The Titans Should Use Chris Johnson As An Elite Playmaker; Not Just a Running Back
by Jimmy on Aug 18, 2011 12:23 PM CDT
in Tennessee Titans Commentary
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PrintAt some point in the next few weeks the Tennessee Titans are going to give Chris Johnson a boatload of money. No matter what you think about how much the Titans should be willing to give him, or whether or not a running back is worth the money, you have to agree that CJ is an elite playmaker in this league.
The problem here is that the Jeff Fisher administration tried to use him like he was Eddie George. That was stupid for a couple of reasons- 1. That is taking years off his career and 2. There is a much more effective way of using him.
The other day I went back and looked at Marshall Faulk's numbers from 1999 when he had 2,429 yards from scrimmage. That was the record until CJ2K broke it in 2009. The thing that stands out about the record is how he got there. In 1999 Faulk had 253 carries for 1,381 yards and 87 catches for 1,048 yards. It took CJ 358 carries to get his 2,006 yards. That means that Faulk's total touches were 18 less than the number of carries Johnson had.
Of course I understand that getting CJ those yards on less touches is easier said that done, but there are some obvious things that can be improved to lessen the wear and tear on CJ. The first doesn't even have anything to do with Chris. The Titans have to employ a passing game that other teams fear. Faulk was a part of "The Greatest Show on Turf" offense that featured Kurt Warner throwing to guys like Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt. The Titans don't have two receivers that stack up against those two, but I will take Kenny Britt against either one of them, and effectively using Jared Cook to stretch the field will open some things up for CJ.
The second big thing is you have to find ways to get CJ involved in the passing game other than just the dump off. We are going to actually see some screens this year, and the thought of CJ running down the field with blockers in front of him gets me really excited.
The third thing is that the offensive line has to be a lot better than it was last season. Mike Munchak says it will, and he seems like a trustworthy individual.
Bottom line here is that if you are going to pay a guy elite playmaker money, you should use him as an elite playmaker. Fisher/Mike Heimerdinger didn't, but I expect Munchak/Chris Palmer to give it a shot.
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You just trust Munchak cause he signed your helmet
Official MCM Hater!
TEAM REINFELDT
by gramsey712 on Aug 18, 2011 12:25 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
In Munch we trust....
just don’t grow a stache mike.
Hope they get him on the field
so they can actually practice proper utilization of CJ. He may not know how to act being used correctly.
I wholeheartedly agree
How Faulk was used in those late stages of his career is exactly how Munchak / Palmer should use him…it will be interesting to see how things work!!
by shawneriksmith on Aug 18, 2011 12:34 PM CDT reply actions
The dubious Peter King in Nashville today reporting on Titans.
From what Ive read on his tweets he is very impressed w/Coach Munchak. “He’s got alot of JoePa in him”
"Power corrupts. Absolute power is kind of neat."
by MexicanTitanFreak on Aug 18, 2011 12:35 PM CDT reply actions
if he sticks around as long as joepa has, i think everyone will be happy
"I really can't stand that NFL guy, what's his name? Mel, yeah Mel Kiper Jr. He knows about as much about football as a Japanese space pilot." - Coach Trickett FSU
by nolesbroncos3456 on Aug 18, 2011 12:47 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
and this is what makes him (if only slightly) more valuable than the top paid RB. if he’s utilized correctly, he’s better than Faulk. count it. take that to the bank. whatever.
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
"We’re not backing down, we’re not scared of them...them and their 180 million dollar payroll"
- Kevin Gregg
I wouldn't go that far
But CJ hasn’t been used to the best of his abilities…
I am curious…what was Marshall Faulk’s contract from 1999 onward? That should give us some baseline idea on how his contract compared to his contemporaries (other top RBs and WRs) to give us an idea if CJ is asking for too much.
by shawneriksmith on Aug 18, 2011 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions
I decided to answer my own question
After some Googling, I found the following info:
Marshall Faulk’s contract in 1999 with the Rams: 7 years, $45mln, $10mln signing bonus
Jamal Anderson’s contract in 2000 with the Falcons: 5 years, $32mln, $7.5mln signing bonus
Eddie George’s contract in 2000 with the Titans: 7 years, $46mln, ? signing bonus
Edgerrin James rookie contract in 1999: 7 years, $49mln, ? signing bonus
So, Faulk got about the same as Eddie George did…and I would say that Faulk was more of an “elite playmaker” than George.
I still think giving CJ more than $30mln guaranteed is ridiculous…another thing to remember is that in 3-4 years we will have to restructure Jake Locker’s rookie contract (assuming he is the franchise QB we expect). So, the FO can’t hamstring themselves by tying up too much money on CJ and not able to sign Locker long-term in 3 years or so.
by shawneriksmith on Aug 18, 2011 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions
those are some pretty gaudy contracts, did you manage to figure out how much was guaranteed?
also; I’ll go that far. as far as going over 1,000 yards receiving? don’t see it, but he could have the same, if not greater, impact on defenses than Faulk if he starts to give them different looks from creative formations.
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
"We’re not backing down, we’re not scared of them...them and their 180 million dollar payroll"
- Kevin Gregg
by danielreese05 on Aug 18, 2011 1:31 PM CDT up reply actions
I got the Faulk numbers slightly wrong
He was guaranteed $10mln with a 7.5mln signing bonus.
by shawneriksmith on Aug 18, 2011 1:36 PM CDT up reply actions
wow. the times, they are a changin’.
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
"We’re not backing down, we’re not scared of them...them and their 180 million dollar payroll"
- Kevin Gregg
by danielreese05 on Aug 18, 2011 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions
CJ does not
have Faulk’s Hands… Not even close
by Big Bad Bulluck on Aug 18, 2011 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions
Faulk should be CJ's model for the future
MCM's First Best Player Available (or Jake Locker) FanBoy!
Something else to add.
Faulk was a true all purpose back. In the year he put up 2429 yards, over 1048 of them were receiving. He ranked 21st in the league in receiving yards that year, and 8th in receptions.
That takes a unique skillset, and it remains to be seen if CJ has the hands and route running ability required to be as successful in a similar role.
No less, I agree with Jimmy’s point. CJ must be used differently. Specifically, he we need to find ways to get him into space as much as possible.
You'd think, that in order to develop those skills,
one would need practice with actual quaterbacks, instead of just running around a track
Unofficial MCM QB Rating Hater
Epistemological Police
You'd also benefit from attending all the minicamps and otas. Which CJ hasn't been doing.
The Force is with you, young SkyLocker, but you are not a Jedi... yet!
Play his early release copy of Madden?
and think about what kind of Space Ship he wants to buy with his soon to have billions of dollars.
The Saint of MCM
idk if he needs route running as much as others do, slip screens should make up the majority of his receiving yards. I’d love him to have the ability to line up out wide, but I don’t know that it’s imperative for him to be a good pass-catching back as far as production goes.
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
"We’re not backing down, we’re not scared of them...them and their 180 million dollar payroll"
- Kevin Gregg
by danielreese05 on Aug 18, 2011 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions
if this is sarcasm, then take note that the team has an entire section of practice devoted to practicing screen plays. when’s the last time you saw the Titans using screens more than twice a game? that and he seems to be pretty adept at recognizing Locker’s strengths and utilizing them. that’s all that matters right now.
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
"We’re not backing down, we’re not scared of them...them and their 180 million dollar payroll"
- Kevin Gregg
by danielreese05 on Aug 18, 2011 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions
I guess I'm still jaded from the Fisher Era
The guys in charge now were Fisher’s guys so I guess I’m still skeptical, but even a slightly higher priority to getting CJ in space will be a huge improvement.
The guys in charge?
You mean one guy? Munch? Minus that he seems to be doing everything differently, I guess you have a point…
Unofficial MCM QB Rating Hater
Epistemological Police
regarding Palmer, I’m actually kind of with you. I don’t think he’s exactly an innovator, but he doesn’t really have to be. as long as it’s not “up Amano’s ass” every play, I think we’ll see a noticeable improvement.
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
"We’re not backing down, we’re not scared of them...them and their 180 million dollar payroll"
- Kevin Gregg
by danielreese05 on Aug 18, 2011 2:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Maybe THAT'S why the interior line was so poor!
Amano’s ass had to be sore from all the plays being run up there.
he never will wear number 10 - Fernando brazil refering to Locker. Uh...
by ronburgundy7427 on Aug 18, 2011 2:40 PM CDT up reply actions
The offense will be different
From our own News To Tom:
A couple nice comments from DraftableXnOs on twitter. Palmer’s Oilers tenure gave him experience with the run-and-shoot, where the wide receivers do a lot of vertical stemming. One of the things about the run-and-shoot was it required a lot of post-[snap] read[s] by both the quarterback and wide receivers, who had to be on the same page. It’s tough on DBs, but that wasn’t something either Collins or Young particularly excelled at, nor did it seem to be part of Heimerdinger’s philosophy. We’ll see just how much of that Palmer incorporates in the offense, both for Hasselbeck and for when Locker inevitably steps on the field.
(my edits)
I don’t expect them to put it up nearly as much as the Oilers in the early nineties, but this will be a different offense than the last few.
L'enfer, c'est les autres.
by Strangely Enough on Aug 18, 2011 8:32 PM CDT up reply actions
That's some seriously good news
Unfair expectations engaged and ready for lift off. - hal41605
Pounding the Rock
Why is it that everybody but the 2 people who are supposed to be talking
Are speaking of thus contract… I get it you don’t wanna deal with somebody not in camp… and I get that you don’t wanna go to camp until you get a deal… WHY CAN’T YOU GUYS JUST MEET HALFWAY IN GEORGIA OR SOMETHING!!!!????
Collins gave us the best chance to win ma ballz
by Grimerz757 on Aug 18, 2011 3:29 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
I love the suggestion to meet halfway
figuratively AND literally.
Who wants to do the Google Maps experiment to discover the midway point between Nashville and Orlando, so that we can suggest a nice bed and breakfast for the two of them to book for their contract negotiations?
Unfair expectations engaged and ready for lift off. - hal41605
Pounding the Rock
great site for mid points
punch in areacodes or citiesand booya…..the halfway point.
by NJ Titans Fan on Aug 18, 2011 5:39 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
That link doesn't exist
Unfair expectations engaged and ready for lift off. - hal41605
Pounding the Rock
Yo Jimmy
Nice to know that my thoughts the other day on the CJ/Faulk comparison, helped contribute enough that you had the inspiration to write this nice article. Just doing my job man! :p Let’s hope the new coaching staff can utilize CJ like he was meant to be utilized. And if so, then pay da man and let’s get rolling!
Everything worth listening to is on SiriusXM.
by SiriusTitansFan on Aug 18, 2011 6:11 PM CDT reply actions
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