Chris Johnson to hold out...

[nine]

CJ has not only shown himself to be one of the most explosive and productive RB's in NFL history, he's also proven to be extremely durable, and has had zero off-field issues. He's also very popular with his teammates, and to my understanding, is looked to as a team leader both on and off the field.

The Titans/Oilers organization has had a long history of keeping such players in the fold with contracts commensurate to their performance and playing ability. They see to it that their best players are kept happy...and in situations where the player is among the best in the league, they see to it that he's among the highest paid at his position.

I see no reason to think that will change now.

[FightinTitan]

e will get Ap-type money and deservedly so. The Titans got him into camp a year ago and told him that they would step to the plate in 2011 and give him their best shot.

[NashvilleNinja]

This is much ado about nothing. Chris Johnson will not be holding out and we will not be holding back. He's going to get his payday. There is absolutely NO reason for it not to happen. We've got the money, the space, he deserves it, he's heading into his prime... it's the perfect time and situation for both the Titans and CJ for him to get his pay.

It's almost certainly going to be the biggest payday he'll ever receive, so why not now? Why not us?

[notsolegato]

Dude! Welcome back. So glad you found your way here.

Thanks man. Glad to be here.

[ZEPPELIN]

Perfect time to trade him. His value may never be higher and we could probably get draft picks and several very good defensive players for the kind of historic money he undoubtedly expects. He got stuffed for zero or negative yardage about 30% of the time last season....not good at all. We got totally killed in time of possession and he was part of that problem. An occasional big run coupled with a bunch of zeros and negative runs is not going to win games and it hasn't for us. Our team would be more successful if we had a less expensive RB who runs north-south and keeps the chains moving, combined with several better players on defense. Spending historic money on a RB is not a good idea IMO. Plus, he shouldn't be used as an every down back anyway.

[ZEPPELIN]

We have the cap space to give CJ crazy money, but we could just as easily spend it on other positions of serious need. Think about how much faster we could rebuild our team if we got a couple of high draft picks in a trade and then were able to spend all that "historic money" toward other positions such as LB, DT, and S. I would rather us have RB by committee and focus on building the best defense we can.

[Mercalius]

We have to, and will, pay CJ.

The reality of the situation is this: He IS the face of our franchise.

As abysmal as our last two seasons were, CJ (and mostly he alone) was the defining reason asses filled seats at ball-games. He has the highest selling jersey of this generations' Titans, and, even arguably Eddie George, we haven't had this caliber of running back in our franchise for a long time.

He has been, and most likely will continue to be our offense for the next season or two - even if Britt gets his head out of his ass.

He's been nothing but positive for this franchise since he's been here, adds personality to the team, and is realistically the reason many key players would want to play here. Our coaches want to keep their jobs, we want more desirable FA's, and we want to groom Locker the best we can. This is all only possible through keeping CJ.

We basically promised him last season that he'd get his payday if he stopped holding out, and he did. Even with shoddy line play and a quarterback fiasco that would drive a lot of players nuts, he still ran into loaded defensive fronts nearly 25-30 times a game without complaint.

We can dream of a ridiculous scenario where we get 2 1st round picks for him and draft the next Ed Reed and Suh, but that's way less realistic than keeping the best back in the league to make your whole team, and future franchise QB, better over the next 10 years.

Pay the man, and just be happy he's on our team. Seriously, how excited would you guys be for games if CJ hadn't been/won't be on our roster in the near future?

[ManningEnvy]

We have to, and will, pay CJ.

The reality of the situation is this: He IS the face of our franchise.

As abysmal as our last two seasons were, CJ (and mostly he alone) was the defining reason asses filled seats at ball-games. He has the highest selling jersey of this generations' Titans, and, even arguably Eddie George, we haven't had this caliber of running back in our franchise for a long time.

He has been, and most likely will continue to be our offense for the next season or two - even if Britt gets his head out of his ass.

He's been nothing but positive for this franchise since he's been here, adds personality to the team, and is realistically the reason many key players would want to play here. Our coaches want to keep their jobs, we want more desirable FA's, and we want to groom Locker the best we can. This is all only possible through keeping CJ.

We basically promised him last season that he'd get his payday if he stopped holding out, and he did. Even with shoddy line play and a quarterback fiasco that would drive a lot of players nuts, he still ran into loaded defensive fronts nearly 25-30 times a game without complaint.

We can dream of a ridiculous scenario where we get 2 1st round picks for him and draft the next Ed Reed and Suh, but that's way less realistic than keeping the best back in the league to make your whole team, and future franchise QB, better over the next 10 years.

Pay the man, and just be happy he's on our team. Seriously, how excited would you guys be for games if CJ hadn't been/won't be on our roster in the near future?

Your franchise is in serious trouble.

[Mercalius]

Your franchise is in serious trouble.

Your shtick is a lot better when games are going on. Shouldn't you be dangling off your e-peen off a bridge with Faceless or something?

[ZEPPELIN]

We have to, and will, pay CJ.

The reality of the situation is this: He IS the face of our franchise.

As abysmal as our last two seasons were, CJ (and mostly he alone) was the defining reason asses filled seats at ball-games. He has the highest selling jersey of this generations' Titans, and, even arguably Eddie George, we haven't had this caliber of running back in our franchise for a long time.

He has been, and most likely will continue to be our offense for the next season or two - even if Britt gets his head out of his ass.

He's been nothing but positive for this franchise since he's been here, adds personality to the team, and is realistically the reason many key players would want to play here. Our coaches want to keep their jobs, we want more desirable FA's, and we want to groom Locker the best we can. This is all only possible through keeping CJ.

We basically promised him last season that he'd get his payday if he stopped holding out, and he did. Even with shoddy line play and a quarterback fiasco that would drive a lot of players nuts, he still ran into loaded defensive fronts nearly 25-30 times a game without complaint.

We can dream of a ridiculous scenario where we get 2 1st round picks for him and draft the next Ed Reed and Suh, but that's way less realistic than keeping the best back in the league to make your whole team, and future franchise QB, better over the next 10 years.

Pay the man, and just be happy he's on our team. Seriously, how excited would you guys be for games if CJ hadn't been/won't be on our roster in the near future?

I am being 100% honest here, I don't get excited at all when I watch CJ run sideways and backwards, getting all those negative runs. In fact, I get downright pissed. I am not just spouting off here. He had 86 carries for zero yards or negative yards last season. That's a fact. I didn't sit in my seat last season waiting for him to break a long TD run, because it only happened a few times the whole season. The point is, it doesn't happen very often...not enough to make a huge difference in wins and losses. On the other hand,a guy like Britt can score 3 TDs in one game...just an example of how a receiver could have more of an impact by scoring a lot more long TDs throughout the course of a season. The same could be said for a corner or safety who gets, say, 8 INTs in a season. Now that would have a major impact. I am just pointing out that other positions are just as important or potentially more important. I couldn't care less about how many jerseys CJ has sold. I want to win and CJ is not as great as everyone keeps saying when you look at the W-L column. You have to consider alternatives when you are thinking about making someone the highest paid RB in the history of the league.

Alright, my diatribe is over. My opinions on this matter are definitely in the minority, so suck it everyone...

[NashvilleNinja]

Your franchise is in serious trouble.

So is yours. Manning's tires are starting to get mighty bald. It won't be long before the wires start to show and the Colts have a blowout while doing 80 down the interstate.

I am being 100% honest here, I don't get excited at all when I watch CJ run sideways and backwards, getting all those negative runs. In fact, I get downright pissed. I am not just spouting off here. He had 86 carries for zero yards or negative yards last season. That's a fact.

It's also a fact that the quarterback position, along with our entire offensive approach, was a point of contention and affliction last year. I don't recall so many people "being pissed" by CJ the year prior...

[Mercalius]

I am being 100% honest here, I don't get excited at all when I watch CJ run sideways and backwards, getting all those negative runs. In fact, I get downright pissed. I am not just spouting off here. He had 86 carries for zero yards or negative yards last season. That's a fact. I didn't sit in my seat last season waiting for him to break a long TD run, because it only happened a few times the whole season. The point is, it doesn't happen very often...not enough to make a huge difference in wins and losses. On the other hand,a guy like Britt can score 3 TDs in one game...just an example of how a receiver could have more of an impact by scoring a lot more long TDs throughout the course of a season. The same could be said for a corner or safety who gets, say, 8 INTs in a season. Now that would have a major impact. I am just pointing out that other positions are just as important or potentially more important. I couldn't care less about how many jerseys CJ has sold. I want to win and CJ is not as great as everyone keeps saying when you look at the W-L column. You have to consider alternatives when you are thinking about making someone the highest paid RB in the history of the league.

Alright, my diatribe is over. My opinions on this matter are definitely in the minority, so suck it everyone...

There are two flaws here:

1.) I'm not denying that Britt is/can be an awesome to elite WR. However, so far, he's HIGHLY benefited from the 8-9 man fronts that only a few select RBs in this league can cause. Could he still have those breakout plays and games without CJ? Maybe, but we have no real way of knowing just yet.

2.) I'm never a fan of trading a sure player for a shot in the dark. CJ is what he is - an awesome runningback who will, more than most, have negative yardage and 0 gains but also those big plays that terrify defenses. If the Titans are ever in a close game where the run threat is still there, that causes coaching nightmares. Will he get shot down some plays? Yes. However, I don't think you'd find a coach in the league who wouldn't make him their starting runningback if they had him, probably even the Vikings. He is just that good. There's no way of knowing which college players will boom at the NFL level, so trading CJ for more picks could just as easily leave us with 2 or 3 busts waiting to happen on the team. It's a risky gamble that isn't at all necessary right now.

We have a strong foundation for a team as it is. A good/great O-line. A top 5 run-game. A stud wide-receiver (with others appearing to be on the rise as well). We just got 1st round value on a Linebacker in Ayers. Morgan is a 1st round DE, Jones is a top 10 DT. Griffin is a 1st round Safety, and we arguably have the problem of having too many "decent" corners on the team. Our D hasn't meshed the last two years, but a coaching change and a bit more cohesion could fix all of that. Would another stud player or two help? Certainly, but drafting players is a gamble. Several of our best defensive starters are from later round picks. We should just stick with what we have, and try to improve gradually, rather than cutting off our main offensive threat and hoping for the best.

[JLocker10]

There are two flaws here:

1.) I'm not denying that Britt is/can be an awesome to elite WR. However, so far, he's HIGHLY benefited from the 8-9 man fronts that only a few select RBs in this league can cause. Could he still have those breakout plays and games without CJ? Maybe, but we have no real way of knowing just yet.

2.) I'm never a fan of trading a sure player for a shot in the dark. CJ is what he is - an awesome runningback who will, more than most, have negative yardage and 0 gains but also those big plays that terrify defenses. If the Titans are ever in a close game where the run threat is still there, that causes coaching nightmares. Will he get shot down some plays? Yes. However, I don't think you'd find a coach in the league who wouldn't make him their starting runningback if they had him, probably even the Vikings. He is just that good. There's no way of knowing which college players will boom at the NFL level, so trading CJ for more picks could just as easily leave us with 2 or 3 busts waiting to happen on the team. It's a risky gamble that isn't at all necessary right now.

We have a strong foundation for a team as it is. A good/great O-line. A top 5 run-game. A stud wide-receiver (with others appearing to be on the rise as well). We just got 1st round value on a Linebacker in Ayers. Morgan is a 1st round DE, Jones is a top 10 DT. Griffin is a 1st round Safety, and we arguably have the problem of having too many "decent" corners on the team. Our D hasn't meshed the last two years, but a coaching change and a bit more cohesion could fix all of that. Would another stud player or two help? Certainly, but drafting players is a gamble. Several of our best defensive starters are from later round picks. We should just stick with what we have, and try to improve gradually, rather than cutting off our main offensive threat and hoping for the best.

CJ wasn't having as many 0 and negative yard gains in 08 and 09 when we had an OL that could run block.

I think CJ was too often trying to make something out of nothing, because most of the time there was nothing last season. He was trying to overcompensate and make plays.

I'm going to have a good laugh at the CJ haters when CJ gets a new deal.

This trade CJ stuff is as retarded as VY.

[JLocker10]

You send the locker room a terrible message to if you've promised to pay your best player and then you trade him the following season.

You'll have a locker room that is completely demoralized

No one will trust the FO

[ZEPPELIN]

There are two flaws here:

1.) I'm not denying that Britt is/can be an awesome to elite WR. However, so far, he's HIGHLY benefited from the 8-9 man fronts that only a few select RBs in this league can cause. Could he still have those breakout plays and games without CJ? Maybe, but we have no real way of knowing just yet.

2.) I'm never a fan of trading a sure player for a shot in the dark. CJ is what he is - an awesome runningback who will, more than most, have negative yardage and 0 gains but also those big plays that terrify defenses. If the Titans are ever in a close game where the run threat is still there, that causes coaching nightmares. Will he get shot down some plays? Yes. However, I don't think you'd find a coach in the league who wouldn't make him their starting runningback if they had him, probably even the Vikings. He is just that good. There's no way of knowing which college players will boom at the NFL level, so trading CJ for more picks could just as easily leave us with 2 or 3 busts waiting to happen on the team. It's a risky gamble that isn't at all necessary right now.

We have a strong foundation for a team as it is. A good/great O-line. A top 5 run-game. A stud wide-receiver (with others appearing to be on the rise as well). We just got 1st round value on a Linebacker in Ayers. Morgan is a 1st round DE, Jones is a top 10 DT. Griffin is a 1st round Safety, and we arguably have the problem of having too many "decent" corners on the team. Our D hasn't meshed the last two years, but a coaching change and a bit more cohesion could fix all of that. Would another stud player or two help? Certainly, but drafting players is a gamble. Several of our best defensive starters are from later round picks. We should just stick with what we have, and try to improve gradually, rather than cutting off our main offensive threat and hoping for the best.

Hopefully my last response. You do make some good points about the risk of draft picks....they are unknowns for sure. But, I still think the best path forward for our team is to let some foolish owner give us ridiculous compensation for CJ, pocket the draft picks and then take the money we would have to spend on CJ and put it toward proven veterans this year and next year. We have a few pretty good players on defense, maybe 3 or 4. But, our LBs sucked last year, our DTs sucked last year, and our safeties also sucked really bad. We will probably lose Babin and it is hard to tell what we will get from Morgan this year or our rookie DTs. Our defense could be one of the worst in the league if we don't get some quality vets in here. And by quality, I don't mean guys like Witherspoon. It will take some time and serious cap dollars to do it.