Dolphins Sign Running Back Larry Johnson
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – The Miami Dolphins apparently still aren't comfortable with their corps of running backs. The team announced a pair of moves Tuesday morning that saw Kory Sheets leave the team, and former Kansas City Chief Larry Johnson welcomed to the team.
Johnson was a first round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2003 NFL Draft. He is a two-time Pro Bowl running back who has rushed for more than 6,200 yards on 1,426 carries.
But Johnson has displayed a bad attitude since he ran for 1,789 yards in 2006. Former Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil famously said of Johnson in 2004 that the mercurial running back needed to grow up and "take the diapers off."
Johnson hasn't played in more than seven games since 2008 and hasn't gained more than 300 yards in a season in two years. At 31-years-old, it's not known how much Johnson has left in the tank. The Dolphins picked him over former UM star Clinton Portis.
Johnson joins a running back corps in Miami that includes: Reggie Bush, Daniel Thomas, Lex Hilliard, Lousaka Polite, and Nicolas Grigsby. If Johnson makes the team, which is no guarantee given his age, durability issues and attitude issues, he'll likely serve as a backup to Daniel Thomas as a power back.
