How do you pay Hasselbeck 9$ million and insult a guy who’s given you 5-6K yards total offense over the years?

They don’t even want him to practice, They just want him to show up and talk with coaches/learn the playbook.

They said he doesn’t have to practice until they reach a deal if he doesn’t want to.

Let’s also consider that Johnson has shot himself in the foot. All he had to do was show up to camp to assure another year towards free agency. He didn’t. Now, if he continues to pout, the Titans can just hold onto him for another year until they either trade him or let him retire. He has no leverage here. Zero.

Finally, consider the benefit of giving a RB top money. The starting RBs of recent Super Bowl champions: James Starks, Pierre Thomas, Willie Parker, Brandon Jacobs, Joseph Addai, Willie Parker (again). See any big-name players or guys worth a massive payday? I certainly don’t. However, look at the QBs: Rodgers, Brees, Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning. Big money, big name QBs.

So why, exactly, should you shell out 10s of millions in guaranteed money to RBs?

CJ’s leverage is not as big as some people seem to think it is. RBs are not as valuable as they used to be. How many playoff wins has “the league’s best RB” helped his team get? He is not worth a “history” deal even though he is one of the better RBs. There are other RBs that have put up similar #s. There will be other guys capable of carrying the load.

If he doesn’t want to show up, the Titans should let him sit and move on this year. Do not reward his poor behavior/attitude problem. Nobody really believes the Titans are a strong team right now with or without CJ. They could let him sit out and rack up those $30K per day fines (which he would owe the Titans, not the NFL). After the season, they should put him on the trade blocks. CJ would have to pay the Titans a bunch of that money he wants to get. That would hurt a bit more if he happened to get traded to a CA team where they actually have a stiff state income tax.

He is worth a better deal; not a mega deal for high dollar QB money.

Oh yes, they have. Ask Ravens fans (or Rex Ryan) how relieved they are that some Ravens defenders gave Johnson’s ankle a little extra attention at the bottom of the pile to knock him out of the divisional game in the first half. Given Johnson had already gashed them for 100 total yards and a TD to

If all you needed was a great RB then the Rams should have a couple more rings by now. But can’t see the value? Please.

You act like CJ has some kind of great leverage.

If the Titans don’t pay him and he doesn’t show up, He’ll sit for the rest of his life unless he finally shows up or they cut him.

At roughly $1M against the cap, Don’t count on them cutting him.

Also, Keep in mind.. He has 2 years left on his contract so if he plays hardball until the end, He could lose atleast 2-3 years of playing time and I suppose that’s a bad thing for him since the life of an NFL RB is so short..

I’d let him sit this year. If he wants to sit next year, then I’d start shopping him around for draft picks.

Even in the AFC South I don’t think they’re serious contenders. So why pay Johnson more to be slightly less mediocre?

(Yes, there’s the ticket and jersey sales argument, but will it balance out paying Johnson double-digit millions compared to $900,000 (minus 30k a day in fines)?)

I think the Titans are trying to not reward the holdout (kind of like not giving your kid ice cream when he’s throwing a tantrum) and I respect that. Johnson deserves to get paid and deserves to be paid top RB dollars, but he should respect the contract he signed in the process.

Charles was paid:
5 years, $32.5 million with $13 million guaranteed

Don’t tell me that CJ isworth twice that because he simply isn’t, not by a long shot.

J Charles 1467 at 6.4 YPC

charles has 2944 yards in his careen at 6.0 YPC.. 6 yards per carry for his ASCENDING career

I am soooo glad the chiefs has a great PERSON on the field like charles.

He is a running back… he should be paid what running backs are worth…

He will never be involved in a game when they are down 6 point under 1 minute with 80 yards to go… thats when guys like brees, manning, rivers, rodgers and brady make their money.

CJ has been nothing but average except for 1 good season

I have faith in both parties to accomplish OUR goals..

It’s difficult to start comparing a great running back with a mediocre QB and saying which is worth more. As you have said yourself many times, quarterback is the most important position on the field and a good veteran one can provide intangiable benefits beyond what you see in their stat line.

Running Backs on the other hand are difficult to assess and their play can deviate wildly from one year to the next, due to factors totally beyond their control. Remember 7 or 8 years ago, the Broncos used to draft a RB in the mid rounds every year who would look like a Superstar for a year then get traded to another team where he would suddenly look extremely ordinary. And I’m sure you’ll recall several players (Anthony Thomas for example) who had one monster season and never managed to reproduce it.

Chris Johnson might be the best Running Back in the NFL, but even that isn’t certain. He was only the 4th highest in the NFL by rushing yards last year. And he is a workhorse back and there is no telling what durability issues he may have in a few years time. I certainly wouldn’t be giving him a massive 6 year contract and to be honest if some team comes along offering a blockbuster trade for him the Titans should give it serious consideration.

I’d trade him before I’d pay him anywhere near QB money. Don’t get me wrong, he’s great and I’d give him top dollar for a RB, but not a dime more.

I’m on CJ’s side that he deserves a new deal, deserves to be paid like the best at his position, which would be no less than $7-8M a year and a minimum of $20-25M guaranteed. MINIMUM. Chances are, it will be better than that.

They’ve basically just told him that’s the baseline. If that’s not enough to get him into camp so his agent and Reinfeldt can Really get down to business, then screw it. I’m not going to lose any sleep worrying about poor, underpaid Chris Johnson anymore.