Chris Johnson never had interest from Buffalo Bills
Chris Johnson (28) warms up before the game against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
It was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday that the Buffalo Bills were one of four teams with interest in Chris Johnson, and the report was released shortly after Johnson was released by the Tennessee Titans. The New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Bills were the four teams that reportedly had called up the Titans about a trade, and Schefter’s colleague Paul Kuharsky reported that the Bills and Dolphins had the most interest.
Not so fast, apparently. The Buffalo News’s ultra-reliable Tim Graham reports that the Bills and Titans did talk about a trade involving CJ1K, but it was actually the Titans who contacted the Bills about a deal instead of the Bills showing interest first. A “Bills source” told Graham that the team wasn’t interested in doing a deal, and the source believes that the Titans named the Bills as a trade partner in order “to make it seem like they didn’t just cut him”.
This makes a lot more sense than the Bills having interest in Johnson, because they already have an excellent running back duo in C.J. Spiller in Fred Jackson, with the better CJ being the RB1 and speed back in the offense. Although both players will hit the free agent market soon, there wasn’t any sense in signing Johnson, who also has a reputation for being a headcase. The trade interest made the least amount of sense, and I think the Bills will add running back depth by drafting a late-round RB as opposed to signing a guy like Johnson.
It will be interesting to see which teams are actually interested in Johnson, who hasn’t received any visits to this point. Outside of Schefter’s report on Friday, we have no idea who is interested in him, but I still think the New York Jets look like a great fit if the price is right. It probably will be, but keep an eye out for all rumors as the week rolls on, especially since Johnson is expected to sign by the middle of this week.