just not pleased at where we are at right now at that position.”
Johnson, if healthy and given some room to run, is still an effective weapon on the ground. Though he may not have quite as much speed as he did when he entered the league, there is no doubt he’s still one of the fastest men in the league. He would be a fine addition to Arizona’s current roster and would potentially challenge Andre Ellington as the starting running back this year.
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