Titans coach Mike Munchak said he cannot imagine a scenario where Chris Johnson would be traded y the Tennessee Titans, no matter what happens in his holdout.

But if Johnson's contract dispute is not resolved with in the next 10 days or so, the Titans will likely have to explore other options at the running back position.

The Titans have gotten good production in preseason out of Javon Ringer and rookie Jamie Harper, but if CJ is AWOL, then the Titans could be looking for a veteran option as well to start the season.

“I would think that hopefully we have been looking into that. You have to be aware of what's out there in case this would grow into an uglier situation than we would hope,” Munchak told TitanInsider.com. “Obviously I don't know what the timing of that would be, but you always have to be prepared at his position and other positions.

“If have a holdout, you have to have answer, if we don't feel we have it in house. If we're short-handed, we have to feel there is a way to go get that in the marketplace and we really don't know yet, because there are so many cuts in the next 10 days, that it's hard to tell what may be available.”

Indeed, the pickings are slim on the open market with well-known names like Clinton Portis and Tiki Barber unable to get much interest thus far as free agents. But after final cuts are made by all teams on Sept. 3, that is where the Titans might find a stop-gap veteran to help out if Johnson stays away for the start of the regular season.

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Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com