TRADE HIM!!!!!

Comment by zyker — April 6, 2009 @ 3:14 pm

Awesome news! Lets trade this punk for a draft pick or two (if we can even get one for him). I’m just glad that his lazy woman beating ass isn’t gonna get a free ride on behalf of the chiefs. It’s really sad that he was such a beast and then once he got paid he started running like mrs. doubtfire. We’ve got charles and colby smith and they should definitely suffice. I like that idea much more than having jay-z’s butt buddy making millions and running like a panzee in the red and gold. GOOOOO CHIEFS!!!

Comment by dbowe82 — April 6, 2009 @ 3:15 pm

LJ is an ASSHOLE!

Comment by Chief Tom — April 6, 2009 @ 3:18 pm

I guess I’m in the minority here but I’d like to keep him. I think he can still be very productive and he has a lot of good year left. I think the Chiefs would be kidding themselves if they think Charles or Smith can produce as well as he does..they are a nice change of pace, but neither are feature backs. I’d hate to see us let LJ walk and then go on and see him tear it up with someone else.

Comment by ChiefsWarpath.com — April 6, 2009 @ 3:38 pm

He’s gone. They wouldn’t be pushing the issue like this if the planned on paying him anything.

Comment by Jesse-James — April 6, 2009 @ 4:38 pm

Take a look at last years stats…J Charles had more yards per carry and smoked Lazy Johnson in recieving. Lazy J hasn’t been the same since he “got paid”. He tiptoes behind the line like Priest used to do BUT Mr Holmes had talent and made that work. I think J Charles could be The Man given the chance! Don’t they have a new RB coach now?

Comment by chiaman — April 6, 2009 @ 4:50 pm

spot on jesse, I would like to run with larry and JC but it looks like it’s not in the cards

Comment by shovel_shot — April 6, 2009 @ 4:52 pm

What makes you guys think he even wants to be productive here? Say we keep him, and he plays with the same intensity, or lack there of, that he has for the last 2 seasons. Where are we then?? The chances of him changing his attitude and suddenly having the desire to play for the Chiefs, or football for that matter, are slim to none. I have played with and coached guys that were similar to LJ. Once they get something in their head, there isn’t much that will change their perception. He isn’t a leader and is here for him and definitely not the team. We should take this victory and the opportunity to rid us of that attitude and move on to more positive players that will fit to the style of play we need and will not be detrimental to the team.

Comment by Travis — April 6, 2009 @ 5:36 pm

trade the little b**ch

Comment by michael diedrich — April 6, 2009 @ 5:37 pm

Edge was doing that at Arizona. He was just upset because they didnt play him that much but he was very productive for them in the Playoffs. I think LJ is similar. If you noticed, he complained about NOT getting the ball and saying he was being phased out. When they changed the offense, I think they did phase him out. LJ is a pretty good back. Although he will be 30, he has the carries of a 25 or 26 year old. He didnt start in high school until his senior year. He only started 18 games in his 4 year career in college with 460 carries during that time frame. The first two years as a pro he had limited carries. Take a look at the four games LJ was out last year. We had 3 different starting RB Savage, Charles, Smith)during that time frame because two of them got injured(Charles, K.Smith). Now during that four game span, we could not rely on Charles and K. Smith to carry the load. LJ avg 4.5 ypc last year behind a patched up offensive line. Charles avg 5.3 only because he was change of pace back. Now ask yourself. “Can I rely on J. Charles to carry the load for a year?” If you answered yes, then you are mistaken. LJ has been more of reliable than any RB in KC since Priest Holmes. I noticed someone mentioned that Charles had more catches than LJ but that’s what 3rd down backs usually do. Catch screen plays on third and long (which was the situation the Chiefs found themselves in a lot last year). To me, J. Charles is ALMOST equal to Reggie Bush (all speed and try to bounce everything outside). I still will never forget when J. Charles got caught from behind by Yeremiah Bell in the Miami game. Another thing people are saying that he whines a lot. Every great player whines when they dont get the ball. Keyshawn did it. T.O. did it. Phillip Rivers did it. Even Tony G did it at the beginning of his career. John Elway and Eli Manning whined before they even played a snap and requested a trade. So every player whines in their own way. Sad part about it is that most of them whine about money. LJ is whining about NOT playing or getting the ball enough. I know you all are going to attack me but those are just my opinions.

Comment by JRock in Texas — April 6, 2009 @ 6:57 pm

JRock
You made an excellent point. You spelled out the players who vocally cried out about getting the ball. What did they do to their teams??? Keyshawn was kicked to the curb by several teams after never accomplishing what he said he could. TO has become the pefect example of what arrogance, selfishness, and overconfidence does to a player. Teams obviously don’t want it (look at all the teams that were bidding on TO), and why we shouldn’t want LJ.

Being a “change of pace” back means nothing to ypc. It is what it is. LJ’s number is also skewed by his performace versus Denver last year, but it is what it is. And trust me, he would have been run down far sooner than Charles. That was about conditioning, plain and simple. And if LJ was that versatile, he would be in on 3rd down also. I don’t, however, think Charles is an every down back. I personally think we made a mistake not going after Derrick Ward. I just think we need a back with decent talent with a lot of heart.

The comparison to Edge is valid. The difference is he accepted his role and tutored Hightower. Plus, because he took less of a beating during the season, he was more fresh for the playoffs and it was evident.

Comment by Travis — April 6, 2009 @ 7:52 pm

This proves that the Chiefs are trying to get him out of Kansa city

Comment by Kcchiefs19692003 — April 6, 2009 @ 9:45 pm

Travis,
Only person I agree with you with is T.O. Parcels wanted Keyshawn in NY and Dallas, he didnt want T.O. I cant remember any teammates saying bad things about Keyshawn. I forgot to mention Trent Green complained about not getting in PT when he felt he was still a starter. Could LJ just have shut up and not say anything about not getting the ball enough? Yes. But to me that would have made him equivalent to Shawn Alexander. Shawn could care less whether or not he got the ball because he was already paid. Edge tutored hightower but he is still requesting a trade because he still felt he could be productive. If you noticed, LJ did show up for training camp although he stated he didnt want to be with the Chiefs this year and lost his signing bonus case. I’m sticking with keeping him. Sometimes new management is what players need. Herm came in and labeled LJ the man and announced him as a leader. “BIG MISTAKE.” New Management is the same as a New Team” Everyone coach different and approach players different. Like the way they approached Brian Waters. Even though BW is a Pro Bowl guard, he approached him like he was just another player. Thats the way he should approach them. Set the tone from jump. Treat the stars like every other player. Give LJ a chance to fail under new management before you get rid of him. I think all of his money was front loaded. If he is not productive by the end of the year or he is still a problem, then trade is ass.

And a Change Of Pace back has everything to do with YPC. Think about it. A pounder starts the game avg 3-4ypc and then a speed (Change of pace) back comes in and hit the hole a lot quicker than the defense expects him to because they are use to the Pounder. That will definately help your ypc. If they build a game plan around Charles like they do R Bush, then he would get as many yards and his YPC wouldnt be as high. Look at Bush career stats. His is avg a whopping 3.7ypc and an astonishing 40 ypg.

Comment by JRock in Texas — April 7, 2009 @ 1:51 am

FYI,

The Kansas City Chiefs will hold a private workout with Tennessee State running back Javarris Williams this week according to Ed Thompson of Scout.com. This is the second Tennessee State player the Chiefs have scheduled a private workout with (OT Cornelius Lewis).

This news is coming out an interesting time – hours after the announcement that the Chiefs will not be obligated to pay the remaining guaranteed money in Larry Johnson’s salary should the team release him.

Williams measured in at 5’9″ and 223 pounds at the NFL Combine last month. He ran a 4.5 40 yard dash before pulling a hamstring.

Dan over at Mocking the Draft ranks him as the 21st running back in the 2009 draft class.

With his size he appears to be in a similar mold to Larry Johnson and would fit well as the thunder to Jamaal Charles’ lightning. Here’s what one scouting report said about his ability at the next level:

Strong and powerful build runner. Tight hipped inside runner. Good lower body strength and leg drive. Likes contact. A very willing blocker. Has balance and burst, although he is not fast (4.6). Will not turn the corner on the NFL. Has basically no experience as a receiver. Is smallish and tends to get lost inside.

He sounds like an interesting prospect, especially as a second day pick. You gotta love any player that’s described as a “willing blocker”. But what’s up with the regression in his statistics?

Year Attempts Yards YPC Touchdowns Fumbles
2006 245 1,233 5.0 11 0
2007 195 1,187 6.1 12 0
2008 207 1,037 5.0 15 0

He registered over 180 carries in all four seasons at Tennessee State and doesn’t have any fumbles on record (at least according to ESPN.com). Isn’t that amazing? (Ed. Note: Maybe too amazing. H/T Vince D)

What worries me is the regression from ’06 to ’07 to ’08. He missed two games last season due to injury which accounts for part of his slip in ’08. His yards per carry, however, remained consistently high and he increased his touchdown total each year despite getting less carries.

In spite of those two missed games last season, he garnered Offensive Player of the Year honors for the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Ohio Valley Conference site has some more information on a few of his accomplishments:

Javarris Williams completed his career at Tennessee State and the OVC by rushing for 4,329 yards, the fifth-highest total in league history and fourth-highest mark nationally among active players. In 2008 he ran for 1,037 yards and 15 touchdowns in 10 games (he missed the final two games of the year due to injury). That marked his third-straight season with 1,000 or more yards and his 103.7 yards/game ranked 26th nationally while his 9.60 points per game was the seventh-highest total in Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) play.

Who knows if the Chiefs are just doing their due diligence scouting a player like Williams or if this is a sign they plan to dump Johnson and draft a rookie.

One thing is for sure though when it comes to Williams – he’ll be ready to play anytime he’s asked to. In fact, he turned down offers from Big 12 schools for the opportunity to play right away for Tennessee State.

Putting football as a number one priority and playing because you love the game – where have we heard that before?

Comment by JRock in Texas — April 7, 2009 @ 4:22 am

I like LJ as a player. He is talented, but after that record year with 416 carries, he has gone down hill. Historically any back that carries the ball as much as he did in that one season has fallen off. EX Jamal Lewis. Yes, he has limited playing time early in his career, but that 1 season where he carried the load did him in. Thanks Herm. Add that, his age and his off field problems equals trade or release him because his best days are behind him. Anyone want to buy a # 27 jersey?

Comment by Chief J — April 7, 2009 @ 9:17 am

I don’t condone LJ’s actions against women, but he was suspended last year for that, and also deactivated a couple of games. If he finally gets the message though, after what… his 3rd or 4th chance, we might as well keep him. Especially since his trade value is about a 5th rounder right now anyway.

This is from John Clayton on ESPN…
Halfback Larry Johnson has lost future salary guarantees as a result of a grievance won by the Chiefs Monday, but that hasn’t stopped him from rededicating himself this offseason to remain productive. Johnson worked with a personal trainer to trim his body and he’s attending the Chiefs’ offseason program, trying to win over new coach Todd Haley and general manager Scott Pioli, and get back to being one of the league’s top running backs.

His grievance wasn’t a total loss. He was able to keep more than $500,000 of bonus money the team was trying to take away from him because of last year’s suspension. His biggest win, though, would be staying with the Chiefs and having a big season.

Comment by LJnews — April 7, 2009 @ 4:05 pm

like i said befor trade the asshole

Comment by michael diedrich — April 7, 2009 @ 5:05 pm

All i got to say, “Pioli better have a plan.” I dont give a crap what kind of morals a person has, Johnson Showed us he can play and he still has a lot of potential whoever does get him in a trade if they decide to deal him is a steal. note it

Comment by Vigil — April 7, 2009 @ 6:25 pm

I’ll trade LJ for a candy bar

Comment by Todd Haley — April 7, 2009 @ 6:40 pm

JRock
You have done a great deal of research and that is cool to see.

I still disagree with your change of pace claim. Do you think defenses do not gameplan those guys? It’s not like the guy comes in and the defense says “who is this guy?”. If that is the basis of your ypc claim, I don’t consider that applicable.

I also think it is ironic that LJ is now doing the things necessary to be successful in the league, in hopes of salvaging his career. Had he been doing these things his entire career, we probably wouldn’t be having this discussion. I believe it will backfire and cost the organization more time and money. And that $500,000 is nothing. The ruling still freed up over $3 million. That is the figure that really matters.

Vigil.
That is ridiculuous. “I don’t give a crap what kind of morals a person has”….what the hell!! The successful Chief teams of the past were made up of overachieving, good character guys. Not high profile, above the law, fighting suspension assholes.

I appreciate each of your opinions, I just think he has used up every chance and is now simply trying to salvage anything. If he can turn things around, good for him. I would rather not take the chance in our organization, especially when it looks like we are getting a get out of jail free card.

Comment by Travis — April 7, 2009 @ 7:26 pm

DIEDrich, your opinion on throwback helmut emblems is YOUR opinion…kcpops comment about the emblem is one that is just as much an opinion as yours…is this not a blog full of opinions???????????????????????? You must be the FAIDERS/DONKS fan (as you accused)….why don’t you go accuse some other LIFELONG CHIEFS FAN FROM KC FOR NOT LIKING THE THROWBACK UNIFORM EMBLEM OF BEING A DONKS OR FAIDERS FAN…..sure that would make sense….GREAT OPINION to actually say that someone is a fan of the enemy JUST BECAUSE THEY DON’T AGREE WITH A THROWBACK EMBLEM AND CALL THEM CRYBABIES???????????????????????????????????????? wow, you are a hateful erson opinionated to the point of haze….get a life, WE ARE ALL CHIEFS FANS SO GET OVER IT….nothing was said about ANYTHING IN FAVOR OF OUR ENEMIES OF THE AFC WEST

Comment by Mike — April 7, 2009 @ 10:54 pm

Travis,
Jared Allen had alcohol problems that occured more than once. He is doing fine in Minnesota. Cris Carter had alcohol problems. Buddy Ryan released him from the Eagles. He went to Minnesota (change of management) and had a hall of fame career. Brett Farve was addicted to pain killers and look how his career was for him. All Im saying is that people makes mistakes and sometimes this is what they need to open their eyes and realize that they need to straighten up or their days are numbered in this leagues.

I will still stick with my opinion about the Change Of Pace back. LT avg 3.8ypc and Sproles 5.4 ypc. Is Sproles better than LT? Michael Turner avg 4.5ypc and Jerious Norwood avg 5.1ypc? Is he better than Michael Turner? (Earth wind and Fire) Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw avg better than Brandon Jacobs. I mean the list can go on and on for both the past and present RBs. Jets, Eagles, Steelers, Cowboys RBs. Another way you could look at is that the second RBs and fresher legs but a lot of them have “Break Neck” speed. Its mainly a Thunder and lighting tandem in the NFL today. Just my opinion.

Comment by JRock in Texas — April 8, 2009 @ 2:39 am

I dont think their going to release him. They would have done it by now. He’ll either be traded draft day for exactly what we want or he’ll be a chief all season long. If he really is trying to win over Pioli and Haley he might do it. After all this is a new team with a new direction. Maybe we keep Johnson and give him the ball!

Comment by david — April 8, 2009 @ 9:37 am

I personally think they are going to use him (if possible) to get a draft pick in order to get Connor Barwin. We will then pick up another running back later in the draft. If it is possible that we could get Curry and Barwin in the same draft we would be monstrous on defense.

Comment by Rocky — April 8, 2009 @ 3:07 pm

J rock, allen still produced on the field, regardless of his alcohol problems. LJ is a slow, lazy, wuss. He hits the hole slowly, and whimpers to the ground on first contact. I wish he was as tough of the field as he is with his female acquaintances.

Comment by dbowe82 — April 9, 2009 @ 10:30 am

DBowe82,
At the time the first incident happened, he was a 1700 yd back. The past two years the O-Line was terrible. When Shield and Roaf retired, the line went down hill fast. I mean we had I-77 playing LT and Kyle Turley playing on the right. With that line up we only managed to get Trent Green, Damon Huard, and Brodie Croyle hurt. Not to mention that we had Solari as offensive CO, Herm as HC. Teams knew we weren’t passing the ball because of Herm’s philosophy so they put 8 sometimes 9 in the box to stop LJ. Do I agree with what he did off the field? No! But when he had an O-Line was he productive? Yes! I noticed that you only compared him to Jared Allen. Its hard to compare the production of an offensive player against a defensive player. Unless you are Barry Sanders, you need an O-Line to open holes for you. Especially for DOWN HILL RUNNERS. I said it once and I say it again. LJ complained about NOT getting the ball and being phased out of the offense. He wanted to be productive. Name me a RB in the NFL who could have been productive behind this o-line the past two years. Take a look at our stats from 2007. You will see that it wasn’t the RB, it was the O-Line. I’m pretty sure no one was complaining about how slow LJ was when he ran for over 1750 yards two seasons in a row when we had that GREAT O-Line.

Comment by JRock in Texas — April 9, 2009 @ 1:35 pm

If it’s all the offensive line, then why did jamaal charles average almost a whole yard more per carry than your boy L J? The change of pace thing makes no sense either, since the defense can see who’s in the formation and i’m sure they’re well aware of the rb rotation. If your argument is true about “change of pace backs” having a much easier time gaining yards, why did the chargers just pay sproles more than lt? Wouldn’t you think an NFL team would be onto your way of thinking if it were true?

Comment by dbowe82 — April 9, 2009 @ 2:15 pm

And I only used the allen comparison because you brought it up for some reason. Along with brett favre and chris carter, who also both seemed to have pretty good careers last time i checked.

Comment by dbowe82 — April 9, 2009 @ 2:16 pm

DBowe82,
Do you think J Charles could have carried the load the whole year and still avg 5.3ypc? I dont think so. Thats the point I am getting at. Only three backs avg more than 5 ypc in the league and had more than 150 carries. LJ 4.5ypc was 10th in the league in YPC. Michael Turner avg 4.5ypc. Is J. Charles better than him? Is Jamal Charles better than Adrian Peterson? He avg 4.8ypc.

And yes. The O-Line has everything to do with your rushing yards. San Diego had three different Pro Bowl lineman the past two years. Chiefs had one. If you dont think O-Line makes a different, then think about Derrick Blaylock. He had a great year with the Chiefs running behind the same O-Line that Priest Holmes and LJ ran behind, got a big contract with the J-E-T-S and I havent heard anything from him since. Not to mention that during the time we had the great O-Line, LJ had better numbers than Priest Holmes. LJ carried the ball 193 times last year and J. Charles carried it 67. 67 carries is not nearly enough carries to judge how a player can perform for a whole season. Not to mention that while carrying the ball 67 times, he got hurt. Just imagine if he carried the load the whole year. Another funny thing is the four games LJ was suspended, we started 3 different RB and out of those three, two of them got hurt and the other one was a none factor.

Sproles is not getting paid more than LT. He got the franchise tag. Thats usually what teams do to keep from losing a player.

Here is a link so you can take a look at each team 1-2 punch…..Just click on stats by each team. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/teams

Comment by JRock in Texas — April 9, 2009 @ 7:25 pm

Who cares; LJ isn’t. Herpe Edwards broke our horse,F that guy. When LJ was good it was 90% Willie Roaf and Company!

SORRY JUST DRUNK AND PIST ABOUT LAST YEAR N STUFF!

Comment by RAIDERslayer — April 9, 2009 @ 9:43 pm

And getting a good blocking FB wouldnt hurt either.

Comment by JRock in Texas — April 10, 2009 @ 5:12 am

When LJ was holding out for his contract a few years ago Denver really wanted him. Does any one know or heard if they still are. I sure would not want him going to another team in our devision. I think where ever he goes, if he has a great line he will put up great numbers again. Everyone remembers what happen when Chiefs let Rich Gannon go. I am no big fan of Larry Johnson, but if he was able to change and have a few big years maybe we could finally get to a SUPER BOWL!

Comment by Trobinette — April 10, 2009 @ 12:13 pm

OH YES one more thing the future of the Chiefs will depend on how good of a front o line we have.If Cassel or Thigpin are to be successful and remain healthy good OL is a must. The will help also our running game. If our offense is good than it will help our defense stay off the field and remain fresh. At the end of a game you don’t want your defense wore out because our offense keep going 3 and out.
Think we do need to Pick up Curry in draft and also WR Macklin. I can not see Macklin being around when we have our 2nd pick in the third round. Macklin would be a hell of a punt/kickoff returner. He may be faster than Dante Hall.

Comment by Trobinette — April 10, 2009 @ 12:26 pm

I am getting sick of hearing get rid of im, can him, release him. I makes no difference what happens the Kansas City Chiefs will do what is best for the franchise. If you are saying these things at least post a reason why. Not because he is a idiot. Give valid reasons why we need to let him go. Look at tsome of the great posts here and that should give you all an idea.

Now with me I believe if they release Johnson it will be for draft picks. Hopefully a second rounder. Why? Because then we traded Johnson then for Cassel and Vrabel. THAT IS A GREAT TRADE. If not I beliueve he will try to show his potential to increase his trade for 2010. IF we decide to keep him, at least support the decision. See what happens this year. Like LArry stated he wants to prove to HAley that he is worth keeping.

For tony he deserves to go to a winning team and a possible superbowl. If he goes he goes. I won’t cry over him leaving. Think of him not of yourselfs. Will the Chiefs win a Superbowl in 2009-Realistically NO, but they still have a fair chance to win one next year like all the other 31 teams.

Look at the Tony decision as if it was you. If you had more potential and only and a sub potential position. Then you found out that you will remain in that position and not be able to move up would you stay? NO I know you won’t so lie about how you all would stay. If I was making 70k and I can make 100k, for the same job but with more potential, SEE YA. Don’t lie people you would all do the same.

What I would do then:

Larry Johnson – Can’t get a 2nd he stays till next year
See about trading Tony if HE wants to be traded and seeing what can be gotten for him. My guess a first round, high 28+ draft pick. Most likely to a Patriots team who needs a proven TE to get that recieving corp into the OMG depth.

So I say why have a 3rd rounder when we can trade that for 2 first rounders without paying the 1-10 draft fees. Hence Denver is an option here too. So for a 3rd over all and add Tony and Larry, 4 more draft picks like this scenerio

2 1st rounders from Denver for the 3rd – 12th and a 18th

23rd, 34th, or even a 58th possibly from the Patriots for Tony G.(Just one pick people just one)

50th from Cleveland since they need a running back for Jamal Lewis, who might retire.

Comment by Kcchiefs19692003 — April 11, 2009 @ 10:09 am

Kcchiefs19692003

I always appreciate your comments as they are always well thought out.

I agree with your assessment of the LJ situation for the most part, but disagree with your thoughts on TG.

Obviously, management will try to do what is best for the future of the team regardless of we, as fans, think they should do. Pioli has obviously sent a message to the franchise by pushing forward with the grievance against LJ. It gives us more options regarding how to handle him now and in the future, as well as possibly increasing his value by limiting the initial cost in salary of taking him on. I would like to see a draft pick above a 4th rounder for him, but believe his absence in the locker room may be just as beneficial as his presence on the field may be.

The TG situation should be similar based on your observation in your post. The team should do what is best for the team. I realize that Tony’s trade value will remain high for the next couple years, especially as he has continued to produce. However, I fail to see the benefit to the franchise in trading him. He is simply the best weapon we have on the offense. It is not likely we could find a worthy replacement, even if we received several picks for him. I totally agree that he deserves the opportunity to play for a championship. He is, without a doubt, one of the stand up guys in the league. And if I were him, honestly, I would be excited about the new management, staff, and system that is likely to be installed. The success for the franchise has already begun. What he, or I, would be conscious of right now is the fact that this franchise is due a streak of winning. How painful would it be to leave, and watch your old team be competitive, or worse, win the Super Bowl. As far as money goes, I am fairly confident that the Chiefs would come close to any offer that was out there for him. Not to mention the fact that the league is substantially different over the last couple of seasons. There are a couple frontrunners, and a lot of second tier teams, but I don’t see any that are guaranteed winners for him to go to. Simply put, his best bet is to stay.

The trade analysis is an interesting scenario, none the less.

Comment by Travis — April 12, 2009 @ 10:59 pm