Carl's Roster Roulette

Hammock Parties · 10-08-2007, 09:01 PM

http://chiefs.scout.com/2/688475.html

Two years ago, Kansas City’s offensive line was King Kong. They terrorized NFL defenses with their power, agility and textbook-perfect blocking. Larry Johnson rushed for over 1,200 yards in nine starts. Trent Green threw the ball all over the yard despite a spare-parts wide receiver corps.

The Chiefs finished either first or second in total yards for four consecutive years, powered by the best line in the NFL.

King Kong is dead.

In place of The Beast is a group of over-30 starters who struggle to open holes in the running game. There are multiple reasons why what used to be the NFL's best unit has become a problem. The most obvious cause is losing left tackle Willie Roaf and right guard Will Shields to retirement, while middle-round offensive linemen drafted during the Dick Vermeil era failed to develop.

But there is another reason which few have recognized. Salary cap pressure forced general manager Carl Peterson to get cute with his roster in 2004. Peterson's roster games caused the Chiefs to lose John Tait and Ryan Lilja, who could have been solid replacements for Roaf and Shields.

Tait, Kansas City's first-round draft choice in 1999, was the team's starting right tackle and a free agent that year. Instead of locking him up with the franchise tag, Peterson placed the cheaper transition tag on Tait, which only gave the Chiefs the right to match contract offers from other teams. The Chicago Bears stole Tait with a $15 million roster bonus designed to bust Kansas City's salary cap.

Lilja was an un-drafted free agent in 2004 who had grown up in the Kansas City area. He was a talented player who had been behind the eight ball his entire college career, losing scholarship offers after being suspended from his high school team for a drinking incident. Lilja recovered from his problems well enough to be a three-year starter at Kansas State, and earn an invite to training camp.

Kansas City’s coaching staff liked Lilja, but had no need for a starting guard when they already had two Pro-Bowlers in Will Shields and Brian Waters. Peterson decided to waive the un-drafted Lilja and sneak him onto the practice squad. The Indianapolis Colts immediately claimed the young guard, who seized a starting job by the end of his rookie season.

These errors were not readily apparent in 2004. That season, the Chiefs led the NFL in total offense. They set an NFL record for rushing touchdowns in a single game (eight vs. the Atlanta Falcons). Trent Green threw for 4,500 yards. The offensive line was so good, even casual fans noticed the breath-taking precision of their blocks. Though the team finished with a disappointing 7-9 record, the offensive line wasn't part of the problem.

By 2007, however, these oversights have become glaring mistakes. Ryan Lilja is now a road grader for the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts. Not only would Lilja have been a solid replacement for Shields, he would have injected much-needed youth into the Kansas City line. Had the Chiefs kept Tait, Roaf's sudden retirement before the 2006 season would have prevented the team from depending on “I-65” Jordan Black. Instead, Roaf's departure grounded Kansas City's high-flying offense.

To be fair to Carl Peterson, the Chiefs had a tight cap situation in 2004. Defensive end Eric Hicks and safety Jerome Woods, whom the coaching staff viewed as two of the better players on a pitiful defense, were free agents. Priest Holmes spent the offseason screaming for money after wildly out-performing the free-agent contract he signed in 2001. Balancing salary demands on a team with eight Pro Bowlers isn't easy.

With Priest Holmes coming off the PUP (physically unable to perform) list after Week 6, Peterson is certain to play roster roulette once again. Does he bring back Holmes? Does he waive rookie running back Kolby Smith? These are the kind of decisions that NFL general managers face every day. Chiefs fans can only hope that, this time, Peterson puts his money on the right number.

**banyon** · 10-08-2007, 09:07 PM

why should anyone believe any of this s***?

Hammock Parties · 10-08-2007, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banyon

why should anyone believe any of this s***?

John Tait was signed by the Chicago Bears. Yep, we made that one up.

SLAG · 10-08-2007, 09:08 PM

what a waste of my time

Coach · 10-08-2007, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOATSE

John Tait was signed by the Chicago Bears. Yep, we made that one up.

However, King Carl deserves the blame for the O-line issues, becuase of giving Eric Hicks, Jerome Woods, and Greg Wesley those big contracts, and ignored the NFL Draft for a day 1 offensive lineman.

**banyon** · 10-08-2007, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOATSE

John Tait was signed by the Chicago Bears. Yep, we made that one up.

Again you mistake accuracy for credibility. No surprise there.

Hammock Parties · 10-08-2007, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banyon

Again you mistake accuracy for credibility. No surprise there.

Well, you've got me I guess. What is not credible about this article? Unless you can prove something in here is not credible, you're just talking out your ass.

**banyon** · 10-08-2007, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOATSE

Well, you've got me I guess. What is not credible about this article? Unless you can prove something in here is not credible, you're just talking out your ass.

A person with no credibility posted it. I'd have a field day with you as a witness.

SLAG · 10-08-2007, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOATSE

Well, you've got me I guess. What is not credible about this article? Unless you can prove something in here is not credible, you're just talking out your ass.

Credible?

This is a fluff piece... seriously... no news.. no predictions... just saying "UHhh...Carl Peterson made a bad decision...he has another decision to make ...uhhh...... it might be the wrong one"

Garbage

Coach · 10-08-2007, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLAG

Credible?

This is a fluff piece... seriously... no news.. no predictions... just saying "UHhh...Carl Peterson made a bad decision...he has another decision to make ...uhhh...... it might be the wrong one"

Garbage

Quote:

Many people come here for their Chiefs news, so we don't tolerate false news stories, even if done as a joke. Misleading thread titles can fall into this category.

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/faq.p...e_thread_title

Hammock Parties · 10-08-2007, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banyon

A person with no credibility posted it. I'd have a field day with you as a witness.

So, if I post something from the Star, does that mean a Whitlock article has no credibility? Come on.

Coach · 10-08-2007, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOATSE

So, if I post something from the Star, does that mean a Whitlock article has no credibility? Come on.

Whitlock works for a major newspaper. KC Star is a different level than WPI is.

Simplex3 · 10-08-2007, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOATSE

So, if I post something from the Star, does that mean a Whitlock article has no credibility? Come on.

No, but I'm probably going to check the original link.

**Donger** · 10-08-2007, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banyon

A person with no credibility posted it. I'd have a field day with you as a witness.

You do realize that you and the others are giving GoChiefs EXACTLY what he wants, no?

If you do realize that and are just bored, okay.

But if not, this attention is not punishing him. Quite the opposite.

Hammock Parties · 10-08-2007, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach

Whitlock works for a major newspaper. KC Star is a different level than WPI is.

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

10-08-2007, 09:01 PM
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4640478	Carl's Roster Roulette http://chiefs.scout.com/2/688475.html Two years ago, Kansas City’s offensive line was King Kong. They terrorized NFL defenses with their power, agility and textbook-perfect blocking. Larry Johnson rushed for over 1,200 yards in nine starts. Trent Green threw the ball all over the yard despite a spare-parts wide receiver corps. The Chiefs finished either first or second in total yards for four consecutive years, powered by the best line in the NFL. King Kong is dead. In place of The Beast is a group of over-30 starters who struggle to open holes in the running game. There are multiple reasons why what used to be the NFL's best unit has become a problem. The most obvious cause is losing left tackle Willie Roaf and right guard Will Shields to retirement, while middle-round offensive linemen drafted during the Dick Vermeil era failed to develop. But there is another reason which few have recognized. Salary cap pressure forced general manager Carl Peterson to get cute with his roster in 2004. Peterson's roster games caused the Chiefs to lose John Tait and Ryan Lilja, who could have been solid replacements for Roaf and Shields. Tait, Kansas City's first-round draft choice in 1999, was the team's starting right tackle and a free agent that year. Instead of locking him up with the franchise tag, Peterson placed the cheaper transition tag on Tait, which only gave the Chiefs the right to match contract offers from other teams. The Chicago Bears stole Tait with a $15 million roster bonus designed to bust Kansas City's salary cap. Lilja was an un-drafted free agent in 2004 who had grown up in the Kansas City area. He was a talented player who had been behind the eight ball his entire college career, losing scholarship offers after being suspended from his high school team for a drinking incident. Lilja recovered from his problems well enough to be a three-year starter at Kansas State, and earn an invite to training camp. Kansas City’s coaching staff liked Lilja, but had no need for a starting guard when they already had two Pro-Bowlers in Will Shields and Brian Waters. Peterson decided to waive the un-drafted Lilja and sneak him onto the practice squad. The Indianapolis Colts immediately claimed the young guard, who seized a starting job by the end of his rookie season. These errors were not readily apparent in 2004. That season, the Chiefs led the NFL in total offense. They set an NFL record for rushing touchdowns in a single game (eight vs. the Atlanta Falcons). Trent Green threw for 4,500 yards. The offensive line was so good, even casual fans noticed the breath-taking precision of their blocks. Though the team finished with a disappointing 7-9 record, the offensive line wasn't part of the problem. By 2007, however, these oversights have become glaring mistakes. Ryan Lilja is now a road grader for the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts. Not only would Lilja have been a solid replacement for Shields, he would have injected much-needed youth into the Kansas City line. Had the Chiefs kept Tait, Roaf's sudden retirement before the 2006 season would have prevented the team from depending on “I-65” Jordan Black. Instead, Roaf's departure grounded Kansas City's high-flying offense. To be fair to Carl Peterson, the Chiefs had a tight cap situation in 2004. Defensive end Eric Hicks and safety Jerome Woods, whom the coaching staff viewed as two of the better players on a pitiful defense, were free agents. Priest Holmes spent the offseason screaming for money after wildly out-performing the free-agent contract he signed in 2001. Balancing salary demands on a team with eight Pro Bowlers isn't easy. With Priest Holmes coming off the PUP (physically unable to perform) list after Week 6, Peterson is certain to play roster roulette once again. Does he bring back Holmes? Does he waive rookie running back Kolby Smith? These are the kind of decisions that NFL general managers face every day. Chiefs fans can only hope that, this time, Peterson puts his money on the right number.
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10-08-2007, 09:07 PM	#2
banyon Supporter Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hermosa, SD Casino cash: $10176551	why should anyone believe any of this s***? __________________ “When war breaks out people say: 'It won't last, it's too stupid.' And war is certainly too stupid, but that doesn't prevent It from lasting.” ~Albert Camus, The Plague.
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10-08-2007, 09:08 PM	#4
SLAG Superbowl MVP Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: OOOOOOOOOOOOOLATHE Casino cash: $9910252	what a waste of my time __________________ Ad astra per aspera
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