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Should Dallas Cowboys sign Chris Johnson?

By Kevin Parvizi

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The Dallas Cowboys surprisingly didn’t take a running back in the 2015 NFL Draft, as the Miami Dolphins plucked Jay Ajayi before the Cowboys could steal him off of the board. There were other options for the Cowboys before Ajayi finally came off the board after his knee-induced tumble, so it was interesting to see them largely ignoring the position as a priority.

If the Cowboys don’t sign anybody else, Tony Romo will head into the 2015 season with a backfield of Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle, and the injury-prone Ryan Williams supporting him. None of those backs are bad by any stretch, though McFadden is one poor season away from being a complete afterthought, but it’s clear that none of them can be viewed as feature backs at this stage.

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Former Tennessee Titans standout Chris Johnson is no longer a feature back himself, as a couple of seasons of mediocre play combined with a decline in his once fearsome speed and explosiveness have rendered him into a bit player at the position. That said, he did average 4.3 yards per carry last season in his only year with the New York Jets, and he’s still wading in the free agent waters after being shot in the shoulder early in the offseason.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Johnson stated that he would “fit good” (possibly because Jerry Jones isn’t a fan of proper grammar, but that hasn’t been confirmed) with the Cowboys. He clearly has interested in joining them, which is understandable since he’s a veteran free agent running back with no suitors. Johnson should pine for any team, but it’s especially unsurprising for him to want to join a playoff team that boasts some of the best players in the game in Romo, Dez Bryant, Travis Frederick, Tyron Smith, and Zack Martin.

The Cowboys stacked offensive line could probably make anybody look good, and perhaps their road-grading work would allow CJ0K to break off some vintage runs. He’s 29, but he did average a credible amount of yards per carry last season in 155 attempts. There isn’t too much left in the tank for Johnson, but he could offer the Cowboys something.

That said, I’m not sure he’d offer them enough. The Cowboys made McFadden a cheap flier earlier this offseason, and while he’s far more prone to injury, he just might be the better back. Essentially, both Johnson and McFadden are both boom-or-bust veterans who are never going to consistently grind out yardage and instead bring value based on their playmaking ability. Chris Johnson is the safer bet to produce, but McFadden has more upside, though that doesn’t count for much since he’s averaged less than 3.5 yards per carry in each of the past three seasons.

Yes, McFadden is overwhelming, but Johnson wouldn’t make sense at all, unless if he’s willing to take a one-year deal that is as cheap as McFadden’s. You might argue, “Well, CJ is the bigger name and more likely back to produce,” but he’s also older and has been on the free agent market for even longer. Nobody wants him. The dude got shot in the shoulder. And did I mention that nobody wants him? Oh, that’s the third time I have?

It’s important to understand that the Dallas Cowboys running back situation isn’t even largely about McFadden, because, judging from his two-year, $3 million deal with a $200,000 signing bonus, he’s just the flier guy who could be big if he can stop averaging less than 3.5 yards per carry.

No, the two most interesting backs on the Cowboys roster are Randle and Dunbar, because they are young and have the potential to be decent contributors. In 51 carries last season, Randle averaged 6.7 yards per carry. And while Dunbar disappointed with just 3.4 yards per carry on 29 attempts last season, he did catch 18 passes and had five yards per carry on 30 attempts in 2014.

Dec 7, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Jets running back Chris Johnson (21) carries the ball during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

I wouldn’t fully trust McFadden, Randle, or Dunbar, but you have to admit that Randle’s 6.7 yards per carry last season look quite intriguing. Out of that grab-bag of a trio, there’s a chance at least one of them plays well behind a beastly offensive line, and they could work in combination.

Randle is the most interesting of them from a rushing perspective, but McFadden has slight bounce-back potential and Dunbar can contribute on passing downs.

That said, having more backs will increase the Cowboys chances of success on the ground, so Chris Johnson would be worth signing as competition in training camp if he’s willing to take a very small contract.

The Cowboys clearly could use another hand at the running back position in order to have as many credible options as possible in camp, and I’d say that Johnson is a credible option.

But unless if they are only bringing Johnson in as a camp body, it isn’t worth it for the Cowboys to sign him. That said, nobody else will sign Johnson to anything more than that either, so the Cowboys might as well take a risk-free plunge if things align that way.

Next: Cowboys 2015 NFL Draft Grades

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