Clinton Portis Titans: Tennessee Slaps Chris Johnson in Face with Portis Workout

The Tennessee Titans rewarded Chris Johnson with a grand contract a few weeks ago and have already stared him straight in the eyes and slapped him in the face.

Hey, at least it’s better than being stabbed in the back, right?

The Titans are inexplicably working out former Broncos and Redskins superstar running back Clinton Portis, according to NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora.

It sounds better than it really is, trust me.

There’s a reason Portis hasn’t been signed yet. He worked out for the Seahawks and Dolphins in recent weeks and wasn’t signed. I wonder why...

He is an injury-prone runner who lost a ton of speed, elusiveness and power in recent years.

This would be Portis’ 10th season in the grueling NFL. He’s accumulated 9,923 yards and 75 touchdowns on 2,230 carries in 113 games played. He’s also recorded 2,018 yards on 247 receptions.

I have to admit, it would be a nice spectacle to see Portis gain 10,000 career rushing cards and 250 career receptions, but he’s not exactly worth the risk, at least for Tennessee.

Tennessee boasts a top-three running back in the NFL in CJ2k. Johnson is the fastest running back in the game, a dynamic receiver and even has deceptive power. His agility and elusiveness makes him a quality short-yardage back to boot. He can squeeze between the littlest holes opened by his offensive lineman.

Yes, Johnson is starting the season slow after his lengthy lockout. He only has 77 yards on 33 carries and nine receptions for 37 yards through two games. Keep in mind he faced two of the tougher rush defenses in the league in Jacksonville and Baltimore Weeks 1 and 2.

Portis is a better fit for a team like Denver or Cincinnati that constantly need running backs. The Titans currently have a back capable of a feature-workload on all downs. Even better, the Titans have two young high-quality runners in Javon Ringer and Jamie Harper, who have both proven in their young careers that they can help this team.

Tennessee doesn’t need to panic over Johnson’s inability to move the rock. Ringer scored a touchdown against Baltimore in Tennessee’s shocking home victory. Johnson is a consummate professional and will be just fine for the remainder of the season.

Instead of trying to send a message to him by working out a respected veteran, they need to show their support for their moneymaker.