Since running back Chris Johnson signed with the Jets this offseason, there’s been a lot of discussion about what his role will be in the offense and how effective he’ll be in filling it.
The Jets have said that they will not overburden Johnson, who had knee surgery this offseason, and that go with the hot hand in the backfield. Right tackle Breno Giacomini, one of the guys who will be blocking for Johnson this season, says that he thinks Johnson will make the most of whatever opportunities come his way.
“I think, from what I saw in OTAs just on the side there, he’s looking good,” Giacomini said, via the Newark Star-Ledger. “I expect him to come back refreshed. I know injury kind of takes a toll, because I went through one last year, too. But I expect a lot from him. I want him to be one of the best backs in the league. I’ve kind of had that privilege, I guess, from the past four years [of blocking for Marshawn Lynch]. It’s something I take pride in, and I don’t really want to give that away, just because I’m on a different team. And they acquired a back that can be that. He’s been a 2,000-yard back before, so why not again?”
Based on the way the Jets have talked about divvying up the workload in the backfield, the presence of Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell is a big reason to doubt that Johnson will get enough action to break the 2,000-yard barrier even before getting into Johnson’s own physical condition. Should Johnson prove to be fit and effective, however, his piece is likely to grow enough that he may be able to post his best statistical season since running for 2,006 yards in 2009.