Gut Crusher Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I'm still disappointed and need to get it off my chest. What do you think was the main reason he flopped and can/will he return to elite status? I understand he signed late and was out of shape. I understand he lost some incentive to play hard because of his fat contract. I understand they had a new QB. I understand they had problems on O line....but still, how did he turn into such a turd? Do we write it off as a bad luck season or is he going to continue to be a disappointment? What say you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papajohn Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I guess it is some sort of combination of the factors you listed. Maybe he was also a little hurt. He will not repeat this season's lack of performance, I refuse to believe that. But I also doubt that he will return to the CJ2K version that'll win you a fantasy championship. A top 10 back next season for sure is my guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WashingtonD Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 Some of those things are certainly true..also don't discount the fact that his extended hold out kept him out of camp and pre-season games as well. I think that was a big factor in his "off" year. Makes me wonder if Forte and Rice won't have similiar "down" years if they choose to hold out deep into pre-season as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I think he was either hurt, unmotivated or got lazy with his conditioning. Maybe a little of each. RB is the position least likely to be affected by a lack of preseason action. Couple games maybe, shake off the rust, but it's the most instinctive position on the field. The holdout would not explain an entire mediocre season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesownninjas Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I think it's a few things. 1. I think the 2009 season was a season where everything possible swung the right way for him. I think at that point the expectations on Johnson going forward were too high. I think the 2010 season is more in line with what the expectation should be, although I think most tend to look at his best case scenario as their expectation. 2. Working out on his own obviously didn't help things, neither did his holdout through pre-season. 3. For whatever reason, I think he let his success get to his head and he let off the gas. Maybe it was the money. I still think he's a nice RB1, but I'd put him around RB6-7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I think he was either hurt, unmotivated or got lazy with his conditioning. Maybe a little of each. RB is the position least likely to be affected by a lack of preseason action. Couple games maybe, shake off the rust, but it's the most instinctive position on the field. The holdout would not explain an entire mediocre season. I agree - there are free agent RBs that come in during the season with no conditioning, no training camp and who just saw the playbook for the first time and they still turn in better games than what we saw from Johnson. I absolutely do think he suffered from "I got mine" and was literally indignant that the fans turned on him when he was so ineffective. Whatever fire was there pre-2011 was doused in a mountain of cash. This is not to say that he cannot redeem himself and return to form but nothing I saw last season suggested he had that sort of fortitude. It certainly did not seem alarming to him that he went from the best to one of the worst backs in the NFL in one season. Barring any credible reason to expect a change in heart (or just plain finding his heart), I think you have to downgrade him this year and in my mind he'll probably get drafted before I am interested in him in my leagues. And this from a guy who had him on my dynasty team since he was a rookie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godtomsatan Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I agree - there are free agent RBs that come in during the season with no conditioning, no training camp and who just saw the playbook for the first time and they still turn in better games than what we saw from Johnson. I absolutely do think he suffered from "I got mine" and was literally indignant that the fans turned on him when he was so ineffective. Whatever fire was there pre-2011 was doused in a mountain of cash. Or maybe guys who get as many touches as he did in 2009 wear out quickly when they aren't real big to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentastic Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I won't be drafting him this year. This much I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papajohn Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I won't be drafting him this year. This much I know. I probably won't either, but if everybody else is thinking that way, then maybe he will be worth the gamble a some point in the draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 don't forget he had a different QB, that compounded with no training camp and then Britt gets hurt right away equals late start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I probably won't either, but if everybody else is thinking that way, then maybe he will be worth the gamble a some point in the draft. But he's going to have to fall out of the first round and I'd bet someone won't let that happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawofmurphy Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Or maybe guys who get as many touches as he did in 2009 wear out quickly when they aren't real big to begin with. This is the closest answer that I like in the thread. It's funny how people just assume players stay the same throughout their careers. It's just not true. Running backs start losing steps once they get high carry seasons. I don't even think how big he is matters...his game was pure blazing speed and he clearly lost a step between 2009 and last season. This happens to a lot of players...I think about Tomlinson early in his career vs. the middle of his career. He wasn't the same back. He had lost speed, but he adapted with running smarts and improving other aspects of his repretoir (like that deadly stiff arm). Maybe he did get dinged up early in the year worse than anyone knew. Maybe the success went to his head. But I think the biggest issue is he lost a step and tried to be the same kind of back that ran for 2,000 yards in 2009. He's going to have to adjust his game to take advantage of blocking better. He's going to have to keep developing his spin move, which is already nasty. He's got the raw talent to get back to elite status, but he's going to have to work at it...so we'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Johnson cannot afford to lose a step - that was his clear advantage since he had 11 runs over 30 yards in 2009. But in 2010 he had a respectable eight such carries and last year there were only three. Johnson is never going to be a five yards per carry guy each time he touches it. He is going to be more like two or three yards and then need to break off that long run that was missing last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electricrelish Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Barring any credible reason to expect a change in heart (or just plain finding his heart), I think you have to downgrade him this year and in my mind he'll probably get drafted before I am interested in him in my leagues. And this from a guy who had him on my dynasty team since he was a rookie. So is now the time to move him while he's still highly regarded by most? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice1 Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Hard to say, I know he didn't run hard last year so he is not a player I will be targeting in round one. Losing Britt IMO really hurt. He was the only real weapon that demanded double coverage so teams certainly stacked the box. Johnson showed laziness while waiting for his big pay day. He was not in football shape but has serious talent and was probably embarrassed so he could come roaring back. That said, he is a player I would be very concerned about if he was on my fantasy team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Started playing on the other side of the line, if you know what I mean. NTTAWWT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonedaddies Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Dude smokes a lot of Josh Gordon. Hold out = more time to lay around and get high = lazy and out of shape start to the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentastic Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Dude smokes a lot of Josh Gordon. Hold out = more time to lay around and get high = lazy and out of shape start to the year. Are you just speculating? If not, link please. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverback Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 This is the closest answer that I like in the thread. It's funny how people just assume players stay the same throughout their careers. It's just not true. Running backs start losing steps once they get high carry seasons. I don't even think how big he is matters...his game was pure blazing speed and he clearly lost a step between 2009 and last season. This happens to a lot of players...I think about Tomlinson early in his career vs. the middle of his career. He wasn't the same back. He had lost speed, but he adapted with running smarts and improving other aspects of his repretoir (like that deadly stiff arm). Maybe he did get dinged up early in the year worse than anyone knew. Maybe the success went to his head. But I think the biggest issue is he lost a step and tried to be the same kind of back that ran for 2,000 yards in 2009. He's going to have to adjust his game to take advantage of blocking better. He's going to have to keep developing his spin move, which is already nasty. He's got the raw talent to get back to elite status, but he's going to have to work at it...so we'll see. +1 Anyone else notice the nasty twitch that CJ2K has? to many shots to the nogin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) The margin for performance is very thin at the NFL level. All it takes is just being a half step slower, just a quarter second's hesitation, working a little less harder, and a 2K RB like CJ turns into an average starting RB. He stopped being hungry and played satisfied. Being simply satisfied is not enough if one wants to perform optimally at the pro level. I prefer to call it the turd factor. You finally get paid and you quit working so hard. Significant character flaw, Let his team and his fans down by a wide margin. No pride there at all. Imagine Walter Payton, Marshall Faulk, or Terrell Davis doing that. This also hurts all the other RBs who have performed magnificently and are looking for their payday - like Forte. Cj is a turd. Big time. Edited May 25, 2012 by Bronco Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylive5 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 My take... he was jealous of Ochocinco and his gold Starbucks card and moped all season because he didn't have one. If he comes back to where he is supposed to be then we know he was probably behind Ocho "losing" his card and is no longer jealous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditkaless Wonders Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 (edited) They gave the meathead millions. That's like giving a pig a pancake. Edited May 28, 2012 by Ditkaless Wonders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flemingd Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 That's like giving a pig a pancake. I have no idea what this means but I love it and will use it all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice1 Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 (edited) After giving this more thought the last few weeks I think he will bounce back and has top 5 potential this season. He at least is now working with the team and it sure sounds like they intend to open up the offense this season. I am a little concerned about their center position which wasn't real good last season and it will be interesting if Mathews pushes for the starting job this season. I expect around 50 receptions this season. I did just trade 2 first round rookie picks next season, (one has early potential and mine should be late) and Ridley to acquire him and Ringer from a disgruntled owner. He will slot in nicely as my RB 2 behind Foster, Hope my read is correct and he bounces back. At least the press is better so that is encouraging. Edited May 26, 2012 by Ice1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 I think that over 90% of the Johnson fall off has to do with his own motivation. He just wasn't hungry for a high level performance, and I am not sure if there is enough evidence to show that this will change anytime soon. His talent and opportunity still warrant a high draft pick, which is just frustrating... but what are you gonna do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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