NFL Draft 2009 Review: RB Javon Ringer

In 2006 the Tennessee Titans spent a second round pick (45th overall) on running back LenDale White.  He played for USC, so you know he had to be super-awesome. 

Last year the Titans spent a first round pick (24th overall) on running back Chris Johnson.  The whole USC thing didn't work out the last time, so the Titans went with a little known back from a little known school (East Carolina).  Johnson went on to rush for 1,228 yards, landed a Pro Bowl berth and the Titans won 13 regular season games.  That worked out well.  Yay Titans!

So with the Titans having a glaring hole at wide receiver (no, rookie Kenny Britt is not enough by himself), what do they do?  They draft a running back of course.

On the surface it doesn't seem as though there's a place on the team for Javon Ringer, a solid running back out of Michigan State.  Chris Johnson is clearly the starter on the team, with LenDale White responsible for goal line carries and finishing up the team buffet.  The only way Ringer would see significant time would be if Chris Johnson suffered a serious injury.  Barring that, Ringer probably won't see the field.  Unless....

Unless the Titans are planning to dump LenDale White and his first round salary.  It's almost become a tradition for me to write a pre-season "LenDale White is fat" post (here's one from 2007) but maybe the Titans are finally fed up.  White's on the last year of a $3 million contract and they might just be waiting until training camp opens so they can cut him and replace him with the much cheaper (and thinner) Javon Ringer.  If that happens, Ringer becomes a necessary handcuff to Chris Johnson and could have some fantasy value as a TD vulture.