DeepSouth
07-25-2005, 06:46 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/12214700.htm
Chiefs part of trend of slow signings this season
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
The Derrick Johnson negotiations are going swimmingly. Really. Just the other day, Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson called Johnson a second-stringer, and somewhere, Johnson’s agent let out a giant chuckle.
And then there was the line that GMs throw out a few days before training camp, the one about how the team plane will leave with or without their first-round draft pick. Peterson used a similar one, and said he feels no pressure that the Chiefs start camp Thursday and that only two of their nine drafted rookies are signed.
“They all have had offers for some time, and they’re responding to those offers,” Peterson said.
“There are no No. 1s signed yet. It’s their loss. It’s not ours. See, what people forget is that we played last year without any of these draft picks and we have already acquired some veteran players this year through restricted and unrestricted free-agency. The only person who loses here is, unfortunately, the draftee if he elects not to go to camp on time.”
Peterson is positioning, Johnson is waiting, and it is business as usual in Kansas City. Here’s what is unusual: As of Sunday night, none of the 32 first-round draft picks had signed a contract. Part of the holdup is tied to the collective-bargaining agreement, which expires after the 2006 season. Because the agreement hasn’t been extended, teams can prorate signing bonuses only over five years.
But Johnson’s agent, Vann McElroy, said that snag hasn’t been much of an issue in his negotiations. McElroy said he’s crafted a fair deal for Johnson, the Chiefs’ most-hyped rookie since Tony Gonzalez, and simply wants to protect his client.
Johnson, the Butkus Award-winning linebacker from Texas, was a surprise pick for the Chiefs, who didn’t guess he would last until the 15th selection. He lived up to his billing in offseason workouts, and at least one coach said Johnson was further along than the club expected.
Although the Chiefs have a long and colorful history of holdouts — six of their last nine first-rounders missed at least part of training camp — Peterson said he won’t cave in to public opinion and rush into a deal he doesn’t think is right.
“Derrick Johnson right now is running second team on this football team,” Peterson said. “I don’t let the media nor the public try to influence what our plans are and what we feel we have to do. Because that’s not my job. My job is to run the Kansas City Chiefs.”
McElroy, who answered his phone on the first ring late Sunday, said he isn’t sweating it. The rhetoric is typical for late-July negotiations. So are the back-and-forth faxes. The Chiefs sent an initial proposal, and McElroy fired another one back last week.
He declined to say how far apart the parties were.
“I think it’s typical that there is a bit of positioning,” McElroy said. “But I think that everybody realizes that the guy’s a great player. And I think at the end of the day, both sides will treat it as such.
“I’m hopeful this thing will be done on time and we’ll get him in.”
Peterson said the Chiefs were close to finishing up a couple of contracts. When asked whether that included Johnson, he said, “No, but we’ve had communication with Derrick’s guy. That’s always good. Nobody wants to be first.”
Late Sunday, Kansas City-based agent Tom Condon was headed to San Francisco for some hard-core, and hopefully final, negotiations for No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith. Once the No. 1 pick is signed, the next four selections generally follow in the hopes that the top pick scored big money.
Last year, Condon was holed away at Giants headquarters until 4 a.m., securing Eli Manning’s $20 million signing bonus. Apparently, Condon thinks he can top that — even with the five-year proration.
“Eli was the first pick, the salary cap was $80 million, and he got $20 million guaranteed,” Condon said. “And I think he was an excellent value. The salary cap has gone up by over $5 million, it’s a year later, Alex is the first pick, and they play the same position.”
Johnson isn’t shooting for the Alex Smith package. In the days after he was drafted in April, Johnson said he understood the significance of training camp and wanted to be in River Falls on time. The plane leaves Wednesday.
With or without the rookies.
“I’m hopeful it doesn’t happen,” Peterson said of a possible holdout. “He indicated to me that it would not happen, he would not allow it to happen. But right now, there are no No. 1s signed.
“It’s up to each first-round draft choice to make his decision whether he thinks it’s important to be in camp on time or not. Hopefully it is their decision and not the agents’ decision because it’s their career, not the agents’ career.”
On the dotted line
The Chiefs’ high draft picks in the Carl Peterson era and when they signed.
1989 LB Derrick Thomas Aug. 24*
1990 LB Percy Snow Aug. 20*
1991 RB Harvey Williams Aug. 7*
1992 CB Dale Carter June 1
1993 No first- or second-round pick
1994 RB Greg Hill Aug. 1*
1995 T Trezelle Jenkins April 25
1996 S Jerome Woods Aug. 12*
1997 TE Tony Gonzalez July 29*
1998 T Victor Riley July 2
1999 T John Tait Sept. 9*
2000 WR Sylvester Morris Aug. 9*
2001 No first- or second-round pick
2002 DT Ryan Sims Aug. 28*
2003 RB Larry Johnson July 17
2004 DT Junior Siavii July 21
Chiefs part of trend of slow signings this season
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
The Derrick Johnson negotiations are going swimmingly. Really. Just the other day, Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson called Johnson a second-stringer, and somewhere, Johnson’s agent let out a giant chuckle.
And then there was the line that GMs throw out a few days before training camp, the one about how the team plane will leave with or without their first-round draft pick. Peterson used a similar one, and said he feels no pressure that the Chiefs start camp Thursday and that only two of their nine drafted rookies are signed.
“They all have had offers for some time, and they’re responding to those offers,” Peterson said.
“There are no No. 1s signed yet. It’s their loss. It’s not ours. See, what people forget is that we played last year without any of these draft picks and we have already acquired some veteran players this year through restricted and unrestricted free-agency. The only person who loses here is, unfortunately, the draftee if he elects not to go to camp on time.”
Peterson is positioning, Johnson is waiting, and it is business as usual in Kansas City. Here’s what is unusual: As of Sunday night, none of the 32 first-round draft picks had signed a contract. Part of the holdup is tied to the collective-bargaining agreement, which expires after the 2006 season. Because the agreement hasn’t been extended, teams can prorate signing bonuses only over five years.
But Johnson’s agent, Vann McElroy, said that snag hasn’t been much of an issue in his negotiations. McElroy said he’s crafted a fair deal for Johnson, the Chiefs’ most-hyped rookie since Tony Gonzalez, and simply wants to protect his client.
Johnson, the Butkus Award-winning linebacker from Texas, was a surprise pick for the Chiefs, who didn’t guess he would last until the 15th selection. He lived up to his billing in offseason workouts, and at least one coach said Johnson was further along than the club expected.
Although the Chiefs have a long and colorful history of holdouts — six of their last nine first-rounders missed at least part of training camp — Peterson said he won’t cave in to public opinion and rush into a deal he doesn’t think is right.
“Derrick Johnson right now is running second team on this football team,” Peterson said. “I don’t let the media nor the public try to influence what our plans are and what we feel we have to do. Because that’s not my job. My job is to run the Kansas City Chiefs.”
McElroy, who answered his phone on the first ring late Sunday, said he isn’t sweating it. The rhetoric is typical for late-July negotiations. So are the back-and-forth faxes. The Chiefs sent an initial proposal, and McElroy fired another one back last week.
He declined to say how far apart the parties were.
“I think it’s typical that there is a bit of positioning,” McElroy said. “But I think that everybody realizes that the guy’s a great player. And I think at the end of the day, both sides will treat it as such.
“I’m hopeful this thing will be done on time and we’ll get him in.”
Peterson said the Chiefs were close to finishing up a couple of contracts. When asked whether that included Johnson, he said, “No, but we’ve had communication with Derrick’s guy. That’s always good. Nobody wants to be first.”
Late Sunday, Kansas City-based agent Tom Condon was headed to San Francisco for some hard-core, and hopefully final, negotiations for No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith. Once the No. 1 pick is signed, the next four selections generally follow in the hopes that the top pick scored big money.
Last year, Condon was holed away at Giants headquarters until 4 a.m., securing Eli Manning’s $20 million signing bonus. Apparently, Condon thinks he can top that — even with the five-year proration.
“Eli was the first pick, the salary cap was $80 million, and he got $20 million guaranteed,” Condon said. “And I think he was an excellent value. The salary cap has gone up by over $5 million, it’s a year later, Alex is the first pick, and they play the same position.”
Johnson isn’t shooting for the Alex Smith package. In the days after he was drafted in April, Johnson said he understood the significance of training camp and wanted to be in River Falls on time. The plane leaves Wednesday.
With or without the rookies.
“I’m hopeful it doesn’t happen,” Peterson said of a possible holdout. “He indicated to me that it would not happen, he would not allow it to happen. But right now, there are no No. 1s signed.
“It’s up to each first-round draft choice to make his decision whether he thinks it’s important to be in camp on time or not. Hopefully it is their decision and not the agents’ decision because it’s their career, not the agents’ career.”
On the dotted line
The Chiefs’ high draft picks in the Carl Peterson era and when they signed.
1989 LB Derrick Thomas Aug. 24*
1990 LB Percy Snow Aug. 20*
1991 RB Harvey Williams Aug. 7*
1992 CB Dale Carter June 1
1993 No first- or second-round pick
1994 RB Greg Hill Aug. 1*
1995 T Trezelle Jenkins April 25
1996 S Jerome Woods Aug. 12*
1997 TE Tony Gonzalez July 29*
1998 T Victor Riley July 2
1999 T John Tait Sept. 9*
2000 WR Sylvester Morris Aug. 9*
2001 No first- or second-round pick
2002 DT Ryan Sims Aug. 28*
2003 RB Larry Johnson July 17
2004 DT Junior Siavii July 21