Well, that didn’t take long.
A few hours after we posted about some clashing national reports regarding Larry Johnson possibly landing in Houston, Texans G.M. Rick Smith has settled the matter.
“We took all the factors into consideration -- football, off-the-field issues, and we determined that it wasn’t a good fit for us at this time,” Smith told John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “We’ve got confidence in our backs. When we come back from our open date, we expect big things out of them.”
The Texans also considered Edgerrin James last week and passed on him. In Johnson’s case, the team was concerned with harming the team’s good locker room chemistry.
Johnson will have to find another suitor, but Houston’s running back position isn’t settled. Coach Gary Kubiak said he hasn’t decided who will start between Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats, and Chris Brown after the team’s bye.
“It’ll be a day-to-day deal for me,” Kubiak said.