Running back Chris Johnson and tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr. are two highly-talented players whose best days came before they put on a New York Jets uniform.
Both players arrived to Gang Green bearing hype thanks to their name recognition, but neither showcased any productivity on the field.
Winslow had only 388 yards receiving in 2013, the worst number of his career in seasons where he played more than two games. And Johnson finished quite a few yards short of his '2K' nickname, running for only 663 and a single touchdown.
After the franchise declined to pick up Johnson's option, the RB went on The Rich Eisen Show Monday and said that his subpar season was a result of mismanagement, not diminished talent.
“I think a lot of it was out of [then-Jets coach Rex Ryan's] hands because when I sat down and talked to Rex before I signed with the Jets, my role and my situation were explained to me totally different to what actually happened,” Johnson said, via ProFootballTalk.
“That’s just what it was. It was never a type of thing where I was just being outplayed or anything like that. It was never a situation where I got the opportunity to show my talents and be used the way that I was supposed to be used.”
Kellen Winslow heard Johnson's statement and told his social media followers that he had a similar experience the season before.
@ChrisJohnson28 is not lying. My role was never explained to me. Wanted to help Geno/Jets as route runner. Politics got in the way. #Idzik
— Kellen Winslow Jr. (@KellenWinslowJr) February 17, 2015
Whether or not Winslow and Chris Johnson are giving an accurate description of the power dynamic between Rex Ryan and Jets GM John Idzik is a moot point; both were let go by Jets owner Woody Johnson at the end of the 2014 season.
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