Could Titans use Antonio Johnson now?

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- On Sunday, while the Titans play Pittsburgh, second-year receivers Paul Williams and Chris Davis will roam the bench area in street clothes.

Johnson Barring a new injury at the position this week, Williams will sit for the 11th time and Davis for the ninth.

Meanwhile, Antonio Johnson, known by friends as "Mookie," will be enjoying a Sunday off after having participated in Thursday night's Colts-Jaguars game in Jacksonville.

Johnson, a fifth-round choice by the Titans in 2007, blew out a knee that preseason and then didn't make the team's roster coming out of camp this season as the team judged him to be too raw. He landed on the practice squad until Indianapolis, in need of interior line help, signed him away in early November.

The Titans had a chance to keep him by signing him to their own 53-man roster, but declined, instead continuing to dedicate roster spots to Williams and Davis.

With Albert Haynesworth out until the playoffs with a sprain of the MCL in his left knee and Kevin Vickerson serving a suspension that runs through the regular season, the Titans have two healthy and available defensive tackles, Tony Brown and Jason Jones. End Dave Ball is capable of playing some snaps inside.

But they'll have to add someone this week, perhaps Amon Gordon, off their practice squad. He was a fifth-rounder out of Stanford by the Browns in 2004 and has also spent time in Denver and Baltimore.

I was told by someone with the Titans when Gordon was signed to replace Johnson that he was just as good or better.

Johnson has been contributing in Indianapolis. We'll find out in the next couple weeks if preserving two receivers who've shown no signs they are going to be deserving of roster spots next year was the right move for Tennessee.



More...