National Football League

Inside Johnson's stalemate with Titans

Published Aug. 17, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Tennessee Titans holdout Chris Johnson has a great point. The shelf life of a top running back in the NFL can end just like that, and there are plenty of examples.

Brian Westbrook and Clinton Portis were both scheduled to earn more than $8 million this season, but neither one has a job. Unwilling to pay Reggie Bush $11 million this season, the New Orleans Saints traded him to Miami, where his paycheck reads $5 million. LaDainian Tomlinson, once the money king, settled for $1.1 million guaranteed from the New York Jets. Ronnie Brown, another high pick, went from $6 million to $1 million this season when he left the Dolphins for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tennessee general manager Mike Reinfeldt swears he will make Johnson the game’s highest-paid running back, apparently above the $8.5 million average that DeAngelo Williams received during free agency to re-sign with the Carolina Panthers. But in Johnson’s camp, $8.5 million is peanuts.

And Johnson wants nothing to do with ending his holdout until the Titans actually show him a contract he likes. And it sounds like he wants a lot more than $10 million a season, or Larry Fitzgerald money.

Johnson is a home-run hitter as a running back. He can go the distance from any spot on the field, kind of like a young Eric Dickerson or Tony Dorsett, who once went 99 yards for a touchdown. Johnson wants to be paid like a bona fide playmaker. Dickerson scored 46 touchdowns in his first three seasons; Johnson has 38, including four via receptions. The similarity doesn’t end there. Dickerson was constantly moaning about his contract in those days before free agency.

I’m not convinced Johnson is even the game’s best runner. Granted, he has been a Pro Bowl pick in each of his three NFL seasons and no one has rushed for more yards (4,598) the past three seasons than he has. Still, Adrian Peterson, who is on Minnesota’s books for $10 million this season, would be my choice.

The Vikings also want to sign Peterson to a new deal, well aware of his physical style, and there is concern about a long-term commitment. Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams probably is the NFL’s third-best back, and he’s earning $7.2 million a year. Jackson has proven his worth, playing hurt much of the past two seasons. Michael Turner, another bruiser and scoring machine, got $15 million guaranteed and is averaging only $5 million a season with Atlanta.

The situation in Tennessee could get really dicey if Johnson’s demands rise above $11 million or $12 million. One report says he wants $13 million a year for the first three years of any new deal. Also, Peterson may balk about signing long term until he knows what Johnson is getting.

Johnson is the Titans’ best player and their best chance at having a winning season, but Reinfeldt will want a discount for erasing the final two contract seasons from Johnson’s rookie deal. I mean, Johnson is on the team’s books for $1.5 million, and a few people might say that a contract is a contract. The Titans may be willing to give the big guaranteed money, but they prefer to stretch out the dollar amount over six years.

That’s why there’s a stalemate right now, one that could continue another week or so. Reinfeldt wants Johnson to report and learn the offense. And the Titans definitely want Johnson on the field this season, but they may not want to pay him like the Eagles are paying cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

Reid knew Castillo wanted defense

There was some leaguewide head scratching when Eagles coach Andy Reid elevated his longtime offensive line coach Juan Castillo to defensive coordinator this year, replacing Sean McDermott. But what made the transition so smooth was the hiring of veteran Howard Mudd, who had been Castillo’s mentor at one point, to coach Philadelphia’s offensive line.

Castillo was a linebacker in college and the USFL. And when the late Jim Johnson was Reid’s defensive coordinator, he always bounced pass-rush and blitzing ideas off Castillo, wanting to know how it might work against particular blocking schemes. Reid knew how two of his favorite coaches worked together, and he also knew how much Castillo wanted to return to the defensive side.

Castillo and his four new, high-priced starters will be on display Thursday night in a national TV game in Pittsburgh against the Steelers on FOX. The Eagles signed Asomugha, defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins and pass rusher Jason Babin, and they traded for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The other interesting addition to Philadelphia’s defense is rookie linebacker Casey Matthews, a fourth-round pick from Oregon.

Meanwhile, Mudd has his hands full finding the right mix on the right side of Philadelphia’s offensive line.

NOTES AND THOUGHTS

• One of the jokes going around the league right now is that NFL draft expert Mike Mayock criticized Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett so much in order to help his good friend, Bill Belichick, get into position to draft him. The New England Patriots took Mallett in the third round. However, I found this one pre-draft Mayock quote: “Mallett has unbelievable God-given ability to throw a football. When he has a clear pocket and clear vision, there’s no one in the game better.”

• There are some on the Dallas Cowboys who believe wide receiver Dez Bryant could have an 80- to 100-catch season. And so far, so good with rookie Tyron Smith starting at right tackle.

• One of the biggest problems with Soldier Field’s grass is that the silly spaceship design outside the stadium blocks the sun during the day, preventing the field from getting the full exposure from the sun. It’s the best excuse for putting some form of FieldTurf in the stadium, knowing that the grass will be painted dirt come November.

• The San Francisco 49ers impending signing of Daunte Culpepper sounds like a real panic move considering some teams may be forced to release some decent backups at the end of the month.

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a good, young team, but it will be tough for them to win 10 games this season in the same division as the Atlanta Falcons and Saints. The Bucs also have tough road games at Minnesota and Green Bay, plus a Monday night game against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in October.