Arizona Cardinals Buy or Sell: Chris Johnson makes 53-man roster

Chris Johnson enters his third season with the Arizona Cardinals. It’ll be tough for the veteran to make the final 53-man roster.

Eight years ago, Chris Johnson entered his second season in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans. He took the NFL by storm rushing for over 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns. At just 24 years old, he utilized his speed to run past NFL defenders and CJ2K was born. Now, soon to be 32 years old, Johnson is on the brink of the end of a very successful career as he enters his third season with the Arizona Cardinals.

Johnson’s decline has been coming for some time. He hasn’t ran for over 1,000 yards in a season since his final year in Tennessee back in 2013. Following that season, he played for the New York Jets, but it only lasted one year. A gunshot wound to the shoulder put him out of commission until just before training camp in 2015 when general manager Steve Keim took a chance.

Johnson all-but exceeded what small expectations people had. After Andre Ellington was knocked out of the first week due to a knee injury he stepped in to help carry the load. As the season wore on he carried the ball less and less while then rookie David Johnson became accustomed to the lead-back role.

More from NFL Spin Zone

• Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
• Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
• Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
• Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
• Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens

Johnson finished the 2015 season with 663 yards on the ground and another 151 through the air. Then in 2016 Johnson suffered a groin injury as he was limited to just four games and 25 yards on the ground.

This offseason, it was Johnson’s goal to catch on with a team as the starter and become a feature back but he finds himself on the wrong side of 30. He was able to hold out until just last week when head coach Bruce Arians convinced the former 40-yard dash Combine king to come back on a one-year deal.

While Johnson had virtually no production last year, nobody knows exactly how much he’ll be able to contribute this year. Arians has a plan for him, but what we do know is it won’t be in a feature role. The offense will continue to run through David Johnson for the foreseeable future.

Arians is one of the more respected coaches in the league. Many players love playing for him because of his fire and passion. Johnson is one of those guys. He trusts that Arians has a plan for him this year. He does, however, have to think about one player that could put a halt on his playing time: rookie running back TJ Logan.

Logan and Johnson are almost the same type of running backs. Johnson utilized his blazing speed as a young pro and Logan, who ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Combine, will be doing the same. Both are great complements to DJ, who isn’t slow-poking through holes.

Logan, though, will be utilized in more spots than just offense. He proved to be a great kick returner while playing for North Carolina, returning five kicks back for scores, including two during his senior season.

Next: Cardinals: Early 2018 6-round mock draft

The plan for the second running back duties will remain unclear until Johnson and Logan solidify their spot throughout training camp and the preseason. It’s no secret that rookie running backs can struggle as they grasp onto the NFL feel of things, most notably in pass protection. Johnson has the leg up for now while Logan continues to learn the offense, which is why he’ll make it on the active roster for Week 1.