Priest in Camp?

Read a report today that says Priest Holmes has been cleared to play and is more than likely going to report to camp with the Chiefs this week.

If he is anything like he was before he got hurt Larry Johnson may want to narrow the gap on that guranteed money and get his ass in camp before Preist takes his job back.

I've never been a fan of Larry Johnson because of that crappy ass attitude that he has had since he came in to the league. He has always given off this sense of entitlement, like he was owed. Crying about playing time and all that crap. You know you have to be pretty bad when a guy like Dick Vermeil, who loves everyone, publicly tells you to keep your mouth shut.

I think he's a great back, but he's back at the entitlement game again. Everybody has a right to go after his money while he can get it, which is why I can't hate Lance Briggs too much for his stance with the Bears, but Briggs isn't acting like he is owed the money, Johnson is. I read today that Johnson and the Chiefs are somewhere between 14-17 million apart on guranteed money. And something tells me the Chiefs aren't exactly low balling him either.

Hopefully Priest Holmes coming back will scare Johnson a bit into coming to his senses and getting into camp so he doesn't risk becoming the highest paid back up running back in the NFL.

Some columnist for the KC star, think it was Jason Whitlock, had a theory. Don't remember the details and can't find the article... but he listed his sources and reasoning, it was convincing to me. He says KC's plan for LJ is to run him as hard as they did last year until his breaks, then dump him. They liked the skill, but disliked the man... so they wanted to wring him dry and toss him out in the next year or two. Whitlock was very much on LJ's side.

If this is true does it justify LJ's recent actions? Does it make the Chief's management look like major cock-faces? Is this plan just a reaction to LJ's initial cock-facedness? Tune in for more...

Even if he's an assface, he doesn't really deserve to be treated like that.

Jason Whitlock does have a tendency to be pretty smart in his theories, even though virtually every theory he has is somehow racially motivated.

I could see KC trying to do that. And if that is what they're trying to do, they need to just pay LJ what he's asking because the man will be rendered unable to stand upright ever again, and he'll need the money.

Truthfully, what LJ should have done was ask for a trade. With a crumbling offensive line, coupled with a no-name QB, he's going to get worked like a government mule yet again. It may be even worse this season. That's ridiculous. He should have spend the offseason working on getting the hell out of there.

LJ can stand up and say he wants less carries, I don't think he would have to go along with the plan to carry it 400+ times a year. I understand where he's coming from kind of, but it again boils down to, its a privilege not a right. And if Priest comes back with anything in the tank, then LJ should be happy that he can split carries until the end of his contract and then leave.

If that's what the Cheifs are planning to do then boo to the Cheifs.

I'm just beefing on this irritating sense of entitlement LJ has had since he entered the league. It started when he was considered the best back in college football but didn't get drafted until #27 by a football team that had an all-world back at the time. I just get pissed off when I see guys like this who were talented enough to play in the league treat it like something that they were owed, like the world would be a lesser place without his talent in the league. That's the vibe I get from him.

But I agree with Isa, LJ should be looking for a way out of KC. With an offensive line that is a shell of its former self and Tony Gonzalez as the only other option on offense, they are going to try and work him to death. Playing out the last year on his contract and moving on to another team would probably be best for him.

The Giants, Packers, Raiders, Titans, Texans and Browns could all use an upgrade at running back, so he wouldn't have a hard time finding a new home.

I'm sure any one of those teams would be more than happy to have him, Whit. Probably not for $30 million, because that's insane, but happy nonetheless. And each of those teams have at least a pretense of offense, so he won't see nearly as many carries.

I have always thought that LJ put off a bit of an asshole vibe. It always sort of reminded me of Charles Barkley, except not nearly as entertaining as Barkley can be at times.

LJ and the Chiefs are just a relationship that has gone quite sour. He waited to long to try to leave, so now he just needs to finish out the season, finalize the divorce, and move on to another team, if he's not all used up.

I would love to say that hopefully, he'll have learned something from this experience, but I can't. I'm sure he'll keep on the way he is now. He just needs a swift kick in the ass.

After thinking about it though, the Chiefs will franchise tag him in a second at the end of his contract. They aren't letting him out of town without some sort of compensation.

Heh, it sounds like there are no good guys in this story.
What a great time to be a Broncos fan living in KC territory.
Point and laugh at everyone I see.

Speaking of Jason Whitlock... (Fear not, WhoDey. Race isn't brought up :))
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/columnists/jason_whitlock/story/205412.html
Yes sir... point and laugh.

How much does Priest actually have left? I mean he had some good years but After missing a year, how much could he actually produce?

Huh. Look at that; all Whitlock, no race relations. He's got a point though. Until we actually see Priest Holmes play some football, all we can do is assume that this is some kind of crappy negotiation tactic, aimed at making LJ behave himself and do as he's told.

Nope, not a good guy in the bunch. Everyone in the situation kind of sucks. It's hard to know who to root for.

And Coop, I think if the Chiefs slap the tag on LJ at the end of his contract, he's going to go positively ballistic. I don't think they're going to want that. It'll be T.O. in SF and Philly all over again. Yikes.

whodeygal wrote:

Huh. Look at that; all Whitlock, no race relations. He's got a point though. Until we actually see Priest Holmes play some football, all we can do is assume that this is some kind of crappy negotiation tactic, aimed at making LJ behave himself and do as he's told.

Nope, not a good guy in the bunch. Everyone in the situation kind of sucks. It's hard to know who to root for.

And Coop, I think if the Chiefs slap the tag on LJ at the end of his contract, he's going to go positively ballistic. I don't think they're going to want that. It'll be T.O. in SF and Philly all over again. Yikes.

I agree with Whitlock that this Holmes thing is a flat out negotiation tactic...nothing more. Holmes has been out of football with a serious neck injury.......a neck injury people. If he is even healthy enough to play NFL football, he won't be anywhere near the level of production from his stellar years and how long will it be before he busts his neck again?

This all sounds typical of a Chiefs organization that I like less and less regarding the way their front office operates. It annoyed me the way the Trent Green thing played out, dragging on for so long just to get a slightly higher draft pick. Once Green had been shipped off to Miami, this team should have realise they have no offense without their workhorse back in LJ. But typically Carl Peterson still wants to play hardball in every possible situation to the detriment of team chemistry and harmony......I'd really wish Herm was a little more outspoken on things like this and we got to hear what the team thought of the front office tactics.

I'm not surprised at all to hear that this team could possibily be content to wring every last carry out of LJ and toss him aside.....without giving him the payday which he had rightly earned being a top 2/3 RB in the NFL for the past 2 seasons.

I can see your point Larry about players believing they are owed something because I despise that sort of attitude too......Asante Samuel is a perfect case in point, blew it up for 10 INT's last year but had only 6 in the 3 previous seasons. He needs to show some consistency before deserving the payday. But Larry Johnson patiently (not without opening his mouth of course) rode the pine for 2 seasons before getting his chance in 2005 and has busted his ass in those two years, logging 750 carries and 70 catches in essentially 1 and a half seasons as a full time starter. That's a heavy workload and if this franchise thinks it's their right to keep grinding away with him, a player that presents their only chance of being a playoff contender btw, then he deserves to be paid for it.

An NFL RB's has a very limited lifespan, LJ has one shot at a payday.....and it needs to be prior to the 2007 season. The Chiefs know that, LJ knows that, the KC fans know that. Despite LJ's outbursts and negative vibes from the past.....I can't see how he is not deserving of his payday, would it make it easier to pay the guy if he was meek and mild and never opened his mouth? Personally if he was like that, I still think the Chiefs would be content to chew him up and spit him out and move on to the next RB without paying someone who is a premier RB in this league.

Here is something on this situation from a NFL/Fantasy Football blog I read religiously:

http://blog.footballguys.com/2007/07/30/looking-at-things-from-larry-johnsons-perspective/



Regardless of how you personally feel about players breaking contracts…

Let’s look at this from Larry’s perspective:

* He has outplayed his rookie deal by a wide margin
* He is considered the 2nd best RB in the game behind only LaDainian Tomlinson
* KC is offering way below market value going forward on any restructure
* Carl Peterson has done this countless times with his best players (Holmes, Gonzalez come to mind) and these deals usually got done because the players wanted to stay. I don’t think Johnson wants to stay.
* He will get his money from someone eventually if he doesn’t sign a deal with KC and shows up week 10 to put his year in
* KC could franchise him next year, but that is likely a bluff. Owners don’t like to franchise players they don’t want around. KC could do it, but this would likely just buy time while they openly shop LJ to get picks and players.
* Any new 4-5 year contract will likely be Larry’s last as he is 27 years old now.
* Any fines/lost money this year will more than be made up with a new deal next year (See Deion Branch situation)
* Salaries are skyrocketing as the league gains popularity
* Carl Peterson is saying LJ isn’t worth LaDainian Tomlinson money despite LT’s contract happening two years ago. New contracts are always worth more. So if LJ gets LT money, that actually is less.
* KC will likely be a subpar team over his next contract

So Larry has one big payday coming. Why would anyone in Johnson’s shoes take any lowball offer KC is offering? They want LJ, but they want him for 50 cents on the dollar. I am beginning to think we will see LJ for only 6 games this year (He will show up week 10 to fulfill the contract) and then he will be traded to a team that will pay him what he believes he is worth. Fantasy owners should be very wary of choosing him with an early first round pick at this time.

Excellent points. I was already more inclined to side with him anyway. Jerk or no, he is one of the best in the league, and KC wants to use him up and discard him at bargain basement prices. That's shady, and crappy, and it looks like that's catching up with them in the downturn their team has made. Like I said before, just pay the man what he's worth, or let him go somewhere where he can get what he's worth. Ye gods.

Nice. Jason Whitlock, eat your heart out.