Please stop dreaming about trading LJ!

**jmlamerson** · 01-06-2009, 05:03 PM

Look, I understand that we don't want to cut LJ and take the cap hit. I understand we don't want to keep him and his behavior problems on the team. I understand we all think/know he can be a 1500/year back still in this league, and don't want to trade him for peanuts.

But everyone needs to realize that: We aren't getting high draft picks or starting players for LJ.

No team is going to trade a decent pick for a 30-year-old guy with his injury history, suspension threat, his 416 carry season, behavior problems, and big salary. He's a good one-dimensional back that can't block or catch well and who fumbled five times in 2008. Not to mention that RBs past 30 don't last for long historically.

Many teams might be interested in him as a FA, but GMs are become cheaper and cheaper at RB as everyone figures out the OL is becoming more and more important than individual RB talent. Playoff teams like the Colts (Rhodes), Giants (Ward and Bradshaw), Pittsburgh (Moore), and Cards (Hightower) have been able to plug in low round picks or cheap FAs as starters this year specifically for that reason. Big money contracts are not given to 30+ RBs anymore, especially one-dimenional ones.

Our best case is probably a 5th rounder for him. And that's only if we get very lucky with a very dumb GM.

**wildcat** · 01-08-2009, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by jmlamerson

Emmitt Smith was brought in to sell tickets to the (many) Cowboys fans in AZ and to fill the stadium, not to be a RB.

Isn't that ultimately the reason any FA is signed (to sell tickets)?

**jmlamerson** · 01-08-2009, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by wildcat

Isn't that ultimately the reason any FA is signed (to sell tickets)?

No one in AZ though Emmitt Smith was a solution to their RB problem, and they didn't pay him much ($2M a year if memory serves). AZ was willing to sacrifice its running game and wins to sell tickets.

Whereas Edge was brought in to solve their RB problem. If he were traded for (and he won't be), LJ would be brought in to be their running game.

**wildcat** · 01-08-2009, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by jmlamerson

No one in AZ though Emmitt Smith was a solution to their RB problem, and they didn't pay him much ($2M a year if memory serves). AZ was willing to sacrifice its running game and wins to sell tickets.

Whereas Edge was brought in to solve their RB problem. If he were traded for (and he won't be), LJ would be brought in to be their running game.

$8M over 2 years...

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2003/...als030326.html

**jmlamerson** · 01-08-2009, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by wildcat

$8M over 2 years...

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2003/...als030326.html

Thanks. $4M/year. Anyway, he wasn't ever intended to be a force for them at RB, the way Edge was.

**KristofLaw** · 01-09-2009, 09:13 AM

I honestly hope everything can be resolved with this LJ situation. I cannot understand how we went from the situation of having LJ and Priest in the backfield to our current situation. LJ has the talent and with a highly geared line in front of him, we back up a couple years. He's in the waning years of his prime, he still has time to win over all the Chiefs fans and possibly even attain legendary status. Do not give up on your Chiefs, even if the LJ situation doesn't turn around, whatever the situation, Larry Johnson , YOU are a CHIEF! The Chiefs RULE!!! Peace.

**wildcat** · 01-09-2009, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by KristofLaw

I honestly hope everything can be resolved with this LJ situation. I cannot understand how we went from the situation of having LJ and Priest in the backfield to our current situation. LJ has the talent and with a highly geared line in front of him, we back up a couple years. He's in the waning years of his prime, he still has time to win over all the Chiefs fans and possibly even attain legendary status. Do not give up on your Chiefs, even if the LJ situation doesn't turn around, whatever the situation, Larry Johnson , YOU are a CHIEF! The Chiefs RULE!!! Peace.

For me, it's not that we have given up on LJ or that we don't think he can do it any more. His character is why I question whether or not I want him to be a Chief. I would love to see him turn things around and get his life on tack, but at the same time I don't want to see him further damage the reputation of the Chiefs organization.

In comparison with most other organizations, the Chiefs have done a good job of bringing in players and coaches with high quality character. That is one thing that Peterson did right (with a few exceptions of course).

**KristofLaw** · 01-09-2009, 09:55 AM

I couldn't agree more. Once you strap on that helmet, you're a Chief for life and you have to have respect for the image of the team, the community and yourself. LJ hasn't been the perfect embodiment of a Chief, yet he hasn't been as foul as others, in other organizations. I remember the work he has done in the community when he entered the league, and hope he can go back to those days both off the field as well as on the field. Maybe somebody needs to do the Jerry Maguire thing and talk about heart. "No heart, I'M ALL HEART MUTHAF'ER!!!!!!"

**greg3564** · 01-09-2009, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by KristofLaw

I couldn't agree more. Once you strap on that helmet, you're a Chief for life and you have to have respect for the image of the team, the community and yourself. LJ hasn't been the perfect embodiment of a Chief, yet he hasn't been as foul as others, in other organizations. I remember the work he has done in the community when he entered the league, and hope he can go back to those days both off the field as well as on the field. Maybe somebody needs to do the Jerry Maguire thing and talk about heart. "No heart, I'M ALL HEART MUTHAF'ER!!!!!!"

Yeah, slapping around women and flashing guns is really nothing in the grand scheme of things.

All the LJ fans need to accept the fact that his best days in KC are over. Thank God! He's been nothing but a whiny b!tch the entire time he's been here. His teammates don't like him, and a lot of fans don't like him. Vermeil was right when he called LJ out about him being a big baby. The writing was on the wall.