If David Johnson leaves the Cardinals, where should he go?

David Johnson isn’t the same running back he once was. If the Arizona Cardinals were to part ways with him, what NFL team should he land with?

It’s been a rough last few years for Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson. After being an elite back for Arizona during his first few years out of Northern Iowa, he dealt with injuries and lost his spot atop the Cardinals’ running back depth chart. If the Cardinals were to move on from him this offseason, where is the best landing spot for the running back?

With The Fantasy Footballers being Cardinals fans, Mike Wright and Jason Moore give us the truth in where Johnson can thrive in an NFL backfield outside of the Valley of the Sun. For Moore, it’s pretty simple. The only place that makes sense for Johnson would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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The reason Tampa Bay is a logical fit is that Johnson would play in the same offense he once thrived in at Arizona. Bruce Arians, his former head coach with the Cardinals, is now in his second year leading the Buccaneers. Moore points out Johnson may not be a great runner of the football anymore, but on a cheaper contract, he could be effective as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

If Johnson were to leave Arizona for Tampa Bay, it would likely be as a cap casualty. No, he won’t make the same amount he does in Arizona with a new team, not even on a team with a head coach he’s very familiar with. As for if he’ll be an impactful fantasy football player again, that all really comes down to who his quarterback will be going forward.

If he stays with the Cardinals, Johnson looks to be in good shape with an emerging star at quarterback in Kyler Murray. Should he need to find another team like Tampa Bay, that all really depends on what you think of Jameis Winston or prospective free agents like Philip Rivers and Teddy Bridgewater, two signal-callers Tampa Bay could be in on if they move off Winston.

Ultimately, we’re not going to see a running-game renaissance out of Johnson in the NFL. He’s 28-years-old and his best days as a runner are behind him. However, if he can get into the right system, he might make enough plays in the backfield as a receiver to offset potential losses as a runner as an overall fantasy player.