Johnson, appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Alex Marvez and former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck on Tuesday night, didn't appreciate the lateness of his offseason release.

“They were just being nasty. I love Tennessee and I love my fans and all that, but I think at the end of the day, they did me wrong," Johnson said.

Johnson thinks some of his treatment stems from his 2011 holdout. He can't figure out why, if the Titans were never going to pay him $8 million for 2014, they wouldn't have given him a chance to test the open market earlier than his April 4 release.

“It just baffles me that you release me after free agency is over and you wait until it’s a couple days (before) it’s time to show up for offseason workouts to let me go.

"They weren’t right,” he said.

While the Titans have moved on with rookie Bishop Sankey and Shonn Green headlining their backfield, Johnson couldn't have asked for a better chance to rebound than with the Jets, who signed him to a two-year, $8 million deal on April 16. He's in a run-heavy, "ground and pound"-style offense where he's expected to touch the ball a ton, even while splitting time with Chris Ivory. When he runs this season, what happened in Tennessee still will be in the back of Johnson's mind.

“I’m going to make them regret letting me go," he said.

GENO A '1,' FOR NOW


Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg says second-year quarterback Geno Smith is getting about "70 to 75 percent" of the snaps with the first-team offense, and will continue to do so when training camp starts next month.

While Mornhinweg added that "things can change," the offensive coordinator reinforced the notion Wednesday — as he did in previous comments — that Smith has an edge over Michael Vick in the competition for the Jets' starting quarterback job.

Mornhinweg says his "duty" is to continue to make sure Smith progresses while also ensuring that Vick is also performing at a high level so he is ready to play if he is needed.

Mornhinweg adds that the Jets' wide receiver corps is "extremely deep" with three or four guys "who can really run."

SHERMAN, TEAMMATE SCUFFLE


Tempers flared during the second day of the Seahawks' minicamp, with cornerback Richard Sherman and wide receiver Phil Bates in the middle of a heated scuffle.

Wednesday's practice became more intense after wide receiver Bryan Walters caught a pass and appeared to injure his shoulder falling while being closely defended by safety Earl Thomas.

That started heated words between the offensive and defensive players. On the next play, Bates and Sherman locked up, both having their helmets knocked off and arms flailing before teammates separated the pair. Thomas, Percy Harvin and Doug Baldwin were all jawing back and forth as well.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll called the team together. By the end of practice, all the players involved were shaking hands and laughing about what happened.

Sherman and Bates were seen laughing about it later, and Sherman and Harvn did a playful recreation on sideline.

TEXANS DEAL QB YATES TO FALCONS


We thought the Texans released quarterback T.J. Yates on Tuesday after naming Ryan Fitzpatrick the starter. Coach Bill O'Brien even praised Yates for his work ethic and said "I'm sure he'll land somewhere."

Very sneaky, Mr. O'Brien.

Turns out Houston had other intentions for Yates, as they traded him Wednesday to Atlanta in exchange for linebacker Akeem Dent, according to multiple reports.

Yates joins the Falcons as an obvious backup to veteran starter Matt Ryan. Dent, who was expected to compete for playing time in Atlanta after Sean Weatherspoon's season-ending Achilles' tear, started seven games last season and likely will be used similarly in Houston.

The move leaves Case Keenum and rookie Tom Savage to compete for the backup job behind Fitzpatrick.

So why would the Falcons, a team desperate for help at the linebacker position, be willing to trade away a potential asset, you ask? Atlanta also agreed to terms Wednesday with free agent Tim Dobbins, a linebacker who was cut in October by, ironically, Houston, according to a Pro Football Talk report.

The Falcons reportedly also brought in veteran linebacker Jonathan Vilma for a workout this week but must have seen something preferable in Dobbins. We're unsure what that something is, because Dobbins' stats don't exactly look good next to Vilma's.

Yates filled in as a rookie in 2011 when Matt Schaub was injured. He started the last five games of the regular season that year and led the Texans to a win in their first-ever playoff game against the Bengals. He's played sparingly in the last two seasons and had just 113 yards passing in three appearances last year.

JONES CALLS KUBIAK HIS FATHER


How close is Jacoby Jones to Gary Kubiak, the Ravens' new offensive coordinator — and Jones' former head coach in Houston?

"I think I'm gonna get that DNA test. I'm gonna steal his coffee, swab the cup and figure it out,'' Jones deadpanned Wednesday afternoon after the Ravens' workout at their mandatory minicamp.

That would be a DNA test to confirm that Kubiak is, in fact, "my real biological father,'' as Jones proclaimed back in January during a radio interview in New York during Super Bowl week.

"I gotta make sure,'' Jones continued Wednesday, still straight-faced as reporters burst out laughing. He added, "I sure hope my mama doesn't see this — she'll kill me.''

The joke originated earlier in January, when Kubiak was hired by the Ravens and said of Jones, who played for the Texans his first five seasons before joining the Ravens in 2012, "I dont want to say I was like a father figure to him, but he was like one of my children.''

Jones took it a step further at the Super Bowl when talking to Baltimore's WNST-AM: “He’s like a father figure to me, and I’m starting to think he’s my real biological father. I don’t know my daddy, so I think he’s really my daddy now.”

Joking aside, Kubiak and Jones exchanged public compliments and private texts when Kubiak, fired by the Texans last December, joined the Ravens. Even though the Texans cut him after the 2011 season (which allowed him to land in Batimore and win the Super Bowl a year later), they clearly have mutual respect. When he was hired, Kubiak praised Jones' development "not only as a player, but as a man."

In turn, Jones on Wednesday praised Kubiak's offense, saying everyone had picked up on it already and adding that, for him, it's "still in there, computerized." He pointed at his head, and added, "Five years of it."

McDONALD DISCUSSES CANCER SURGERY


Panthers offensive lineman Andrew McDonald said he expects to return to training camp next month after undergoing surgery in May for testicular cancer. 	McDonald said Wednesday that doctors expect him to make a full recovery. McDonald was "Player A" in a report on the Dolphins' bullying scandal this year that indicated he was among those bullied.

McDonald didn't have any symptoms, but noticed a "bump on his skin" on one of his testicles and met with doctors on May 19. He said he's glad he did. Doctors determined he had cancer and operated the following day to remove the mass.

"It's out and right now I should be all good," he said.

The 25-year-old McDonald said doctors believe they caught the cancer before it spread. He said he'll need to return every few months for follow up CT scans.

"It was obviously surprising news," McDonald said. "They scheduled surgery for the next day, so it kind of hits you all at once. But I just made up my mind not to get down or let it affect me and stay positive. It has worked out, so thank God for that."

After the bullying report, McDonald released a statement through his agent, Brett Tessler, saying, "While Andrew can't speak for other players involved in the report, he personally has had no problem with the Miami Dolphins organization and has the highest opinion of (offensive line) coach (Jim) Turner both personally and professionally and feels terrible about the way their relationship has been portrayed in the report."

McDonald talked briefly on Wednesday about his time in Miami.

He said offensive tackle Jonathan Martin, the primary victim in the bullying scandal that involved Richie Incognito, "went through a lot and it kind of affected him a little differently.

"Everybody goes through a little adjustment when they get into the league. I saw it as beating on the rookies and just kind of playing around and messing with them. But with some people it goes a little too far some times."

McDonald declined to say if the bullying he encountered went too far.

JETS RELEASE GOODSON


The Jets released troubled running back Mike Goodson on Wednesday after he failed to show up for the team's mandatory minicamp.

General manager John Idzik announced that Goodson, who's coming off major knee surgery and is dealing with legal issues, was let go with a designation of "left squad."

"Obviously, it's disappointing," Idzik said. "Like we do with all of our players, we gave Mike, we feel in good conscience, every opportunity here with the Jets. Unfortunately, it didn't work out and we made the move, ultimately, that we felt was best for the team."

Goodson played in just two games for the Jets before tearing two knee ligaments last October. He faces weapons charges which carry up to 10 years in prison after being indicted in November. He was found in a car along with an acquaintance with a handgun and a hollow-point bullet in May 2013. He was also suspended the first four games of last season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

On Tuesday, the start of the team's three-day minicamp, coach Rex Ryan said he didn't know the reason for Goodson's absence and acknowledged that he hadn't spoken to him and wasn't aware of anyone else in the organization having been in contact with the running back.

Idzik wouldn't reveal whether he had been in touch with Goodson to inform him of the team's decision.

"Suffice to say, we gave Mike, I think, ample opportunity," Idzik said.

IRSAY WAIVES COURT APPEARANCE


Colts owner Jim Irsay won't have to appear in court Thursday for an initial hearing on drug-related charges.

Irsay's attorneys filed a motion Wednesday waiving his appearance on misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated and driving with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in his body. Myra Borshoff Cook, a spokeswoman for Irsay, had no immediate comment.

The charges against Irsay carry maximum penalties of 60 days in jail and $500 fines for each count. Hamilton County (Ind.) court documents say Irsay was driving under the influence of prescription painkillers.

Irsay, 54, was arrested near his home in suburban Carmel, Ind., on March 16 after police say he was spotted driving slowly, stopping in the roadway and failing to use a turn signal. Police said he failed field sobriety tests and an officer believed him to be intoxicated, but not on alcohol. Various prescription drugs were found in his vehicle.

SMITH, WEBB SCUFFLE


Steve Smith, no stranger to full-throttled emotion and the occasional physical roughing-up, had his first altercation at Ravens practice Wednesday.

Smith got into it with cornerback Lardarius Webb.

Smith caught a slant across the middle and Webb went over his back to defend the pass. Both players went to the ground, with Smith taking particular offense to Webb's defensive strategy. In other words, he got up hot and a scuffle ensued.

It was over as quickly as it began with teammates separating the pair. The good news: Webb didn’t get punched, which wouldn’t have been a shock considering Smith’s two previously reported incidents while with the Panthers.

In 2008, he and then-Panthers teammate Ken Lucas got into a fight and Smith was kicked out of training camp. Back in 2002 — in all fairness, that was a long time ago in football practice years — Smith was suspended for one game for punching Anthony Bright.

But make no mistake, the Ravens welcome Smith's feistiness.

“We love him. You see the fire,” said linebacker Terrell Suggs. “We were definitely on opposing ends of it a few minutes ago. That’s what you kind of need in that purple. You need a fiery guy like that, not just on defense but on offense as well. I’m glad he’s on my team.”

Suggs likened Smith's passion to former Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin, now with the 49ers.

“It’s good to kind of have that fire back on that side of the ball, with somebody that will go out there and jab back with us and compete,” Suggs said.

Contributors: Vinnie Iyer, Rana L. Cash, David Steele, Tadd Haislop, The Associated Press