new york jets mike goodson.jpg

Because of a suspension and season-ending knee injury, Jets running back Mike Goodson barely played last season.

(Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports)

FLORHAM PARK – John Idizk, the Jets’ general manager, held court with reporters Wednesday afternoon at the team’s facility, alongside the team’s senior director of college scouting, Terry Bradway, and director of college scouting, Jeff Bauer.

The primary topic, of course, was next week’s NFL Draft. But there are also some loose ends, in regard to the Jets’ current players. One of those involves running back Mike Goodson, whose position on the roster seems tenuous.

The Jets signed Chris Johnson during free agency and now have Johnson in their backfield along with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell.

So where does Goodson fit in? Because of a four-game, substance-abuse suspension last year, and then a season-ending knee injury, Goodson had just seven carries and two catches in two games with the Jets in 2013. As it turned out, he was not a productive free agent acquisition last offseason, Idzik’s first with the Jets.

Moreover, Goodson is due back in a Morris County courtroom May 19, in his weapons possession case. It stems from an incident last May that led to his suspension.

Idzik said he did not approach free agency, and the signing of Johnson, with the thought that Goodson would not be available to the Jets because of his legal situation.

“We assume Mike is a Jet,” Idzik said. “We’ve always made that assumption. He didn’t get much time with us last year, but we assume that Mike is on our roster.”

Goodson is under contract through 2015. He is due to count $1.279 million against the Jets’ salary cap this year, but would count just $558,000 in “dead” money if the Jets cut him.

Still, at least at this point, he remains part of the Jets’ four-man backfield. When the Jets began offseason workouts last Monday, coach Rex Ryan said Goodson was still recovering from his knee injury and wouldn’t see the field any time soon.

“I don’t anticipate anything in the near future that he will be able to do,” Ryan said.