Fire Me Boy!
07-31-2005, 07:17 PM
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2005/07/31/qa_with_carl_peterson2/
Q&A with CARL PETERSON
Jul 31, 2005, 7:25:11 PM
TRAINING CAMP
PETERSON: “We are happy to announce that we have reached an agreement in principle with (LB) Derrick Johnson, our number one pick. This would not have been done without Denny Thum, our Assistant General Manager who spent countless hours on the phone with these principles. He and I just reached an agreement about 20 minutes ago over there in the gardener’s shed. Another great place to negotiate.
“I just got off the phone with Derrick and he is very pleased, excited, and anxious to get to camp. We will fly him in the first thing in the morning and have another announcement. We have agreed in principal on a five-year contract, no voidables. We are pleased to get this done. All of the chickens are now in the hen house.”
Q: Is the gardener’s shed a better place to negotiate than the local Shoney’s?
PETERSON: “We have done Perkins. When camp begins you got to take what you can find. Anyway, we are pleased about getting it done. I think it was a very professional negotiation. Surprising to some of you I know, but no tempers flared. No profanity was exchanged. It was just a continuous process to get it done. The obvious is with the other players coming in, the number 13, the number 14, number 16 and I think number 18. I think Derrick’s representatives felt comfortable with were we were and what we were doing.”
Q: Did you find this year a little different with the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire?
PETERSON: “Sure. They asked for two options and no signing bonuses. They were trying to cram what they have done in the last six or seven-year deals in to a five-year pro-ration which is very difficult. This contract not unlike a lot of them in the draft is a little different than the ones we have done in the past. We wanted a five-year set contract with no voidables. We were able to do that and I hope can come perform for us to make all of us, including myself, Dick (Vermeil) and all of the fans in Kansas City very proud of Derrick Johnson.
“He is excited. He cannot wait to get up here. I said, ‘you are behind by about seven practices. You have some catching up to do and get ready to take some good-hearted ribbing from your teammates because I am sure that is going to come.”
Q: Is he going to practice tomorrow afternoon?
PETERSON: “We will probably have to look at him and see where he is at physically. He assures me he is in great cardiovascular condition. We will let our coaches and trainers determine that, but if he we will put him into the mix. Like we said to Craphonso (Thorpe) who said, ‘do I get my three days in no pads when I come in?’ I said, ‘Son, that was at Florida State. You missed your three days here.’ This is the National Football League and you jump in. We don’t want to get anybody hurt.
Q: How important was it to get him here in the first week?
PETERSON: “I think it is always good if you can do that. First of all there is no correlation what so ever, you can go back and look at our specific to number one draft picks holding out and a team’s record. I know the stats substantiate that. The person who gets hurt is the player and it usually affects his play time the first year. I never really get too concerned until frankly they start missing games. Obviously, we’re still some ways away from that. I would anticipate he’ll take a few snaps in our first game at Minnesota.”
Q: Do you have any apprehension about G Will Shields’ status?
PETERSON: “No, not at this point. I’ve talked to the doctors thoroughly. We’ve looked at all of the MRI’s and so forth. It’s something that he’s had through the years. Maybe we just haven’t publicized it or it hasn’t been that publicized before. My hope and thought is to have him ready on September 11th. I don’t think he’s going to forget the offensive playbook after playing 13 years and 10 Pro Bowls.”
Q: Freddie Mitchell is having his knee scoped. Are you going to go out and get another wide receiver?
PETERSON: “No, we’re at 91 (players) right now. Frankly, we’re going to have to release somebody when we formally sign Derrick Johnson. I think the quality and depth of our wide receivers right now is very strong and I don’t see any necessity in trying to change that. The other thing is we’re being very optimistic that Freddie’s going to get back with us very quickly. Hopefully, it’s just a slight tear in the lateral meniscus and it’ll be a arthroscopic surgery and he’ll be back here quickly.”
Q&A with CARL PETERSON
Jul 31, 2005, 7:25:11 PM
TRAINING CAMP
PETERSON: “We are happy to announce that we have reached an agreement in principle with (LB) Derrick Johnson, our number one pick. This would not have been done without Denny Thum, our Assistant General Manager who spent countless hours on the phone with these principles. He and I just reached an agreement about 20 minutes ago over there in the gardener’s shed. Another great place to negotiate.
“I just got off the phone with Derrick and he is very pleased, excited, and anxious to get to camp. We will fly him in the first thing in the morning and have another announcement. We have agreed in principal on a five-year contract, no voidables. We are pleased to get this done. All of the chickens are now in the hen house.”
Q: Is the gardener’s shed a better place to negotiate than the local Shoney’s?
PETERSON: “We have done Perkins. When camp begins you got to take what you can find. Anyway, we are pleased about getting it done. I think it was a very professional negotiation. Surprising to some of you I know, but no tempers flared. No profanity was exchanged. It was just a continuous process to get it done. The obvious is with the other players coming in, the number 13, the number 14, number 16 and I think number 18. I think Derrick’s representatives felt comfortable with were we were and what we were doing.”
Q: Did you find this year a little different with the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire?
PETERSON: “Sure. They asked for two options and no signing bonuses. They were trying to cram what they have done in the last six or seven-year deals in to a five-year pro-ration which is very difficult. This contract not unlike a lot of them in the draft is a little different than the ones we have done in the past. We wanted a five-year set contract with no voidables. We were able to do that and I hope can come perform for us to make all of us, including myself, Dick (Vermeil) and all of the fans in Kansas City very proud of Derrick Johnson.
“He is excited. He cannot wait to get up here. I said, ‘you are behind by about seven practices. You have some catching up to do and get ready to take some good-hearted ribbing from your teammates because I am sure that is going to come.”
Q: Is he going to practice tomorrow afternoon?
PETERSON: “We will probably have to look at him and see where he is at physically. He assures me he is in great cardiovascular condition. We will let our coaches and trainers determine that, but if he we will put him into the mix. Like we said to Craphonso (Thorpe) who said, ‘do I get my three days in no pads when I come in?’ I said, ‘Son, that was at Florida State. You missed your three days here.’ This is the National Football League and you jump in. We don’t want to get anybody hurt.
Q: How important was it to get him here in the first week?
PETERSON: “I think it is always good if you can do that. First of all there is no correlation what so ever, you can go back and look at our specific to number one draft picks holding out and a team’s record. I know the stats substantiate that. The person who gets hurt is the player and it usually affects his play time the first year. I never really get too concerned until frankly they start missing games. Obviously, we’re still some ways away from that. I would anticipate he’ll take a few snaps in our first game at Minnesota.”
Q: Do you have any apprehension about G Will Shields’ status?
PETERSON: “No, not at this point. I’ve talked to the doctors thoroughly. We’ve looked at all of the MRI’s and so forth. It’s something that he’s had through the years. Maybe we just haven’t publicized it or it hasn’t been that publicized before. My hope and thought is to have him ready on September 11th. I don’t think he’s going to forget the offensive playbook after playing 13 years and 10 Pro Bowls.”
Q: Freddie Mitchell is having his knee scoped. Are you going to go out and get another wide receiver?
PETERSON: “No, we’re at 91 (players) right now. Frankly, we’re going to have to release somebody when we formally sign Derrick Johnson. I think the quality and depth of our wide receivers right now is very strong and I don’t see any necessity in trying to change that. The other thing is we’re being very optimistic that Freddie’s going to get back with us very quickly. Hopefully, it’s just a slight tear in the lateral meniscus and it’ll be a arthroscopic surgery and he’ll be back here quickly.”