NFL.com ranks Chris Johnson as one of the best offseason bargains

When the Arizona Cardinals signed veteran Chris Johnson in August, they professed a belief that he still had some good football left in him.

However, even they may not have known he would be this good.

The 30-year-old former Tennessee Titan and New York Jet is second in the NFL with 405 rushing yards, and his average of 5.1 yards per carry has him tied for eighth.

Working under a one-year, $870,000 contract that could be worth up to $2 million if he rushes for 1,300 yards and reaches the Pro Bowl, it’s clear the Cardinals found themselves a steal in their backfield.

According to NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling, he is the second-best offseason bargain in all of football.

2. Chris Johnson, Arizona Cardinals running back: After taking a bullet to the shoulder on top of a disappointing 2014 season, Johnson was free for the taking in mid-August when the Cardinals came calling due to a litany of hamstring injuries in their backfield. The Arizona version of Johnson is reliant upon vision, patience and physicality that were missing in recent seasons.

The sharp cut at the 40-yard line in this video is demonstrative. A 23-year-old Johnson would have taken that carry to the end zone. A 27-year-old Johnson wouldn’t have made that first defender miss. A 30-year-old Johnson forces a missed tackle and scampers 40 yards through open prairie land provided by the best surrounding talent of his career.

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