Chris Johnson (RB) - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals Designate Tyvon Branch For Return

November 23rd, 2016 at 12:37pm CST by Zachary Links

In early October, both safety Tyvon Branch and running back Chris Johnson were placed on injured reserve with severe groin injuries. At the time, coach Bruce Arians indicated that it would be a race between the two to see who could get healthy first. It appears that Branch has won.

Branch will come off IR and is on the field practicing today, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (on Twitter). The safety cannot play before Dec. 4 but he is on the path to return.

Branch appeared in all 16 games for the Chiefs last season and recorded 43 tackles, one interception, a forced fumble, and four passes defensed. The advanced metrics from Pro Football Focus placed Branch as the 30th best safety in the NFL last year, slotting him ahead of free agents like Chris Conte, Eric Weddle, and David Bruton. While he did not start in 2015, the Cardinals believed that he was capable of a larger role. Branch was shelved after just five games this year, but he’ll get the opportunity to rejoin the club for the final stretch of the season.

Because only one player can return from IR, Johnson’s season is through. In 2015, Johnson was surprisingly productive for Arizona before a fractured tibia ended his season early. He re-signed with the Cardinals in the spring where he was expected to be David Johnson‘s primary backup. His season ends with a grand total of 95 yards and one touchdown off of 28 carries.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Redskins, Cardinals

October 6th, 2016 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL today informed the Falcons they’ll forfeit the first three days of OTAs in 2017 for violating NFL-NFLPA work rules for excessive contact in practice. Atlanta is the second team to receive punishment for that infraction following sanctions against the Seahawks. The Falcons aren’t happy about the punishment, but they did not face the heavy fines and draft penalties that the Seahawks did as repeat offenders.

“We take player safety very seriously and work hard to ensure that we are in compliance with league rules,” the Falcons wrote in a statement Thursday.

Here’s more from the NFC:

The Redskins tried to fortify their roster through free agency but, so far, those additions haven’t panned out, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Last year, signings like cornerback Chris Culliver, defensive end Stephen Paea, nose tackle Terrance Knighton, and Junior Galette all flopped for various reasons. This year, spring signing Kendall Reyes was dropped just four games into the year and safety David Bruton was placed on IR after a poor start to the season.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians says that he has his “fingers crossed” when it comes to the recoveries of running back Chris Johnson and safety Tyvon Branch because it’s possible that one of them could be healthy enough to return this year (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of the Sporting News). Both players were placed on IR this week with groin injuries. Teams can only bring one player back from IR each season, so it’s effectively a race between the two to see who can get healthier first.
Veteran guard/tackle Garrett Reynolds worked out for the Lions on Tuesday, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
The Cowboys are auditioning kickers as Dan Bailey deals with a sore back.
The Vikings, meanwhile, have no plans to try out kickers at this time, despite Blair Walsh’s issues.

Cardinals Place RB Chris Johnson On IR

October 4th, 2016 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals are placing running back Chris Johnson on IR with a groin injury, according to a team announcement. Safety Tyvon Branch is also headed to the IR with the same injury.

In theory, both players could be eligible to return on December 4th for the Cards’ home contest against the Redskins. However, that will depend on the condition of each player and the team will also have to prioritize them against other candidates to return from IR. Each team can have a player return to action after eight weeks, but they can do only do so with one player.

Johnson had 95 yards and one touchdown off of 28 carries this season as he played the backup role behind David Johnson. Andre Ellington, who was once supposed to be the main guy in Arizona, now moves into the No. 2 RB role.

To replace Johnson on the roster, the team officially re-signed running back Kerwynn Williams. Also, with Carson Palmer‘s status in the air (concussion), the team also promoted quarterback Zac Dysert from the practice squad. Versatile wide receiver/defensive back Brittan Golden was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster. In other moves, punter Drew Butler (calf) was waived with an injury settlement and safety Christian Bryant was added to the practice squad. The team still has one opening on the taxi squad.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: RGIII, Browns, Rams, Falcons

March 23rd, 2016 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Will Robert Griffin III ultimately sign with the Browns after visiting Cleveland last week? According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the prevailing feeling at the owners’ meetings in Boca Raton is that the Browns will indeed be able to get something done with RGIII. There’s no agreement in place yet, but Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets that there’s a possibility of a deal by the end of the week.

As we wait to see if the two sides can strike a deal, let’s round up a few other items related to free agency, including another one on Griffin…

Asked about the possibility of pursuing RGIII, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher acknowledged that it’s something his team may have to consider (video link via TheRams.com). However, it didn’t sound like there was much urgency on that front for Fisher and the Rams, who have plenty of confidence in Case Keenum as their starter.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn confirmed this morning that his club remains in negotiations with free agent linebacker Philip Wheeler, who may end up returning, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Asked today about the possibility of bringing back defensive end Greg Hardy, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said that Dallas is “focused on some other guys right now,” per Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Although there hasn’t been much movement on the Chad Greenway front so far, the veteran linebacker remains confident that he’ll be able to work out a new deal with the Vikings, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. While Greenway’s first choice is to remain in Minnesota, he did acknowledge that he has received some inquiries from other teams, but he’s not in a rush to make a decision.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said he was “shocked” that both Chris Johnson and Jermaine Gresham accepted less money to re-sign in Arizona, adding that there was no special sales pitch for either player (Twitter links via Peter Schrager of FOX Sports).

FA Rumors: Ravens, V. Davis, Fitzpatrick, Jets

March 22nd, 2016 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens remain in the market for pass rushing help, but when asked today about Greg Hardy, head coach John Harbaugh replied, “Greg Hardy? He won’t be a Raven, I can tell you that” (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). Harbaugh also said that free agent linebacker Courtney Upshaw is still on the team’s radar, but Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun tweets that Upshaw’s return sounds unlikely.

Here are a few more updates related to free agency:

GM Scot McCloughan confirmed today that Washington still has interest in free agent tight end Vernon Davis, who paid a visit to D.C. earlier in March (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com). In fact, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) suggests that Washington has made Davis a contract offer, in the hopes of pairing him with Jordan Reed and giving Kirk Cousins an additional weapon in the passing game.
Although there’s still a significant gap between the Jets‘ offer and Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s asking price, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes that the “Wild Wild West stare-down narrative has been exaggerated.” A source tells Mehta that the two sides have had an open line of communication in recent weeks.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that Green Bay is moving on from free agent wideout James Jones, says Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Jones’ agent said as much on Monday.
Before he re-signed with the Cardinals, running back Chris Johnson was believed to be deciding between Arizona and Miami. However, Johnson tells Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the Patriots also had interest in him.
Colts owner Jim Irsay said today that the team will continue to meet with free agents this week, but Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star cautions (via Twitter) that the team won’t be making any major moves.

AFC Notes: Haden, Fins, Bryant, Pats, Titans

March 18th, 2016 at 10:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Browns cornerback Joe Haden underwent left ankle surgery Wednesday and “should be ready for the start of the 2016 regular season,” the club announced via press release. Haden suffered the injury in Week 8 of last season, but it only began causing him pain recently, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. The two-time Pro Bowler played just five games in 2015 because of various injuries, including a concussion. Prior to that, he sat out most of training camp with a hamstring injury and, given his ankle issues, could once again miss some portion of camp this summer.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Prior to re-signing with Arizona on Thursday, running back Chris Johnson met with the Dolphins, and he says they made it tough for him to stay with the Cardinals. “The visit went real great. It was a real, real close decision,” he told Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt of SiriusXM. “I liked everything they had going on there. But my heart was with Arizona” (Twitter links).
Wide receiver Martavis Bryant‘s contract will toll during his lengthy suspension, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That means the Steelers won’t lose a year of control over Bryant. He’ll remain two years away from free agency after the league reinstates him – if it does. He’s eligible for reinstatement after next season.
The Patriots have named Brian Flores their linebackers coach, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link). Flores has been a Pats employee since 2004, most recently serving as their safeties coach. Taking over Flores’ previous position will be Steve Belichick, the son of Bill Belichick, per Reiss (on Twitter). Steve Belichick was a defensive assistant with the club in his prior role.
Titans offensive lineman Byron Bell lined up at three positions – left tackle, left guard and right tackle – last season, but it doesn’t sound as if he’ll do that much shuffling this year. “He’ll probably play right tackle for us now, but he is a guy that has versatility,’’ general manager Jon Robinson said (link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com). The Titans agreed to re-sign Bell on Thursday.
The Dolphins have hired Jim Washburn as a senior defensive assistant/pass-rush specialist, a league source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). The Dolphins are Washburn’s fourth NFL employer since he broke into the league as Tennessee’s defensive line coach in 1999. He was Detroit’s assistant D-line coach from 2013-15.

Cardinals Re-Sign Chris Johnson

March 17th, 2016 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

3:51pm: Johnson’s one-year deal will be worth up to $3MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He adds that the veteran tailback turned down nearly double the money from another team.

2:47pm: The Cardinals will re-sign Chris Johnson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It will be a one-year deal for the veteran running back. The team has confirmed the deal via press release.

Johnson was said to be deciding between the Dolphins and the Cardinals. His visit with Miami wrapped earlier this afternoon and, apparently, the Fins didn’t do enough to woo him.

Johnson, who turns 31 in September, had a bounce-back season of sorts in 2015 with the Cardinals. While his average of 4.2 yards per carry was actually a slight step down from his production with the Jets, the former first-round pick saw more playing time and got more touches in Arizona, racking up 814 rushing yards in just 11 games.

Unfortunately for Johnson, a fractured tibia suffered in the second half of the season sidelined him for the stretch run. Having been placed on IR with the designation to return, the veteran back would have been eligible to return to action if the Cardinals made the Super Bowl, but the team fell just short, losing to the Panthers in the NFC championship game.

Johnson will now return to the Cardinals, even though Arizona has David Johnson penciled in for the starting role,with Andre Ellington still on the depth chart as a change of pace back. With the Dolphins, Johnson may have had an opportunity to carry a heavier load, since second-year back Jay Ajayi currently sits atop the depth chart.

The Dolphins saw Lamar Miller depart in free agency, signing a four-year deal with the Texans. Miami then attempted to land restricted free agent C.J. Anderson, but the Broncos ultimately decided to match Anderson’s four-year, $18MM offer sheet from the Fins. Now, they’ve whiffed on CJ2K.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Upshaw, Pats, CJ2K

March 17th, 2016 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Courtney Upshaw remains on the open market here in mid-March, but his field of suitors could soon grow a little bit larger. A league source tells Mike Florio of PFT that the 49ers and Patriots could jump into the mix for the Ravens free agent linebacker. The former second-round pick, who is visiting with the Jets today,was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.

Here are the latest free agent rumors from around the league:

The Dolphins announced that Chris Johnson has wrapped up his free agent visit. That announcement infers that there is no deal – at least, not yet – between CJ2K and Miami. Johnson is said to be deciding between the Dolphins and the incumbent Cardinals.
Before putting pen-to-paper with the Ravens, the Cowboys stood as the other finalist for Eric Weddle, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes. The safety had a multitude of offers and before he was down to two clubs, Weddle weeded out proposals from teams that were not positioned to in 2016. One of those teams, according to agent David Canter, made Weddle the most lucrative offer of any suitor.
Former Ravens linebacker Daryl Smith is visiting the Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Ravens cut Smith earlier this month in order to save roughly $2.6MM against the 2016 cap. Smith, who joined the Ravens for the 2013 season after spending nine years in Jacksonville, hasn’t missed a game in his three years in Baltimore, starting the last 48 regular-season games for the club. In 2015, he racked up 121 tackles to go along with three sacks and an interception.

Chris Johnson Visiting Dolphins

March 16th, 2016 at 7:20pm CST by Luke Adams

7:20pm: Johnson is deciding between the Dolphins and Cardinals, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Other teams have requested visits with Johnson, but he’s not expected to make them, per La Canfora.

10:50am: Having missed out on their targets at running back so far this month, the Dolphins are now eyeing veteran free agent Chris Johnson. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that CJ2K is traveling to Miami today to visit with the club.

Johnson, who turned 30 last September, had a bounce-back season of sorts in 2015 with the Cardinals. While his average of 4.2 yards per carry was actually a slight step down from his production with the Jets, the former first-round pick saw more playing time and got more touches in Arizona, racking up 814 rushing yards in just 11 games.

Unfortunately for Johnson, a fractured tibia suffered in the second half of the season sidelined him for the stretch run. Having been placed on IR with the designation to return, the veteran back would have been eligible to return to action if the Cardinals made the Super Bowl, but the team fell just short, losing to the Panthers in the NFC championship game.

Although Johnson has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Cardinals, Arizona has David Johnson penciled in for the starting role, with Andre Ellington as a change of pace, so it makes sense that CJ2K would explore other opportunities. If were to sign with the Dolphins, Johnson may have an opportunity to carry a heavier load, since second-year back Jay Ajayi currently its atop the depth chart.

The Dolphins saw Lamar Miller depart in free agency, signing a four-year deal with the Texans. Miami then attempted to land restricted free agent C.J. Anderson, but the Broncos ultimately decided to match Anderson’s four-year, $18MM offer sheet from the Fins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Benjamin, Schwartz, CJ2K

February 24th, 2016 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we rounded up the latest updates on several current and pending free agents. With the combine underway in Indianapolis, there’s no shortage of news and rumors on free agency, so we’ve got another set of items to pass along already. Let’s dive in….

According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter), word from the combine suggests that the Chargers and Falcons will be in the hunt for wide receiver Travis Benjamin, if and when he reaches free agency. Current Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan used to hold that same position with the Browns, who have reportedly broken off talks with Benjamin for now.
The Browns are making an effort to extend the contract of tackle Mitchell Schwartz, but he appears headed for the open market, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. According to Cabot, Schwartz is believed to be seeking left tackle money, and while the Browns have made an offer, the two sides aren’t close to an agreement.
The Dolphins would like to hang onto wide receiver Rishard Matthews, but if his price tag reaches $5MM+, Miami is unlikely to be seriously in the mix, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Cardinals GM Steve Keim said today that the team will talk to Chris Johnson‘s representatives this week at the combine, per James Palmer of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Johnson said on Tuesday that he would like to re-sign with Arizona.
The odds of the Eagles getting something done with safety Walter Thurmond prior to the start of free agency next month don’t look great, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, who tweets that the team has not yet made an offer.
The Cowboys will meet with the agent for linebacker Rolando McClain at the combine this week, per executive VP Stephen Jones (link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). McClain is eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.